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The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the world’s premier sports leagues. Its teams are located in cities across the United States and Canada, and its games are broadcast in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. The NBA is renowned for its spectacular in-game entertainment and player skills, as well as off-court initiatives that promote equality and social justice. Its players are among the highest paid professionals in the world, and they are often seen as role models for young people.
The NBA was founded in 1947 and became the first major professional sports league to incorporate women and minorities. Its initial franchises included the Minneapolis Lakers, Syracuse Nationals — later the Philadelphia Warriors — St. Louis Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks. By the mid-1960s, the league had expanded from nine to 14 teams with the addition of the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics — later relocated to Oklahoma City — San Diego Rockets — later moved to Houston four years later — and the Atlanta Hawks (now the Washington Wizards).
From its beginnings, the NBA has been a league of stars. Some of its biggest names include the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan, as well as current superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. The league has also produced a host of Hall of Fame players, including Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
In the late 1970s, the NBA was a rough and tumble place. Many of its players came from unstable families in urban ghettoes, and their drug-dealing, womanizing, and violent behavior was viewed as a reflection of the disorder and mayhem on the streets of America’s inner cities. As a result, the league’s reputation for corruption and violence reached its nadir during this period.
NBA rosters have swelled with talent, and the game has become increasingly competitive. The league’s salary cap sets a limit on how much each team can pay its players, and this prevents the wealthiest teams from buying all of the best talent. It also ensures that all teams have a chance to win the championship each year.
The NBA’s 94th season began with the emergence of a new generation of superstars led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat. The 2010s have been marked by the continued excellence of James, who has appeared in nine NBA Finals and won four titles, as well as the rise of the Golden State Warriors — with their small-ball strategy and 3-point shooting masterminded by coach Steve Kerr and carried by stars such as Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry — to prominence in the Western Conference.
Each spring, the 14 teams that do not qualify for the playoffs compete in the Draft Lottery, an audited lottery of ping-pong balls to determine which team will get the top overall pick. The other spots in the order are determined by regular-season finish and reversed order of divisional standings.