National Basketball Association: Difference between revisions
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The '''National Basketball Association''' ('''NBA''') |
The '''National Basketball Association''' ('''NBA''') was the pre-eminent men's professional [[basketball]] league in [[North America]]. It consisted of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine were located in the [[United States]] and one in [[Canada]]. It was an active member of [[USA Basketball]] (USAB),<ref>[http://www.usabasketball.com/inside.php?page=inside Inside USA Basketball]</ref> which is recognized by the [[International Basketball Federation]] as the [[Sport governing body|National Governing Body]] (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA was one of the four [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major North American professional sports leagues]]. |
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The league was founded in [[New York City]] on [[June 6]], [[1946]] as the [[Basketball Association of America]] (BAA).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/firstgame_feature.html |title= The First Game |last1=Goldaper |first1=Sam |work=[[NBA]] |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref> The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]] (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices |
The league was founded in [[New York City]] on [[June 6]], [[1946]] as the [[Basketball Association of America]] (BAA).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/firstgame_feature.html |title= The First Game |last1=Goldaper |first1=Sam |work=[[NBA]] |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref> The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]] (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices were directed out of its head offices located in the [[Olympic Tower (New York)|Olympic Tower]] at 645 [[Fifth Avenue]] in New York City. [[NBA Entertainment]] and [[NBA TV]] studios were directed out of offices located in [[Secaucus, New Jersey|Secaucus]], [[New Jersey]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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In 2009, the Lakers with Kobe Bryant returned to the Finals, this time defeating the Dwight Howard-led [[Orlando Magic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2009061419&prov=ap |title=Redemption: Bryant leads Lakers to 15th NBA title |last1=Withers |first1=Tom |date=June 15, 2009 |work=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref> Kobe Bryant won his first [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award]] award in his 13th season after leading the Lakers to their first NBA championship since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/dave_mcmenamin/06/15/kobe.game5/index.html |title=Kobe leads ... and the Lakers follow |last1=McMenamin |first1=Dave |date=June 18, 2009 |work=[[NBA]] |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref> |
In 2009, the Lakers with Kobe Bryant returned to the Finals, this time defeating the Dwight Howard-led [[Orlando Magic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2009061419&prov=ap |title=Redemption: Bryant leads Lakers to 15th NBA title |last1=Withers |first1=Tom |date=June 15, 2009 |work=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref> Kobe Bryant won his first [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award]] award in his 13th season after leading the Lakers to their first NBA championship since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/dave_mcmenamin/06/15/kobe.game5/index.html |title=Kobe leads ... and the Lakers follow |last1=McMenamin |first1=Dave |date=June 18, 2009 |work=[[NBA]] |accessdate=August 5, 2010}}</ref> |
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The [[2010 NBA All-Star Game]] was held at [[Cowboys Stadium]] in front of the largest crowd ever, 108,713.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/news/story?id=4914993 |title=Record crowd at All-Star Game |work=[[ESPN]] |first=Tim |last=MacMahon |date=February 15, 2010 |accessdate=July 25, 2010}}</ref> At the end of that season, the Celtics and the Lakers renewed their rivalry from [[2008 NBA Finals|2008]] when they met again in the NBA Finals for a record 12th time. The Lakers won the title in the [[2010 NBA Finals#Game 7|7th game, 83–79]].<ref name=game7>{{cite web |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2010061713 |title=Lakers edge Celtics in Game 7, win 16th title |last1=Beacham |first1=Greg |date=June 18, 2010 |work=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |accessdate=July 30, 2010}}</ref> Before the start of the 2010-11 season the NBA had an exciting summer with one of the most anticipated free agent classes of all time. Two of which signed, and one resigned, with the Miami Heat, leading to a season that was heavily centered on their eventual success or failure at taking home the championship. The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, did in fact make the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, in a rematch for the franchises of the 2006 Finals. The Mavericks (who were lead by [[Dirk Nowitzki]], the eventual [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award]] winner) took the series in six games. This was the Mavericks' first title. Other veterans like [[Shawn Marion]], Jason Kidd, and [[Jason Terry]] also won their first titles with Nowitzki. On July 1, at 12:01 a.m., the NBA announced another lockout. |
The [[2010 NBA All-Star Game]] was held at [[Cowboys Stadium]] in front of the largest crowd ever, 108,713.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/news/story?id=4914993 |title=Record crowd at All-Star Game |work=[[ESPN]] |first=Tim |last=MacMahon |date=February 15, 2010 |accessdate=July 25, 2010}}</ref> At the end of that season, the Celtics and the Lakers renewed their rivalry from [[2008 NBA Finals|2008]] when they met again in the NBA Finals for a record 12th time. The Lakers won the title in the [[2010 NBA Finals#Game 7|7th game, 83–79]].<ref name=game7>{{cite web |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2010061713 |title=Lakers edge Celtics in Game 7, win 16th title |last1=Beacham |first1=Greg |date=June 18, 2010 |work=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |accessdate=July 30, 2010}}</ref> Before the start of the 2010-11 season the NBA had an exciting summer with one of the most anticipated free agent classes of all time. Two of which signed, and one resigned, with the Miami Heat, leading to a season that was heavily centered on their eventual success or failure at taking home the championship. The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, did in fact make the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, in a rematch for the franchises of the 2006 Finals. The Mavericks (who were lead by [[Dirk Nowitzki]], the eventual [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award]] winner) took the series in six games. This was the Mavericks' first title. Other veterans like [[Shawn Marion]], Jason Kidd, and [[Jason Terry]] also won their first titles with Nowitzki. On July 1, at 12:01 a.m., the NBA announced another lockout, effectively ending it's impressive run as a functional sports entity. |
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===International influence=== |
===International influence=== |
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On some occasions, young players, most but not all from the English-speaking world, |
On some occasions, young players, most but not all from the English-speaking world, had attended U.S. colleges before playing in the NBA. Notable examples are: |
