The NBA: What are the Leagues?

Basketball has been around for over 100 years. The NBA, or National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league that was established in 1946. The NBA is the best known of all American sports leagues with an annual revenue of $5 billion. It's well-known for its world-renowned stars such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who are now considered global icons. The NBA is composed of 30 teams that play a regular season schedule from October to April, followed by playoffs and the NBA Finals which begins in June. Here are some interesting facts about the NBA you might not know!

What is the NBA?

The NBA is the best known of all American sports leagues with an annual revenue of $5 billion. It's composed of 30 teams that play a regular season schedule from October to April, followed by playoffs and the NBA Finals which begins in June.

The NBA has grown over the years and now has many international stars like LeBron James, who was born in Akron, Ohio but was raised in nearby Bath, Ohio.

It is considered one of the four major North American professional sports leagues and US basketball’s top professional competition.

It is composed of 30 teams that play a regular season schedule from October to April, followed by playoffs and the NBA Finals which begins in June.

The origin of the NBA

The NBA was established in 1946 by a group of businessmen from the four major American professional sports leagues: the National Hockey League, American Football League, National Football League, and Major League Baseball. Its name is a portmanteau of "National Basketball Association."

It was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946. James Naismith died in 1939 and left his basketball rules to the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (AIAA), which became the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1944. Meanwhile, the American Basketball League began play as a professional league in 1925.

In 1946, Dr. James Naismith's old friend, Dr. Jerry Colangelo,

got together with some other men who were familiar with Naismith's game and

formed the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The BAA was a direct

competitor to the NBL and it struggled for nearly a decade to survive until

merging with four teams from the NBL to form what is now known as the NBA in

1949.

How many games are played in a season?

A season lasts 82 games, with each team playing a total of 50 games. The regular season is divided into two halves and the first half of the NBA season kicks off in October and ends in April. The second half begins in May and ends in June. The NBA Finals are played from mid-June to early July as the culmination of the playoffs.

Where is the NBA headquartered?

The headquarters of the NBA is located in New York City, New York. The league has its headquarters in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center and also has offices in London.

Who are the teams and their current head coaches?

The league has 30 teams, with a few more on the way. The NBA consists of 22 teams in the U.S., and eight teams in Canada. In the past, there have been three different leagues that broke away from the NBA: American Basketball Association (1947-50), National Basketball Association (1946-48), and Basketball Association of America (1946-49). The current head coaches are:

Coach - Name & Division

Golden State Warriors - Steve Kerr, Head Coach

Los Angeles Lakers - Frank Vogel, Head Coach

New York Knicks - Tom Thibodeau, Head Coach

Milwaukee Bucks - Mike Budenholzer, Head Coach

Toronto Raptors - Nick Nurse, Head Coach

Boston Celtics - Ime Udoka, Head Coach

Atlanta Hawks - Travis Schlenk, Head Coach

Indiana Pacers - Rick Carlisle, Head Coach

Utah Jazz - Quin Snyder, Head Coach

Top 10 Most Valuable Teams

The NBA has 30 teams, which includes 29 US-based teams and one Canadian team, the Toronto Raptors. The top 10 most valuable teams based on the Forbes list from the 2018 season are:

1) Golden State Warriors= $3.2 billion

2) New York Knicks= $3.1 billion

3) Los Angeles Lakers= $3.0 billion

4) Boston Celtics= $2.8 billion

5) Los Angeles Clippers= $2.7 billion

6) Houston Rockets= $2.6 billion

7) Chicago Bulls= $2.6 billion

8) Philadelphia 76ers= $2.6 billion 9) Dallas Mavericks =$ 2.5 billion 10 ) Washington Wizards =$ 2.5 billion

Conclusion

The National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league in North America. It was founded in 1946 by a merger of the Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League.

The NBA is made up of 30 teams, each with its own history, culture, and rivalry. The league currently consists of two conferences, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The NBA season is split into two halves: the NBA Summer League, which begins in mid-July, and the regular NBA season, which starts in early October.