The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the largest sports leagues in the world. It consists of 30 teams divided into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each team plays 82 games during the regular season. Teams play other teams from their own conference three times and divisional rivals twice. After the regular season, eight playoff spots are filled. In the playoffs, each team will play two games against each opponent, and one game against a team from the other conference. All teams in the NBA play at least one road game.
At the end of the regular season, the top vote-getters in each conference are selected to be captains of their conferences. These captains choose the rest of the All-Star team. Each team can have up to fifteen players on its active roster. Some teams may also have an inactive player. Those inactive players are usually veteran players recovering from injuries.
Before the start of the season, teams are allowed to recruit players. If a player agrees to join a team, he can officially sign a contract after the July 1st deadline. As a rule, teams are required to have at least one inactive player. Usually, the team’s coaching staff selects the 3-man inactive list before the start of the season.
Once the roster is set, training camps begin. Training camps allow teams to evaluate their players’ strengths and weaknesses. During the preseason, teams play exhibition games in non-NBA cities. During these exhibition games, teams will be evaluated by coaches, scouts, and other officials. Generally, coaches will scout the strengths and weaknesses of each team. They will also scout the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.
The coaching staff will then scout the roster and make a final determination on which 12-man active roster will be used for the season. There are only twelve active players on each team. Another three players are assigned to the reserve roster.
After the regular season ends, the winner of each conference competes in the NBA Finals. A best-of-seven series, the NBA Finals is played annually in June. The winner receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Players who contribute to the team’s success during the championship season are awarded championship rings.
The NBA has one of the largest social media communities in the world. This includes a global audience of 2.1 billion followers. The NBA also engages in health and educational initiatives that address social issues. Additionally, it supports youth development through its NBA Cares program.
The NBA has a salary cap, which limits the amount of money a team can spend on players. The salary cap is designed to allow teams to build a competitive roster and win championships. For example, if a team wants to add a star player with less than two years of experience, it can assign him to the NBA G League.
The NBA has long been a major television partner of the United States. Currently, the league has contracts with ESPN, TNT, and ABC.