The NBA is the world’s premier professional basketball league, comprised of 30 teams throughout the United States and Canada. The NBA is home to some of the greatest players in history, from legendary superstars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to emerging stars like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Karl Malone. The league also has a long tradition of game-changing plays, storied rivalries and team dynasties that have helped shape the game.
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The league was founded in 1946 with seven teams and has grown to its current 30 in two 15-team conferences.
Each conference has three divisions with five teams in each, reflecting the distribution of population across the United States and Canada. The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the Playoffs, with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 8 in the first round and the No. 2 seed facing the No. 7 in the second round. The final four then play each other in best-of-seven series that follow the 2-2-1-1-1 format (two games at the higher seed’s home court, two at the lower seed’s home, then one game back and forth).
In addition to its competitive basketball, the NBA is committed to social responsibility. Through NBA Cares, the league supports internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that address education, youth and family development and health-related issues. The NBA is also committed to globalization, with its teams and games played in more than 200 countries and territories and broadcast in over 50 languages.
The NBA All-Star Game is an annual event that takes place in February. Players from both the Eastern and Western conferences are selected by fans and coaches based on their performance in the regular season. The top vote-getters in each conference become captains, and fans help select the rest of the All-Star starters. After the All-Star Game, the NBA awards a number of individual player and coach accolades, including regular season MVPs, Most Valuable Player award winners, the All-Defensive team and the All-Rookie Team.