National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world's premier men's basketball league. It has 30 teams; 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. It is an active member of USA Basketball, which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The league was founded in New York City, on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in the Autumn of 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (United States). The league's several international and individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower (New York) at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Ethnic Diversity

Worldwide, basketball tournaments are held for boys and girls of all age levels. The global popularity of the sport is reflected in the nationalities represented in the NBA. Players from all over the globe can be found in NBA teams. Steve Nash, who won the 2005 and 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, is Canadian; Kobe Bryant is an American who spent much of his childhood in Italy; Dallas Mavericks superstar and 2007 NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki is German; All-Star Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies is from Spain; 2005 NBA Draft's top overall pick Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks is Australian; 2006 NBA Draft's top overall pick Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors is from Italy; Houston Rockets Center Yao Ming is from China; Cleveland Cavaliers big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Lithuanian; and the San Antonio Spurs feature Tim Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Manu Ginobili of Argentina (like Chicago Bulls player Andrés Nocioni) and Tony Parker of France. The all-tournament teams at the two most recent FIBA World Championships, held in 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis and 2006 FIBA World Championship|2006 in Japan, demonstrate the globalization of the game equally dramatically. Only one member of either team was American, namely Carmelo Anthony in 2006. The 2002 team featured Nowitzki, Ginobili, Predrag Stojaković of Yugoslavia , Yao Ming of China, and Pero Cameron of New Zealand. Ginobili also made the 2006 team; the other members were Anthony, Gasol, his Spanish teammate Jorge Garbajosa and Theodoros Papaloukas of Greece. The only players on either team to never have joined the NBA are Cameron and Papaloukas. The only Japanese NBA player is Kenny Nakazawa.

1940s: BAA & NBL merge to include 17 teams

Madison Square Garden in New York City played an instrumental role in the formation of the Basketball Association of America (BAA). On November 1, 1946, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers, which the NBA now regards as the first game played in the league's history.

On August 3, 1949, the BAA agreed to merge with the National Basketball League, expanding the National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums.

1950s: diversity, 24-second shot clock introduced

This decade begins with the NBA producing only eleven franchises in 1950, a process that eventually cut the number of teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to eight in 1954. All of these teams are currently in the 30 team National Basketball Association present day. They include the New York Knickerbockers, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Royals/Kings, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Philadelphia Nationals/76ers.

Although Japanese-American Wataru Misaka technically broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947-48 season when he played for the New York Knicks, 1950 is recognized as the year the NBA integrated with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. Today, more than fifty years later, the NBA is made up of players of many different races, with diverse backgrounds and cultures. Over 80% of NBA players today are African American, with many international players joining the league since around 2000. During this period, the Los Angeles Lakers/Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Finals Championships and established themselves as the league's first sports dynasty.

In an attempt to encourage a fast-pace, fan-pleasing basketball game, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. The team loses possession of the basketball if it fails to shoot before the 24 seconds are up. In 1956, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach. Russell went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of team sports.

1960s: Changing Places

Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises.

In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. The leagues engaged in a bidding war for talent. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who together with Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in his second season, and who later played on five Los Angeles Lakers' championship teams.

1970s

The National Basketball Association adapted the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to create spacing of all ten players on the court. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, continuing a rivalry that began when the two played in the 1979 NCAA Basketball Finals, sparking a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three NBA titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five.

1980s: 27 teams

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. During the 1990s, Jordan led Bulls to six titles (1991-1993 and 1996-1998).

1990s: globalization;

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. During the 1990s, Jordan led Bulls to six titles (1991-1993 and 1996-1998).

Globalization also increased in the 1990s. The 1992 Summer Olympics basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA Most Valuable Player Award Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. An increasing number, though, have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA, such as 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and 2006 FIBA World Championship MVP Pau Gasol of Spain, first pick in the 2002 NBA Draft Yao Ming of China, 2002 FIBA World Championship and Eurobasket 2005 MVP and NBA 2007 MVP Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, and 2004 Summer Olympics Tournament MVP Manu Ginobili of Argentina. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages. In 1998, the NBA owners began a lockout which lasted 191-days and was settled on January 18 1999. As a result of this lockout the 1998-99 NBA season was reduced from 82 to 50 games, which were all played in early 1999.

2000s: 30 franchises; synthetic ball attempted

The end of the 1990's and this decade thus far have been a stage for utter domination by two teams: the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers sandwiched their three peat in between Spurs' titles in 1999 and 2003. The Spurs have since won in 2005 and again in 2007.

Dynasties

The National Basketball Association originated in 1946 with 11 teams. Through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations, the NBA currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams and one is located in Canada (Toronto Raptors). The Boston Celtics have won the most championships, with 16 NBA Finals wins. The next most successful franchise is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have 14 championships. Following the Lakers are the Chicago Bulls with 6 championships, all of them won over an 8-year span during the 1990s. The San Antonio Spurs, who have won 4 championships since 1999, are the defending champions.

