National Basketball Association facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Basketball Association

Sport	Basketball
Founded	June 6, 1946; 79 years ago (1946-06-06) (as BAA), New York, New York, U.S.
Inaugural season	1946–47
Commissioner	Adam Silver
No. of teams	30
Countries	United States (29 teams) Canada (1 team)
Headquarters	645 Fifth Avenue New York, New York, U.S.
Most recent champion(s)	Denver Nuggets (1st title)
Most titles	Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers (17 each)
TV partner(s)	United States: ABC/ESPN TNT/Max NBA TV Canada: TSN/TSN2 Sportsnet/Sportsnet One NBA TV Canada International: See list

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a super popular professional basketball league in North America. It has 30 teams, with 29 in the United States and one in Canada. Many people think it's the best professional basketball league in the world!

The NBA started in New York City on June 6, 1946. Back then, it was called the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It changed its name to the National Basketball Association in 1949 after joining with another league. Later, in 1976, the NBA merged with the American Basketball Association (ABA), adding four more teams.

The NBA season runs from October to April. Each team plays 82 games. After that, the best teams compete in the playoff tournament. This exciting tournament ends in June with the NBA Finals championship series. NBA players are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world!

The NBA is a big part of USA Basketball. This group helps manage basketball in the United States. The NBA also has offices around the world. It's one of the richest sports leagues in North America. Only the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) earn more money.

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have won the most NBA championships. They each have 17 titles. The current champions are the Denver Nuggets. They won their first title in the 2023 NBA Finals.

History of the NBA

How the NBA Started (1946–1956)

The Basketball Association of America (BAA) began in 1946. It was created by owners of big ice hockey arenas. On November 1, 1946, the Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers. This game in Toronto, Canada, is seen as the first NBA game ever!

At first, the BAA wasn't much better than other leagues. But soon, teams from another league, the NBL, joined the BAA. On August 3, 1949, the BAA and NBL officially merged. They changed the name to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA still uses the BAA's history as its own.

The new league had 17 teams. But it soon became smaller, with only eight teams by 1954. These teams included the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, and Minneapolis Lakers. All of these teams are still in the league today, though some have moved cities.

In 1947, Wataru Misaka, a Japanese-American player, joined the New York Knicks. He was the first non-white player in the league. Later, in 1950, several African-American players joined. These included Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton, and Earl Lloyd.

During this time, the Minneapolis Lakers were very strong. Led by George Mikan, they won five championships. To make the game more exciting, the NBA added the 24-second shot clock in 1954. This clock makes players shoot faster.

Celtics Dominate and the League Grows (1956–1979)

In 1957, Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics. With star player Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics became amazing. They won 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons!

Another huge star was Wilt Chamberlain. He joined the league in 1959. Chamberlain set records for scoring (100 points in one game!) and rebounding. The rivalry between Russell and Chamberlain was legendary.

Bill Russell defending against Wilt Chamberlain in 1966.

The 1960s were all about the Celtics. They won eight championships in a row from 1959 to 1966. This is the longest championship streak in American professional sports! They won two more titles in 1968 and 1969.

The NBA also kept growing. Teams moved to bigger cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. New teams like the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks joined. By 1968, the league had 14 teams.

In 1967, a new league called the American Basketball Association (ABA) started. It competed with the NBA for players. The NBA got college star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But some NBA players, like Rick Barry, went to the ABA.

In 1969, the famous NBA logo was created. It shows the outline of a basketball player. Many believe it's based on a photo of Jerry West. This logo is still used today!

The ABA signed many great players in the 1970s, including Julius Erving. The NBA continued to expand quickly. By 1974, it had 18 teams. In 1976, the NBA and ABA merged. Four ABA teams joined the NBA: the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets. This brought the total to 22 teams.

NBA's Huge Popularity Boom (1979–1998)

Both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird became key stars for the NBA during the 1980s

In 1979, the NBA added the three-point field goal. This made games even more exciting. That same year, two amazing rookies joined the league: Larry Bird for the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson for the Los Angeles Lakers. Their rivalry made the NBA super popular. They even played against each other in three NBA Finals!

In the 1980s, Johnson led the Lakers to five championships. Bird led the Celtics to three titles. In 1984, David Stern became the NBA Commissioner. He helped the league grow a lot during his time.

Michael Jordan became the league's most popular player during the 1990s, while leading the Chicago Bulls to six championships.

Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984. He became the most famous player in the world. The NBA continued to add new teams. In 1988 and 1989, the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves joined.

Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to incredible success. They won three championships in a row twice! This happened from 1991 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1998. Hakeem Olajuwon also won two titles with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995.

The 1992 Olympic "Dream Team" was a huge deal. It was the first time current NBA stars played in the Olympics. The team included Jordan, Bird, Johnson, and many other legends. They easily won the gold medal.

In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada. The Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors joined. In 1996, the NBA also created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Lakers and Spurs Dominate (1998–2014)

Tim Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships between 1999 and 2014.