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* Nigerian [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] ([[1984 NBA Draft|top draft pick in 1984]], 2-time champion, 12-time All-Star, 1994 MVP, 1994 and 1995 Finals MVP, 1994 and 1995 Defensive Player of the Year, first and only player to receive the MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP award in the same season, and Hall of Famer) |
* Nigerian [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] ([[1984 NBA Draft|top draft pick in 1984]], 2-time champion, 12-time All-Star, 1994 MVP, 1994 and 1995 Finals MVP, 1994 and 1995 Defensive Player of the Year, first and only player to receive the MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP award in the same season, and Hall of Famer) |
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* Congolese [[Dikembe Mutombo]] (Four time [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]], selected fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft and 8-time NBA All-Star) |
* Congolese [[Dikembe Mutombo]] (Four time [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]], selected fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft and 8-time NBA All-Star) |
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* Sudanese-born Englishman [[Luol Deng]] (2007 winner of the [[NBA Sportsmanship Award]]) |
* Sudanese-born Englishman [[Luol Deng]] (2007 winner of the [[NBA Sportsmanship Award]]) |
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Since 2006, the NBA |
Since 2006, the NBA had faced [[Euroleague]] teams in exhibition matches in the [[NBA Europe Live Tour]] and since 2009 in the [[Euroleague American Tour]]. |
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The [[2009–10 NBA season|2009–10 season]] season opened with a record of 83 international players on the opening night rosters, tying the record set in the [[2006–07 NBA season|2006–07 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/2009/news/10/27/international.players/index.html|title=Season opens with record-tying 83 international players|date=October 27, 2009|accessdate=October 28, 2009|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc}} The NBA |
The [[2009–10 NBA season|2009–10 season]] season opened with a record of 83 international players on the opening night rosters, tying the record set in the [[2006–07 NBA season|2006–07 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/2009/news/10/27/international.players/index.html|title=Season opens with record-tying 83 international players|date=October 27, 2009|accessdate=October 28, 2009|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc}} The NBA defined "international" players as those born outside the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. This means that: |
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* Players born in U.S. possessions such as [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S., Virgin Islands]], most notably USVI native [[Tim Duncan]], |
* Players born in U.S. possessions such as [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S., Virgin Islands]], most notably USVI native [[Tim Duncan]], were counted as "international" even though they were U.S. citizens by birth, and may even have represented the U.S. in international competition (like Duncan). |
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* U.S.-born players |
* U.S.-born players were not counted as "international" even if they were born with citizenship in another country and represented that country internationally, such as [[Kosta Koufos]].</ref> |
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===Other developments=== |
===Other developments=== |
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==Teams== |
==Teams== |
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{{See also|List of defunct National Basketball Association teams}} |
{{See also|List of defunct National Basketball Association teams}} |
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The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations |
The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations eventually swelled to 30 teams. The United States was home to 29 teams and one was located in Canada. The [[Boston Celtics]] had won the most championships with 17 [[NBA Finals]] wins. The second most successful franchise was the [[Los Angeles Lakers]], who have 16 overall championships (11 in Los Angeles, 5 in Minneapolis). Following the Lakers were the [[Chicago Bulls]] with six championships, all of them over an 8-year span during the 1990s, and the [[San Antonio Spurs]] with four championships, all since 1999. |
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The |
The most recent league organization divided thirty teams into two conferences of three divisions with five teams each. The final divisional alignment was introduced in the [[2004–05 NBA season|2004–05 season]]. |
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{| class="navbox wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:left" |
{| class="navbox wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:left" |
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! style="background:white; width:10%" | Division |
! style="background:white; width:10%" | Division |
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==Regular season== |
==Regular season== |
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Following the summer break, teams |
Following the summer break, teams began training camps in late September. Training camps allowed the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they would begin the regular season. Teams had the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games were held. The NBA regular season began in the last week of October. |
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During the regular season, each team |
During the regular season, each team played 82 games, 41 each home and away. A team faced opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games). Each team played six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games). Finally, each team played all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the [[strength of schedule]] varied between teams (but not as significantly as the [[NFL]] or [[MLB]]). Over five seasons, each team will have played 80 games against their division (20 games against each opponent, 10 at home, 10 on the road), 180 games against the rest of their conference (18 games against each opponent, 9 at home, 9 on the road), and 150 games against the other conference (10 games against each team, 5 at home, 5 on the road). |
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As of 2008, the NBA |
As of 2008, the NBA was one of only two of the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|Big 4]] in North America in which teams played every other team during the regular season (the other being the [[National Hockey League]].) Each team hosted and visited every other team at least once every season. For a few seasons until 2008, the NBA had the distinction of being the only one of the four major leagues in which all teams played every other team. |
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The NBA |
