Founded in 1946 by former NHL owners as a way to generate revenue when they were not playing, the NBA is now one of the largest professional sports leagues in the world. Today, the league divides its 30 teams into three divisions: East, West, and Central. It also has partnerships with television networks in the United States, including ESPN and TNT. It also makes money through ticket sales, sponsorships, and other non-basketball related revenue.
The NBA is considered the first major professional sports league to gain full access to American popular culture. This happened in the 1980’s, when the league began a long run of dominance with the Lakers and Celtics. It was also the time of the Chicago Bulls’ six NBA championships and the rise of Michael Jordan.
The league also started its first major television contract, with the DuMont Television Network. It also added a number of teams to its roster, including the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, and the San Antonio Spurs.
In the early years of the NBA, basketball took root in larger cities, with the Lakers and Celtics dominating in Minneapolis and Boston. Financial troubles plagued some of the newer teams, including the Utah Jazz. The league consolidated to eight teams in 1954, putting an end to the smaller gymnasiums that had been the norm. In addition, the league began to look into new markets. A few of these markets were also corresponding MLB teams. But the new NBA would soon go the way of the dinosaur, as it lost a number of teams.
The NBA’s first major television contract was with the DuMont Television Network in season eight of 1953-54. The league also began to make money through sponsorships, merchandising, and other non-basketball related revenues. However, the NBA was also faced with some financial challenges. The Cleveland Cavaliers, for example, lost money on an operating basis last year.
The league also started a number of partnerships with television networks in the United States, such as TNT. In addition, it has agreements with ESPN and ABC. But, as technology continues to change, the NBA may be challenged in the future. This is especially true in the West. Several teams have left the court due to financial issues. However, the NBA is hopeful that it will continue to grow in the coming years.
The league also had a number of stars during the decade, including Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Elvin Hayes, and Abdul-Jabbar. The league had a number of other notable players, including Bill Russell, Dave Cowens, and Artis Gilmore.
The 1980’s was also the decade when the NBA began to look for other ways to generate revenue. In the early years, teams competed with each other in the regular season, and a playoff was held to determine which team would represent the NBA in the World Championship. Each team had to finish in the top half of their conference to qualify for the playoffs. The best team, in each conference, would take home a first-round bye. The third-best team would then play the sixth-best team in the playoffs.