The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is the premier men's professional basketball league in the world and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.
The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, along with Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL). The NBA has the highest annual attendance of any professional basketball league in the world.
The NBA season begins in October and ends in June. Each team plays 82 regular-season games, followed by a four-round playoff tournament. The NBA Finals is the championship series of the NBA playoffs and is the culmination of the NBA season. The winner of the NBA Finals is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
The NBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Adam Silver has been the NBA Commissioner since 2014.
**History**
The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league was founded by 11 team owners, including Walter Brown (Boston Celtics), Maurice Podoloff (Philadelphia Warriors), Ned Irish (New York Knicks), Eddie Gottlieb (Philadelphia Warriors), Benny Borgmann (Chicago Bulls), Lou Boudreau (Cleveland Rebels), Danny Biasone (Detroit Pistons), Todd Rockwell (New York Knicks), Max Zaslofsky (Chicago Stags), and Morris Chalfen (Toronto Huskies). The BAA adopted a six-team playoff format in its inaugural season.
In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBL was founded in 1937 and consisted of 11 teams. The merger added 10 NBL teams to the NBA, bringing the total number of teams to 17. The NBA also adopted the NBL's playoff format, which consisted of a four-round tournament.
The NBA expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s. The league added 10 teams during this time period, bringing the total number of teams to 23. The NBA also began to broadcast games on television in the 1960s, which helped to increase the league's popularity.
The NBA experienced a period of decline in the 1980s. The league was plagued by drug problems and a lack of star players. However, the NBA began to rebound in the 1990s, thanks in part to the arrival of star players such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. The NBA also began to market itself to a global audience, which helped to increase the league's popularity around the world.
The NBA is currently one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. The league has a global fan base and is broadcast in over 200 countries. The NBA also has a significant impact on the economy, generating billions of dollars in revenue each year.
**Structure**
The NBA is composed of 30 teams, divided into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is further divided into three divisions: the Atlantic Division, the Central Division, and the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference; and the Northwest Division, the Pacific Division, and the Southwest Division in the Western Conference. Each team plays 82 regular-season games, 41 against each team in its division, three or four games against each team in the other two divisions in its conference, and two games against each team in the opposite conference.
The NBA playoffs begin in April and end in June. The playoffs are a four-round tournament, with the top eight teams from each conference qualifying. The playoffs are played in a best-of-seven format, with the winner of each series advancing to the next round. The NBA Finals is the championship series of the NBA playoffs and is the culmination of the NBA season. The winner of the NBA Finals is awarded the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
**Rules**
The NBA's rules are based on the rules of basketball as established by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). However, there are a few key differences between the NBA's rules and FIBA's rules. One major difference is the use of the shot clock. The NBA uses a 24-second shot clock, while FIBA uses a