The NBA was also the only league that regularly schedules games on [[Christmas]] Day.<ref name=Christmas>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/john_schuhmann/12/17/numbers.christmas/index.html|title=Knicks, Kobe and more part of Christmas Day lore|date=December 17, 2009|accessdate=December 27, 2010|first=John|last=Schuhmann|work=NBA.com}}</ref> The league had been playing games regularly on the holiday since 1947,<ref name=ChristmasMatchups>{{cite news|title=Lakers part of NBA Christmas tradition|url=http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lakers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_S_lakers_24.46b908e.html|work=Press-Enterprise|date=December 23, 2009|accessdate=December 27, 2010|first=Jeff|last=Eisenberg}}</ref> though the first Christmas Day games weren't televised until {{nbay|1983}}.<ref name=ChristmasGamesOnTV>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/art_garcia/12/13/christmas.history/index.html|title=Christmas Day clashes bring back fond memories|date=December 21, 2009|accessdate=December 27, 2010|first=Art|last=Garcia|work=NBA.com}}</ref> Games played on this day had featured some of the best teams and players.<ref name=Christmas/><ref name=ChristmasMatchups/><ref name=ChristmasGamesOnTV/> Christmas was also notable for NBA on television, as the holiday was when the first NBA games aired on network television each season.<ref name=ChristmasMatchups/><ref name=ChristmasGamesOnTV/> |
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[[Image:Bucks vs Bobcats - February 11th, 2006.jpg|thumb|left|[[Milwaukee Bucks]] playing the [[Charlotte Bobcats]] in a regular season game]] |
[[Image:Bucks vs Bobcats - February 11th, 2006.jpg|thumb|left|[[Milwaukee Bucks]] playing the [[Charlotte Bobcats]] in a regular season game]] |
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In February, the regular season |
In February, the regular season paused to celebrate the annual [[National Basketball Association All-Star Game|NBA All-Star Game]]. Fans voted throughout the United States, Canada, and on the [[Internet]], and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference were given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. Coaches voted to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, Eastern conference players faced the Western conference players in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game was rewarded with a [[NBA All-Star Game MVP|Game MVP award]]. Other attractions of the All-Star break included the [[Rookie Challenge]], where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA played against each other in a 5-on-5 basketball game; the [[Skills Challenge]], where players competed to finish an obstacle course consisting of shooting, passing, and dribbling in the fastest time; the [[Three Point Contest]], where players competed to score the most amount of three-point field goals in a given time; and the [[NBA Slam Dunk Contest]], where players competed to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way according to the judges. These other attractions had varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights. |
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Shortly after the All-Star break |
Shortly after the All-Star break was the [[trade deadline]], which was set to fall on the 16th Thursday of the season (usually in February) at 3pm [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Time]].<ref>[http://www.nba.com/history/deadline_deals.html NBA.com: NBA Trading Deadline Trades Since 1987<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.nba.com/analysis/00421026.html Roster Regulations], NBA.com</ref> After this date, teams were not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they could still sign and release players. Major trades were often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers. |
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Around the middle of April, the regular season |
Around the middle of April, the regular season would end. It was during this time that voting began for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary, league-wide, post-season teams. The [[NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award|Sixth Man of the Year Award]] was given to the best player coming off the bench (must have had more games coming off the bench than actual games started). The [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]] was awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The [[NBA Most Improved Player Award|Most Improved Player Award]] was awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|Defensive Player of the Year Award]] was awarded to the league's best defender. The [[NBA Coach of the Year Award|Coach of the Year Award]] was awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]] was given to player deemed the most valuable for (his team) that season. Additionally, ''[[Sporting News]]'' awarded an unofficial (but widely recognized) [[NBA Executive of the Year Award|Executive of the Year Award]] to the general manager who was adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise. |
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The post-season teams |
The post-season teams were the [[All-NBA Team]], the [[NBA All-Defensive Team|All-Defensive Team]], and the [[NBA All-Rookie Team|All-Rookie Team]]; each consisting of five players. There were three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There were two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There were also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position. |
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==Playoffs== |
==Playoffs== |
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{{Main|NBA Playoffs}} |
{{Main|NBA Playoffs}} |
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NBA Playoffs |
NBA Playoffs began in late April, with eight teams in each conference going for the Championship. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference were given the top four seeds. The next four teams in terms of record were given the lower four seeds. |
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Having a higher seed |
Having a higher seed offered several advantages. Since the first seed began the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed played the seventh seed, the third seed played the sixth seed, and the fourth seed played the fifth seed, having a higher seed meant a team faces a weaker team in the first round. The team in each series with the better record had home court advantage, including the First Round. This meant that, for example, if the team who received the 5 seed had a better record than the team with the 4 seed (by virtue of a divisional championship), the 5 seed would have had home court advantage, even though the other team had a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league was guaranteed home court advantage in every series it played. For example, in 2006, the [[Denver Nuggets]] won 44 games and captured the Northwest Division and the #3 seed. Their opponent was the #6 seeded [[Los Angeles Clippers]], who won 47 games and finished second in the Pacific Division. Although Denver won its much weaker division, the Clippers had home-court advantage and won the series in five games. |
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The playoffs |
The playoffs followed a tournament format. Each team played an opponent in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team was eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team played against another advancing team of the same conference. All but one team in each conference were eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA did not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference used a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. In every round except the [[NBA Finals]], the best of seven series followed a 2–2–1–1–1 home-court pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 6. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series followed a 2–3–2 pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 5. The 2–3–2 pattern in the NBA Finals had been in place since 1985. |
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The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, |