After the Chicago Bulls broke up in 1998, teams from the Western Conference became very strong. The Los Angeles Lakers, coached by Phil Jackson, and the San Antonio Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, won many championships. Together, they made it to 13 Finals in 16 seasons, winning 10 titles!

The Spurs, led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson, won in 1999. They were the first former ABA team to win an NBA title. The Lakers, with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won three championships in a row from 2000 to 2002. The Spurs won again in 2003 and 2005.

In 2006, the Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, won their first title. The Spurs won again in 2007 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2008, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers played in the Finals again, with the Celtics winning their 17th championship. The Lakers then won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

In 2010, LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat. They formed a "Big Three" and reached the Finals for four straight years. They won titles in 2012 and 2013.

On February 1, 2014, Commissioner David Stern retired after 30 years. His deputy, Adam Silver, became the new Commissioner.

Warriors' Era and Recent Years (2014–Present)

Kobe Bryant defending LeBron James in a February 2016 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers

After playing for the Miami Heat, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. He led them to the Finals with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. But the Golden State Warriors, led by "Splash Brothers" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, defeated them in 2015.

The Cavaliers and Warriors played each other in the Finals for a record four years in a row! In the 2015–16 season, the Warriors had the best regular season record ever (73 wins, 9 losses). However, the Cavaliers came back from being down 3–1 to win their first championship that year. In the next two seasons, the Warriors added Kevin Durant and won the 2017 and 2018 Finals against the Cavaliers.

In 2019, the Warriors reached the Finals again but lost to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors won their first championship with Kawhi Leonard.

The 2019–20 season was stopped in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Games later restarted in a "bubble" at Walt Disney World without fans.

Recently, the Milwaukee Bucks won the championship in 2021. The Golden State Warriors won again in 2022, their fourth title in eight years. In 2023, the Denver Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokić, won their first NBA championship.

International Players in the NBA

More and more players from other countries have joined the NBA. Players like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia) were pioneers in the late 1980s. Now, many international stars play in the league.

In the 2013–14 season, a record 92 international players were on opening night rosters. They came from 39 different countries. The NBA considers players born outside the U.S. and Washington D.C. as "international." This includes players from U.S. territories like Puerto Rico.

By the 2017–18 season, there were 108 international players from 42 countries. Every team had at least one international player. In 2018, Igor Kokoškov from Serbia became the first European head coach in the NBA.

From 2018 to 2023, the MVP award was won by an international player every year! This shows how much global talent is in the NBA.

Other Developments

In 2001, the NBA created a minor league called the National Basketball Development League. It's now known as the NBA G League.

The Charlotte Bobcats joined as a new team in 2004. The New Orleans Hornets temporarily moved to Oklahoma City in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina. They returned to New Orleans in 2007.

In 2006, the NBA tried a new game ball. But many players didn't like it because it was too sticky or slippery. So, the league went back to the traditional leather basketball in 2007.

Since the 2017–18 season, Nike makes the NBA team jerseys. The Charlotte Hornets jerseys have the Jumpman logo, linked to team owner Michael Jordan.

In 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. They became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The NBA played its first official league games in Europe in 2011. The New Jersey Nets played the Toronto Raptors in London.

In 2013, the New Orleans Hornets changed their name to the Pelicans. The Charlotte Bobcats then took back the Hornets name in 2014. They also got all the history and records from the original Charlotte team.

In 2014, Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, was banned from the NBA for life. This happened after he made racist comments.

Becky Hammon became the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA in 2014. She joined the San Antonio Spurs. This was a big step for women in professional sports.

In 2016, the NBA allowed teams to sell small sponsor patches on their jerseys. This was a first for a major North American sports league. The Philadelphia 76ers were the first team to announce a jersey sponsor.

In 2017, the NBA updated its logo slightly. It also introduced new Nike uniforms. Teams no longer have "home" and "away" uniforms. Instead, they have different "editions" like "Association" (white) and "Icon" (color).

NBA Teams

The NBA started with 11 teams in 1946. Today, it has 30 teams. Twenty-nine teams are in the United States, and one is in Canada.

The league divides its 30 teams into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference has three divisions, with five teams in each division. Most teams are in the eastern part of the U.S. and Canada.

Notes:

• An asterisk (*) means the team moved from another city.
• Some teams joined the NBA from other leagues. For example, the Fort Wayne Pistons joined in 1948.
• The Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets joined in 1976. This happened as part of the ABA–NBA merger.
• The Charlotte Hornets are considered the same team as the original Charlotte franchise. That team stopped playing in 2002 and came back in 2004. The New Orleans Pelicans started as a new team in 2002.

The NBA Season

Regular Season Games

After a summer break, teams start training in late September. This is when coaches evaluate players. They also prepare the team for the long season ahead. Teams decide on their 12 main players.

The NBA regular season begins in the last week of October. Each team plays 82 games. Half of these games are at home, and half are away. Teams play opponents in their own division four times a year. They play teams from other divisions in their conference three or four times. They play every team in the other conference twice.

Starting in the 2023–24 season, the NBA added an in-season tournament. Most of these tournament games also count towards the regular season.