The current league organization divides the teams into two conferences. Each conference has three divisions, and each division has five teams. The current divisional alignment was introduced in the 2004-05 NBA season.

Eastern Conference

Division	Team	City	Colors	Arena	Founded
Atlantic Division	Boston Celtics	Boston, Massachusetts	Green and White	TD Banknorth Garden	1946
	New Jersey Nets	East Rutherford, New Jersey	Midnight Blue, Red, Silver	Continental Airlines Arena	1967*
	New York Knicks	New York, New York	Blue, Black, Orange	Madison Square Garden	1946
	Philadelphia 76ers	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Black, Red, Gold, Blue	Wachovia Center	1939*
	Toronto Raptors	Toronto, Ontario	Purple,Red,Black,Silver,White	Air Canada Centre	1995
Central Division	Chicago Bulls	Chicago, Illinois	Red, Black, White	United Center	1966
	Cleveland Cavaliers	Cleveland, Ohio	Wine, Gold, Navy Blue, White	Quicken Loans Arena	1970
	Detroit Pistons	Auburn Hills, Michigan	Blue, Red, White	The Palace of Auburn Hills	1941*
	Indiana Pacers	Indianapolis, Indiana	Navy Blue, Gold, Gray	Conseco Fieldhouse	1967
	Milwaukee Bucks	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Green, Red, Silver	Bradley Center	1968
Southeast Division	Atlanta Hawks	Atlanta, Georgia	Navy Blue, Red, Silver	Philips Arena	1946*
	Charlotte Bobcats	Charlotte, North Carolina	Orange, Blue, Black, Silver	Charlotte Bobcats Arena	2004
	Miami Heat	Miami, Florida	Black, Red, White, Yellow	AmericanAirlines Arena	1988
	Orlando Magic	Orlando, Florida	White, Blue, Black	Amway Arena	1989
	Washington Wizards	Washington, D.C.	Blue, Black, Bronze	Verizon Center	1961*

Western Conference

Division	Team	City	Colors	Arena	Founded
Southwest Division	Dallas Mavericks	Dallas, Texas	Navy Blue, Royal Blue, Silver, Green	American Airlines Center	1980
	Houston Rockets	Houston, Texas	Red, White, Silver, Black	Toyota Center	1967*
	Memphis Grizzlies	Memphis, Tennessee	Navy Blue, Light Blue, Smoke Blue, Gold	FedExForum	1995*
	New Orleans Hornets	New Orleans, Louisiana	Teal, Purple, Gold	New Orleans Arena	1988*
	San Antonio Spurs	San Antonio, Texas	Black, Silver	AT&T Center	1967*
Northwest Division	Denver Nuggets	Denver, Colorado	Light Blue, Gold, Cobalt Blue	Pepsi Center	1967
	Minnesota Timberwolves	Minneapolis, Minnesota	Forest Green, Black, Tan, Green	Target Center	1989
	Portland Trail Blazers	Portland, Oregon	Black, Red, Silver	Rose Garden Arena	1970
	Seattle SuperSonics	Seattle, Washington	Green, Gold	KeyArena	1967
	Utah Jazz	Salt Lake City, Utah	Navy Blue, Ice Blue, Silver	EnergySolutions Arena	1974*
Pacific Division	Golden State Warriors	Oakland, California	Navy Blue, Orange, Gold	Oracle Arena	1946*
	Los Angeles Clippers	Los Angeles, California	Red, Blue, White	Staples Center	1970*
	Los Angeles Lakers	Los Angeles, California	Purple, Gold, White	Staples Center	1946*
	Phoenix Suns	Phoenix, Arizona	Purple, Orange, Gray	US Airways Center	1968
	Sacramento Kings	Sacramento, California	Purple, Black, Silver, White, Gold	ARCO Arena	1945*

Notes:

• An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.
• The Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers and Rochester Royals all joined the NBA (BAA) in 1948 from the NBL.
• The Syracuse Nationals and Tri-Cities Blackhawks joined the NBA in 1949 as part of the BAA-NBL merger.
• The Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets all joined the NBA in 1976 as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
• Due to arena damages caused by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Hornets played most of their 2005-06 home schedule in Oklahoma City. They did the same for the 2006-07 season. The NBA and the Hornets organization have announced that the team will be returning to New Orleans on a full-time basis for the upcoming 2007-08 season. The 2008 All Star game will be held in New Orleans as well.

Regular season

Training camp (begins in October) is a type of guess and check for the coaching staff to evaluate which players fit, which don't, and scout the team's strengths and weaknesses. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November.

In the regular season, each team plays 82 games, which are divided evenly between home and away games. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year, teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times, and teams in the other conference twice apiece. A team can therefore have a relatively easy or difficult schedule, depending on the division and conference it is located in.

Milwaukee Bucks playing the Charlotte Bobcats.