The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, was known as the NBA Finals, and was held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals won the [[Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy]]. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team received a championship ring. In addition, the league awarded a [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award]] to the best performing player of the series. |
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On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced |
On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced a new playoff format. The new format took the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record and ranked them 1–4 by record. The other 4 slots were filled by best record other than those other 4 teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2537369 |title=NBA announces postseason seeding format change |
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|work=[[ESPN]] |date=August 2, 2006 |accessdate=July 25, 2010}}</ref> Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners. |
|work=[[ESPN]] |date=August 2, 2006 |accessdate=July 25, 2010}}</ref> Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners. |
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==International competitions== |
==International competitions== |
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The National Basketball Association |
The National Basketball Association had sporadically participated in international club competitions. From 1987 to 1999 the NBA champions played against the continental champions of the [[FIBA|Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA)]] in the [[McDonald's Championship]]. This tournament was won by the NBA invitee every year it was held. FIBA is organizing a new [[FIBA World Club Championship|World Club Championship]] to begin in 2010, and had planned to invite the NBA champions starting in 2011 if the league had not imploded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=3754278 |title=New club basketball championship to debut in 2010 |date=December 9, 2008 |work=[[ESPN.com]] |accessdate=June 13, 2011}}</ref> |
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==Notable people== |
==Notable people== |
Revision as of 15:48, 6 October 2011
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) |
![]() NBA logo | |
Sport | Basketball |
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Founded | June 6, 1946, New York City, New York, United States |
First season | 1946–47 |
CEO | David Stern |
No. of teams | 30 |
Country | ![]() ![]() |
Continent | FIBA Americas (Americas) |
Most recent champion(s) | Dallas Mavericks (1st title) |
Most titles | Boston Celtics (17 titles) |
TV partner(s) | ABC ESPN TNT NBA TV |
Official website | NBA.com |
The National Basketball Association (NBA) was the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consisted of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine were located in the United States and one in Canada. It was an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[1] which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA was one of the four major North American professional sports leagues.
The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[2] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices were directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios were directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.
History
Creation and merger
The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, which the NBA now regards as the first game played in the league's history.[3] Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the NBL, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1948 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title, and the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers won the 1949 BAA title.
On August 3, 1949, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, creating the new National Basketball Association.[4] The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities,[4] as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1953–54, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers). The process of contraction saw the league's smaller-city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" (the area now known as the Quad Cities) to Milwaukee (in 1951) and then to St. Louis (in 1955); the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati (in 1957); and the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit (in 1957).
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. This year witnessed the addition of African American players by several teams, including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty.[5] To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954.[6] If a team does not attempt to score a field goal (or the ball fails to make contact with the rim) within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped and the ball given to its opponent.
Celtics dominance, league expansion, and competition
In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new single game records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of American team sports.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Wilt_Chamberlain_Bill_Russell_2.jpg/220px-Wilt_Chamberlain_Bill_Russell_2.jpg)
The 1960s were dominated by the Boston Celtics. Led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, the Celtics won eight consecutive championships in the NBA from the 1958–1959 season to the 1965–1966 season. The streak is the longest in NBA history. They did not win the title in 1966–1967, but regained it in the 1967–1968 season and repeated in 1968–1969. The domination totaled nine of the 10 championship banners of the 1960s.[7]
Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia to become the 76ers, and the St. Louis Hawks moving to Atlanta, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards) became the ninth NBA team in 1961. From 1966 to 1968, the league expanded from nine teams to fourteen, introducing the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), San Diego Rockets (who relocated to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.
In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The leagues engaged in a bidding war. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor). However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry, jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak, and Joe Gushue.[8]
In 1969, Alan Siegel, who oversaw the design of Jerry Dior's Major League Baseball logo a year prior, created the modern NBA logo inspired by the MLB's. It incorporates the silhouette of the legendary Jerry West based on a photo by Wen Roberts, although NBA officials have denied a particular player as being its influence because, according to Siegel, "They want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it. It's become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don't necessarily want to identify it with one player." The iconic logo debuted in 1971 and would remain a fixture of the NBA brand.[9][10]
The ABA succeeded in signing a number of major stars in the '70s, including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up the most viable cities. From 1966 to 1974, the NBA grew from nine franchises to 18. In 1970, the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17.[11] The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets (now the New Jersey Nets, to become the Brooklyn Nets in 2012). Some of the biggest stars of this era were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Dave Cowens, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Walt Frazier, Moses Malone, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Dan Issel, and Pete Maravich. The end of the decade, however, saw declining TV ratings, low attendance and drug-related player issues -- both perceived and real -- that threatened to derail the NBA.
