The National Basketball Association is an American professional basketball league that competes in the global market for sports entertainment. It is the premier men’s basketball league in North America, with 30 teams competing in two conferences: the Eastern Conference (with an Atlantic Division, a Central Division and a Southeast Division) and the Western Conference (with a Northwest Division, a Southwest Division and a Pacific Division). The top-ranked team in each conference at the end of the regular season participates in a playoff to determine the NBA champion, who claims the title of world champion.
The NBA was founded in 1946 and has its headquarters in New York City. The league is governed by the NBA Board of Governors, which is composed of the presidents of each of the 30 member clubs and a representative from each team’s fan base. The NBA commissioner is the highest-ranking executive in the league and oversees all aspects of the game.
Throughout its history, the NBA has seen many great teams. The Boston Celtics, led by Bill Russell, won the most championships during the 1950s and ’60s, with an astonishing 11 in 13 seasons. The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs also had dynastic runs, with the latter winning six titles in the 2000s.
Other notable teams include the Dallas Mavericks, who won three consecutive championships from 2011 to 2013, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the 2016 NBA Finals. In the upcoming season, the Milwaukee Bucks are expected to win their first championship in 40 years.
Since the introduction of the 3-point shot in 1979, NBA players have developed a style of play that requires advanced ball movement and unselfish passing to create open space for teammates to shoot. This new, highly skilled style has evolved into a physically demanding sport that has predictably increased the incidence of injury.
The rate of injuries to NBA players is much higher than that in other major professional sports, such as football, baseball and hockey. This is primarily because NBA players routinely use their bodies to fight for position, and they often attempt to draw contact in the air when shooting the ball. In addition, players frequently use their elbows and forearms to ward off defenders.
This physicality, combined with the fact that the game is played over a long season, has lead to high rates of injury in the NBA. The NBA has adopted many strategies to mitigate the impact of these injuries, including mandatory rest days, expanded use of medical staff and extensive video review of plays.
Although the rate of injury in the NBA is high, there are a number of limitations that should be taken into account when interpreting this data. Firstly, this data only includes injuries that were reported by NBA teams according to specific criteria, so minor injuries may be missed or underreported. Secondly, the data is restricted to games in which the player was active, so injuries incurred during practice or off-court activities are not included.