The NBA is special because it always has games on Christmas Day. These games often feature the best teams and players. They are very popular to watch on TV. The NBA also plays games on MLK Day every year.

All-Star Weekend and Awards

In February, the regular season takes a break for the annual NBA All-Star Game. Fans vote for their favorite players. The top players from each conference become captains. Coaches then choose the other All-Stars. The best player in the All-Star Game wins an MVP award.

Other fun events happen during All-Star Weekend:

• The Rising Stars Challenge features top rookies and second-year players.
• The Skills Challenge tests players' dribbling, passing, and shooting.
• The Three Point Contest sees players compete to make the most three-pointers.
• The NBA Slam Dunk Contest showcases amazing dunks.

Around mid-April, the regular season ends. This is when the league gives out individual awards.

• The Rookie of the Year goes to the best first-year player.
• The Most Improved Player award is for the player who got much better.
• The Defensive Player of the Year is the league's best defender.
• The Most Valuable Player (MVP) is the player most valuable to their team.

The league also picks special teams:

• The All-NBA Team lists the top players at each position.
• The All-Defensive Team features the best defenders.
• The All-Rookie Team highlights the best new players.

NBA Playoffs

The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy is awarded annually to the winning team of the NBA Finals, the league's championship series that concludes the playoffs.

The NBA playoffs start in April. The top eight teams from each conference compete. They all want to win the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Teams with better regular season records get a higher "seed." A higher seed means they usually play a weaker opponent first. It also means they get to play more games at their home arena.

The playoffs are a tournament. Each matchup is a "best-of-seven" series. The first team to win four games moves on. The losing team is out. The winners keep playing other winners from their conference.

The final round is called the NBA Finals. It's a best-of-seven series between the best team from the Eastern Conference and the best from the Western Conference. The Finals usually happen in June. The winning team gets the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player on the winning team also gets a championship ring. The best player in the Finals wins the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.

NBA Championships

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships. They each have 17 titles. The Golden State Warriors have seven titles, and the Chicago Bulls have six.

Current teams that have never been to the NBA Finals:

• Charlotte Hornets
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• New Orleans Pelicans

Watching the NBA

Media Coverage

An NBA on TNT broadcast crew during a December 2008 game

The NBA has been on TV for a long time. The first national TV contract was in the 1953–54 season. Today, in the U.S., you can watch NBA games on ESPN (and ABC) and TNT. Games not shown nationally are usually on local sports channels.

Ticket Prices and Viewers

In 2022, an average NBA ticket cost about $77.75. Prices can change a lot depending on the team and whether it's a regular season or playoff game. Tickets can range from $10 to thousands of dollars.

The NBA has a younger audience compared to other sports. In 2013, 45% of its viewers were under 35. As of 2022, about 30% of viewers are women. The NBA also has a diverse audience. In 2014, 45% of viewers were Black, and 40% were White.

Outside the U.S., China is a huge market for the NBA. About 800 million people in China watched the 2017–18 NBA season!

Famous People in the NBA

Commissioners

Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner since 2014

The Commissioner is like the main boss of the NBA.

• Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963
• Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975
• Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984
• David Stern, Commissioner from 1984 to 2014
• Adam Silver, Commissioner from 2014 to present

Amazing Players

Many incredible players have played in the NBA. Some are from the U.S., and many are from other countries. Here are a few famous international players:

• Dražen Petrović (Croatia) – A Hall of Famer and a great shooter.
• Vlade Divac (Serbia) – A Hall of Famer and a skilled big man.
• Toni Kukoč (Croatia) – Won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
• Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania) – A Hall of Famer and an Olympic medalist.
• Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) – An NBA champion and MVP. He was one of the best shooters ever.
• Pau Gasol (Spain) – Won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
• Tony Parker (France) – Won four NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs.
• Manu Ginóbili (Argentina) – Won four NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs.
• Yao Ming (China) – A Hall of Famer and a very tall, skilled center.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) – An NBA champion and two-time MVP.
• Nikola Jokić (Serbia) – An NBA champion and two-time MVP.
• Luka Dončić (Slovenia) – A young superstar and Rookie of the Year.

Some international players played college basketball in the U.S. before joining the NBA:

• Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) – A Hall of Famer, two-time champion, and MVP.
• Dikembe Mutombo (Congo) – A Hall of Famer and four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
• Steve Nash (Canada) – A Hall of Famer and two-time NBA MVP.
• Joel Embiid (Cameroon) – An NBA MVP and All-Star.

NBA Cares

The NBA has a program called NBA Cares. It helps the league address important social issues around the world. It shows the NBA's commitment to giving back to communities.

Images for kids

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  NBA logo

See also

• List of NBA regular season records
• List of NBA awards
• List of NBA seasons
• NBA cheerleading
• List of NBA rivalries
• NBA salary cap
• List of NBA playoff series
• NBA Summer League
• List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
• List of NBA franchise post-season streaks
• NBA Store
• National Basketball Association music
• National Basketball Association on television