Surging popularity
The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. In 1984 they played against each other for the first time in the NBA Finals. Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five titles, and Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three. Also in the early '80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing the total to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first three three-point shooting contests. Current league commissioner David Stern took office on April 1, 1984, and oversaw the expansion and growth of the NBA to a global commodity.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Jordan_by_Lipofsky_16577.jpg/220px-Jordan_by_Lipofsky_16577.jpg)
Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. This resulted in more cities demanding teams of their own. In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets (now the New Orleans Hornets), Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts, bringing the total to 27 teams. In the first year of the 1990s, the Detroit Pistons would win the second of their back-to-back "Bad Boys" titles, led by Chuck Daly as coach and Isiah Thomas as floor general. Jordan and Scottie Pippen would lead the Bulls to two three-peats in eight years during the 1991-98 seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in '94 and '95.
The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Bird, Magic, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Christian Laettner.
In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, which left the Raptors as the only Canadian team in the NBA. In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). 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 (61% of a normal season), and the All-Star Game was cancelled. The San Antonio Spurs won their first championship, and first by a former ABA team, by beating the New York Knicks, who were the first, and to this date, the only, eighth seed to ever make the NBA Finals.
Modern era
Since the break-up of the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference has dominated, with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs combining to win the title in nine of thirteen years. One or the other has won the Western Conference title every year except in 2006 and 2011 (when the Dallas Mavericks won the conference title). Tim Duncan and David Robinson won the 1999 championship with the Spurs, and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003 against the Nets. In 2004, the Lakers returned to the Finals, only to fall in five games to the Detroit Pistons. The following offseason, the Charlotte Bobcats were established as the league's 30th team; due to Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Hornets would play the first of two seasons in Oklahoma City, which eventually paved the way for the Seattle Supersonics to relocate to Oklahoma City for the start of the 2008-09 season.
After the Spurs took home the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in 2005, the 2006 Finals featured two franchises making their inaugural Finals appearances. The Miami Heat led by their star shooting guard, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O'Neal, who had been traded from the Lakers during the 2004 summer, won the series over the Dallas Mavericks in six games after losing the first two games. The Lakers/Spurs dominance continued in 2007 with a four-game sweep by the Spurs over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were led by LeBron James. The 2008 Finals saw a rematch of the league's highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, with the Celtics prevailing, for their league leading 17th championship, thanks to their new big three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett.
The 2008 Olympic basketball Redeem Team featured many of the Modern Era stars including: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony.
In 2009, the Lakers with Kobe Bryant returned to the Finals, this time defeating the Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic.[12] Kobe Bryant won his first Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award award in his 13th season after leading the Lakers to their first NBA championship since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal.[13]
The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was held at Cowboys Stadium in front of the largest crowd ever, 108,713.[14] At the end of that season, the Celtics and the Lakers renewed their rivalry from 2008 when they met again in the NBA Finals for a record 12th time. The Lakers won the title in the 7th game, 83–79.[15] Before the start of the 2010-11 season the NBA had an exciting summer with one of the most anticipated free agent classes of all time. Two of which signed, and one resigned, with the Miami Heat, leading to a season that was heavily centered on their eventual success or failure at taking home the championship. The Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, did in fact make the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, in a rematch for the franchises of the 2006 Finals. The Mavericks (who were lead by Dirk Nowitzki, the eventual Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award winner) took the series in six games. This was the Mavericks' first title. Other veterans like Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry also won their first titles with Nowitzki. On July 1, at 12:01 a.m., the NBA announced another lockout, effectively ending it's impressive run as a functional sports entity.
International influence
Following pioneers like Dražen Petrović (Croatia) who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. Below is a short list of notable foreign players, either currently or formerly active in the league:
- Toni Kukoč, Croatia – 3-time NBA Champion with Chicago Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), named in 2008 as one of the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors
- Vlade Divac, Serbia – 2-time Olympic silver medalist, 2001 NBA All-Star, 2-time World Champion, 3-time European Champion, 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors
- Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania – 2011 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1999 European Player of the Year, 1985, 1997 Mr. Europa Player of the Year, Olympic gold medalist in 1988 with the Soviet Union and bronze medalist in 1992 and 1996 with Lithuania, 1996 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors
- Dirk Nowitzki, Germany – NBA Champion with Dallas Mavericks (2011), MVP of the 2002 World Championships and Eurobasket 2005, member of the all-tournament team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2002–2006 Euroscar winner, 2005 Mr. Europa and FIBA Europe Player of the Year, 2007 NBA MVP, 2011 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, 2006 NBA Three-Point Shootout champion and 10-time NBA All-Star (entered the NBA in 1998)
- Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkey – 2008 Most Improved Player Award winner, member of the all-tournament team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship (entered the NBA in 2000)
- Mehmet Okur, Turkey – 2007 All-Star and 2004 NBA Champion.