ALL-STAR WEEKEND

In February, the regular season is at its halfway point, the time to celebrate the annual National Basketball Association All-Star Game. Then, Eastern conference players face the Western conference players in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the Rookie Challenge game, which pits the best rookies and the best second-year players against each other; the Skills Challenge, a competition between players to see who could complete an obstacle course comprising shooting, passing and dribbling in the fastest time; the Three Point Contest, a competition between players to see who is the best three-point shooter; and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, to see which player dunks the ball in the most entertaining way. These other attractions have varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights.

Championship leaders

Team	Championships	Winning years
Boston Celtics	16	1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers	14	1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002
Chicago Bulls	6	1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
San Antonio Spurs	4	1999, 2003, 2005, 2007
Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors	3	1947, 1956, 1975
Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers	3	1955, 1967, 1983
Detroit Pistons	3	1989, 1990, 2004
New York Knicks	2	1970, 1973
Houston Rockets	2	1994, 1995
Baltimore Bullets (original)	1	1948
Rochester Royals/Sacramento Kings	1	1951
St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks	1	1958
Milwaukee Bucks	1	1971
Portland Trail Blazers	1	1977
Washington Bullets/Wizards	1	1978
Seattle SuperSonics	1	1979
Miami Heat	1	2006

Presidents and commissioners

• Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963
• Walter Kennedy (NBA)|Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975
• Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984
• David Stern, Commissioner since 1984

Awards

• NBA Most Valuable Player Award
• NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
• NBA Rookie of the Year Award
• NBA Most Improved Player Award
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
• NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award
• NBA Coach of the Year Award
• All-NBA Team
• NBA All-Defensive Team
• J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Connie Kirchberg, Hoop lore : a history of the National Basketball Association, Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 2007, ISBN: 9780786426737 078642673X
• Bill Bradley, Values of the Game, New York, New York: Artisan (A Division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.),1998 ISBN 1-57965-116-X
• Dave Ominsky and P.J. Harari,Basketball Made Simple, A Spectator's Guide, 1998,1994 First Base Sports, Inc., Los Angeles, California,ISBN 1-884309-07-0
• National Basketball Association Home Retrieved July 08, 2007

External links

• NBA.com Official PC/Mac Site Retrieved July 12, 2007.
• NBA.mobi Official Mobile Site Retrieved July 12, 2007.
• National Basketball Players Association Retrieved July 12, 2007.
• NBRA NBA Referees Retrieved July 12, 2007.
• Internationalistreview.com Article by the Internationalist Review on race issues in the NBA Retrieved July 12, 2007.
• The 2007 NBA League Schedule The 2007 NBA League Schedule Retrieved July 12, 2007.

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National Basketball Association (2007-08)
Western Conference			Eastern Conference
Northwest	Pacific	Southwest	Atlantic	Central	Southeast
Denver Nuggets	Golden State Warriors	Dallas Mavericks	Boston Celtics	Chicago Bulls	Atlanta Hawks
Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Clippers	Houston Rockets	New Jersey Nets	Cleveland Cavaliers	Charlotte Bobcats
Portland Trail Blazers	Los Angeles Lakers	Memphis Grizzlies	New York Knicks	Detroit Pistons	Miami Heat
Seattle SuperSonics	Phoenix Suns	New Orleans Hornets	Philadelphia 76ers	Indiana Pacers	Orlando Magic
Utah Jazz	Sacramento Kings	San Antonio Spurs	Toronto Raptors	Milwaukee Bucks	Washington Wizards
Miscellaneous
Annual events: Playoffs - Finals - All-Star Game - All-Star Weekend - Rookie Challenge - Three-point Shootout - Skills Challenge - Shooting Stars Competition - Slam Dunk Contest - Draft
Other: Current team rosters - Midwest Division - Dress code - Salary Cap - Arenas - D-League - WNBA - WNBA Finals - Europe Live Tour - Larry O'Brien Trophy - Finals MVP - 50 Greatest Players

International basketball
FIBA | Olympic Tournament | World Championship (men) - (women) | Teams by Country | Players | Leagues | World Under-21 Championship (men) - (women) | World under 19 Championship (men) - (women)
Africa: FIBA Africa – Africa Championship      Americas: FIBA Americas – Americas Championship      Asia: FIBA Asia – Asian Championship      Europe: FIBA Europe – Eurobasket      Oceania: FIBA Oceania – Oceania Championship
Men's professional basketball leagues
FIBA | National Basketball Association | Other leagues Americas: Liga Sudamericana | Argentina | Brazil | Chile | Mexico | Paraguay | Puerto Rico | Uruguay | Venezuela U.S. developmental leagues: ABA | CBA | D-League | EBA | IBL | PBL | United BL | USBL | Universal BL | WBA Europe: Euroleague | ULEB Cup | Adriatic League | Austria | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Croatia | Cyprus | Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Israel | Italy | Lithuania | Montenegro | Norway | Poland | Portugal | Romania | Russia | Serbia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Turkey | Ukraine | United Kingdom - England - Scotland Asia: Asia Champions Cup | China | Japan | Korea | Philippines | Taiwan Oceania: Australia | New Zealand Africa: Africa Cup for Clubs

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