- Pau Gasol, Spain – 2-time NBA Champion with Los Angeles Lakers (2009 & 2010), Three time NBA All-Star, 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year, 2004 and 2009 Mr. Europa, 2006 World Championships MVP, 2008 and 2009 Euroscar and FIBA Europe Player of the Year, EuroBasket 2009 MVP (entered the NBA in 2001)
- Andrei Kirilenko, Russia – EuroBasket 2007 MVP, 2007 FIBA Europe Player of the Year (drafted in 1999, entered the NBA in 2001)
- Tony Parker, France – 3-time NBA Champion with San Antonio Spurs, 2007 NBA Finals MVP and 2007 Euroscar winner (entered the NBA in 2001)
- Manu Ginóbili, Argentina – 3-time NBA Champion with San Antonio Spurs, 2008 Sixth Man Award winner, 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors (drafted in 1999, entered the NBA in 2002)
- Peja Stojaković, Serbia – NBA Champion with Dallas Mavericks (2011), 2002 World Champion, member of the all-tournament team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2001 European Champion, MVP of the Eurobasket 2001, 2001 Euroscar winner, 2001 and 2002 Mr. Europa, 2-time NBA Three-Point Shootout champion and 3-time NBA All-Star (entered the NBA in 1998)
- Yao Ming, China – First pick in the 2002 NBA Draft and 7-time NBA All-Star (entered the NBA in 2002)
- Leandro Barbosa, Brazil – 2007 Sixth Man Award winner (entered the NBA in 2003)
- Andrea Bargnani, Italy – First pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors (entered the NBA in 2006)
On some occasions, young players, most but not all from the English-speaking world, had attended U.S. colleges before playing in the NBA. Notable examples are:
- Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon (top draft pick in 1984, 2-time champion, 12-time All-Star, 1994 MVP, 1994 and 1995 Finals MVP, 1994 and 1995 Defensive Player of the Year, first and only player to receive the MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP award in the same season, and Hall of Famer)
- Congolese Dikembe Mutombo (Four time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, selected fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft and 8-time NBA All-Star)
- Dutchman Rik Smits (1988 second overall pick, 1998 NBA All-Star, played 12 years for the Indiana Pacers)
- German Detlef Schrempf (Sixth Man Award winner in 1991 and 1992, 3-time All-Star)
- Canadian Steve Nash (2005 and 2006 MVP)
- Australians Luc Longley (3-times champion with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s) and Andrew Bogut, (top draft pick in 2005).
- Sudanese-born Englishman Luol Deng (2007 winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award)
Since 2006, the NBA had faced Euroleague teams in exhibition matches in the NBA Europe Live Tour and since 2009 in the Euroleague American Tour.
The 2009–10 season season opened with a record of 83 international players on the opening night rosters, tying the record set in the 2006–07 season.[16]
Other developments
In 2001, an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA Development League (or D-League) was created.[17] Before the league was started, there were strong rumors that the NBA would purchase the CBA, and call it its developmental league, as the Continental Basketball Association was its "minor league" affiliate for years. 20% of NBA players spent time in this league and over 143 players have been called up to play in the NBA. [citation needed]
In 2004, two years after the Hornets relocation to New Orleans, the NBA returned to North Carolina as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed.
In 2005, the Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons. This was required due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, the Hornets returned to New Orleans.
On June 28, 2006, a new official game ball was introduced for the 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second ball in 60 seasons.[18] Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet.
On December 11, 2006, Commissioner Stern announced that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006–2007 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball.[19] The Players' Association had filed a suit in behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball.[20] As of 2006, the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Adidas, which purchased the previous supplier, Reebok.
On July 19, 2007, the FBI investigated allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games.[21] On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. However, he could face additional charges if it is determined that he deliberately miscalled individual games. Donaghy in 2008 claimed that certain refs were friendly with the players and "company men" for the NBA. Donaghy alleged that refs influenced the outcome of certain playoff and final games in 2002 and 2005. NBA commissioner David Stern denied the allegations and said Donaghy was a convicted felon and a "singing, cooperating witness".[22] Donaghy served 15 months in prison and was released in November, 2009.[23] According to an independent study by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the NBA 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, although the refs increased the Lakers' chances of winning through foul calls during the game, there was no collusion to fix the game. On alleged "star treatment" during Game 6 by the refs toward certain players, Beech claimed, "there does seem to be issues with different standards and allowances for different players." [24]
In June 2008, it was announced that the Seattle SuperSonics would be rendered inactive and the franchise itself would relocate to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder began playing in the 2008–2009 season. This marks the third NBA franchise to relocate in the past decade.
On October 11, 2008, the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets played the first outdoor game in the modern era of the NBA at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.[25]
On September 1, 2009, the contract between the NBA and its referees expired, creating a referee lockout. On October 1, 2009, the first preseason games were played and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used. The last time replacement referees were used was beginning of the 1995–96 season.[26] The NBA and the regular referees reached a deal on October 23, 2009.[27]
In 2011 the first official NBA league games on European ground took place. In two matchups the New Jersey Nets faced the Toronto Raptors in London, England in front of over 20,000 fans.
Due to cost cutting, in 2 days of July 2011, NBA laid off around 114 league employees or 11 percent of all the league office workforce.[28]
Teams
The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations eventually swelled to 30 teams. The United States was home to 29 teams and one was located in Canada. The Boston Celtics had won the most championships with 17 NBA Finals wins. The second most successful franchise was the Los Angeles Lakers, who have 16 overall championships (11 in Los Angeles, 5 in Minneapolis). Following the Lakers were the Chicago Bulls with six championships, all of them over an 8-year span during the 1990s, and the San Antonio Spurs with four championships, all since 1999.
The most recent league organization divided thirty teams into two conferences of three divisions with five teams each. The final divisional alignment was introduced in the 2004–05 season.
- 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.
Regular season
Following the summer break, teams began training camps in late September. Training camps allowed the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they would begin the regular season. Teams had the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games were held. The NBA regular season began in the last week of October.
During the regular season, each team played 82 games, 41 each home and away. A team faced opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games). Each team played six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games). Finally, each team played all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule varied between teams (but not as significantly as the NFL or MLB). Over five seasons, each team will have played 80 games against their division (20 games against each opponent, 10 at home, 10 on the road), 180 games against the rest of their conference (18 games against each opponent, 9 at home, 9 on the road), and 150 games against the other conference (10 games against each team, 5 at home, 5 on the road).
As of 2008, the NBA was one of only two of the Big 4 in North America in which teams played every other team during the regular season (the other being the National Hockey League.) Each team hosted and visited every other team at least once every season. For a few seasons until 2008, the NBA had the distinction of being the only one of the four major leagues in which all teams played every other team.
The NBA was also the only league that regularly schedules games on Christmas Day.[29] The league had been playing games regularly on the holiday since 1947,[30] though the first Christmas Day games weren't televised until 1983–84.[31] Games played on this day had featured some of the best teams and players.[29][30][31] Christmas was also notable for NBA on television, as the holiday was when the first NBA games aired on network television each season.[30][31]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Bucks_vs_Bobcats_-_February_11th%2C_2006.jpg/220px-Bucks_vs_Bobcats_-_February_11th%2C_2006.jpg)
In February, the regular season paused to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. Fans voted throughout the United States, Canada, and on the Internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference were given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. Coaches voted to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, Eastern conference players faced the Western conference players in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game was rewarded with a Game MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break included the Rookie Challenge, where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA played against each other in a 5-on-5 basketball game; the Skills Challenge, where players competed to finish an obstacle course consisting of shooting, passing, and dribbling in the fastest time; the Three Point Contest, where players competed to score the most amount of three-point field goals in a given time; and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where players competed to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way according to the judges. These other attractions had varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights.
Shortly after the All-Star break was the trade deadline, which was set to fall on the 16th Thursday of the season (usually in February) at 3pm Eastern Time.[32][33] After this date, teams were not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they could still sign and release players. Major trades were often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers.
Around the middle of April, the regular season would end. It was during this time that voting began for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary, league-wide, post-season teams. The Sixth Man of the Year Award was given to the best player coming off the bench (must have had more games coming off the bench than actual games started). The Rookie of the Year Award was awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award was awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The Defensive Player of the Year Award was awarded to the league's best defender. The Coach of the Year Award was awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award was given to player deemed the most valuable for (his team) that season. Additionally, Sporting News awarded an unofficial (but widely recognized) Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who was adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise.
The post-season teams were the All-NBA Team, the All-Defensive Team, and the All-Rookie Team; each consisting of five players. There were three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There were two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There were also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.
Playoffs
NBA Playoffs began in late April, with eight teams in each conference going for the Championship. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference were given the top four seeds. The next four teams in terms of record were given the lower four seeds.
Having a higher seed offered several advantages. Since the first seed began the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed played the seventh seed, the third seed played the sixth seed, and the fourth seed played the fifth seed, having a higher seed meant a team faces a weaker team in the first round. The team in each series with the better record had home court advantage, including the First Round. This meant that, for example, if the team who received the 5 seed had a better record than the team with the 4 seed (by virtue of a divisional championship), the 5 seed would have had home court advantage, even though the other team had a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league was guaranteed home court advantage in every series it played. For example, in 2006, the Denver Nuggets won 44 games and captured the Northwest Division and the #3 seed. Their opponent was the #6 seeded Los Angeles Clippers, who won 47 games and finished second in the Pacific Division. Although Denver won its much weaker division, the Clippers had home-court advantage and won the series in five games.
The playoffs followed a tournament format. Each team played an opponent in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team was eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team played against another advancing team of the same conference. All but one team in each conference were eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA did not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference used a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series followed a 2–2–1–1–1 home-court pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 6. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series followed a 2–3–2 pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 5. The 2–3–2 pattern in the NBA Finals had been in place since 1985.
The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, was known as the NBA Finals, and was held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals won the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team received a championship ring. In addition, the league awarded a Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best performing player of the series.
On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced a new playoff format. The new format took the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record and ranked them 1–4 by record. The other 4 slots were filled by best record other than those other 4 teams.[34] Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners.
International competitions
The National Basketball Association had sporadically participated in international club competitions. From 1987 to 1999 the NBA champions played against the continental champions of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) in the McDonald's Championship. This tournament was won by the NBA invitee every year it was held. FIBA is organizing a new World Club Championship to begin in 2010, and had planned to invite the NBA champions starting in 2011 if the league had not imploded.[35]
Notable people
Presidents and commissioners
- Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946–1963
- Walter Kennedy, President from 1963–1967 and Commissioner from 1967–1975
- Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975–1984
- David Stern, Commissioner since 1984–present
Players
- List of National Basketball Association players
- List of foreign NBA players, a list that is exclusively for players who are not from the United States
- 50 Greatest Players in NBA History
Coaches
- List of current National Basketball Association head coaches
- List of National Basketball Association head coaches
- List of National Basketball Association player-coaches
- List of NBA championship head coaches
- Top 10 Coaches in NBA History
Awards
See also
- List of NBA champions
- National Basketball Association rivalries
- List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
- List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises
- List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues
- List of TV markets and major sports teams in the United States
- Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
- National Basketball Association Cheerleading
- NBA Salary Cap
- Affiliates
- Miscellaneous
- Notable statistics
- Television partners
- Video games
- NBA 06, NBA 07, NBA 08, NBA 09: The Inside
- NBA Hangtime, NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC, NBA Hoopz, NBA Ballers, NBA Ballers: Phenom, NBA Ballers: Rebound, NBA Ballers: Chosen One
- Mozilla Firefox Addons
- NBA Scoreboard
- Mobile Applications
- Mobilecdn
- ESPN MVP
- Store
References
- ^ Inside USA Basketball
- ^ Goldaper, Sam. "The First Game". NBA. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ "History of Basketball in Canada". NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b "NBA is born". History. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ "1949–51: Lakers Win First NBA Finals". Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ "NBA Rules History". NBA. May 8, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/ChampionshipWins.html
- ^ Salzberg, Charles (1998). From Set Shot to Slam Dunk. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 203. ISBN 9780803292505.
- ^ Crowe, Jerry (April 27, 2011). "That iconic NBA silhouette can be traced back to him". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
- ^ NBA Logo Review CompanyLogos.ws. Retrieved on May 22, 2011.
- ^ "1970–71 SEASON OVERVIEW". NBA. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ Withers, Tom (June 15, 2009). "Redemption: Bryant leads Lakers to 15th NBA title". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ McMenamin, Dave (June 18, 2009). "Kobe leads ... and the Lakers follow". NBA. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ MacMahon, Tim (February 15, 2010). "Record crowd at All-Star Game". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ Beacham, Greg (June 18, 2010). "Lakers edge Celtics in Game 7, win 16th title". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ "Season opens with record-tying 83 international players". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. October 27, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2009. The NBA defined "international" players as those born outside the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. This means that:
- Players born in U.S. possessions such as Puerto Rico and the U.S., Virgin Islands, most notably USVI native Tim Duncan, were counted as "international" even though they were U.S. citizens by birth, and may even have represented the U.S. in international competition (like Duncan).
- U.S.-born players were not counted as "international" even if they were born with citizenship in another country and represented that country internationally, such as Kosta Koufos.
- ^ NBA D-League Frequently Asked Questions
- ^ "NBA Introduces New Game Ball". NBA. June 28, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
- ^ Stein, Marc (December 12, 2006). "Leather ball will return on Jan. 1". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
- ^ Stein, Marc (December 8, 2006). "NBA ball controversy reaches new level". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
- ^ Donaghy under investigation for betting on NBA games, ESPN. July 20, 2007.
- ^ "2002 Lakers-Kings Game 6 at heart of Donaghy allegations". June 11, 2008. Event occurs at 3:04 PM ET. Retrieved 12-16-2010.
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(help) - ^ Virgin, Ryan (April 13, 2010). "David Stern and Tim Donaghy's Motives Are Not That Different". Retrieved 02-12-2011.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - ^ Beech, Ronald (2008). "Reviewing the calls: Lakers-Kings Game 6". Retrieved 02-12-2011.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - ^ McMenamin, Dave (October 12, 2008). "Outdoor game sees shooting, temperature drop". NBA.com. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Sheridan, Chris (October 26, 2009). "NBA refs to return for regular season". ESPN. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ Lays off 11 percent of workforce
- ^ a b Schuhmann, John (December 17, 2009). "Knicks, Kobe and more part of Christmas Day lore". NBA.com. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c Eisenberg, Jeff (December 23, 2009). "Lakers part of NBA Christmas tradition". Press-Enterprise. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c Garcia, Art (December 21, 2009). "Christmas Day clashes bring back fond memories". NBA.com. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- ^ NBA.com: NBA Trading Deadline Trades Since 1987
- ^ Roster Regulations, NBA.com
- ^ "NBA announces postseason seeding format change". ESPN. August 2, 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ "New club basketball championship to debut in 2010". ESPN.com. December 9, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
Further reading
- Rosen, Charley (2009). The First Tip-Off: The Incredible Story of the Birth of the NBA. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 0071487859.
- Sports Illustrated: The Basketball Book. Sports Illustrated. 2007. ISBN 1933821191.
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(help) - Simmons, Bill (2007). The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy. ESPN. ISBN 034551176X.
- Havlicek, John (2003). NBA's Greatest 1st edition. DK. ISBN 0789499770.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)