NBA ΖΩΤΟΥ ΜΑΡΙΑ Α2

  TORONTO RAPTORS HISTORY (video) The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They normally play their home games at Scotiabank Arena, which they share with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL), but they are currently using Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida as their home during the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto. The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Since the 2001–02 season, the Raptors have been the only Canadian-based team in the league, as the Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis, Tennessee. The team is owned by the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which also owns most other professional sports franchises in Toronto, like the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL, Toronto FC of the MLS

  GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS HISTORY (video) The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name, before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971.The club plays its home games at the Chase Center.  The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947, and won again in 1956, led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and Neil Johnston. After the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain in January 1965, the team finished the 1964–65 season with the NBA's worst record (17–63). Their rebuilding period was brief due in large part to the Warriors drafting of Rick Barry four months after the trade. In 1975, star players Barry and Jamaal Wilkes power

  DENVER NUGGETS HISTORY (VIDEO) The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but changed their name to Rockets before the first season.The Rockets then changed their name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets. The Nuggets are owned by the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, also owners of the Colorado Rapids of MLS , Colorado Avalanche of NHL and other sports teams outside of the state of Colorado.The team has had some periods of success, qualifying for the ABA Playoffs for all seasons from 1967 to the 1976 ABA playoffs where they lost in the finals.The team joined the NBA in 1976 after the

  PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS HISTORY (video)   The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers ) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team played its home games in the Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995 (called the Rose Garden until 2013). The franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1970, and has enjoyed a strong following: from 1977 through 1995, the team sold out 814 consecutive home games, the longest such streak in American major professional sports at the time, and only since surpassed by the Boston Red Sox.The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the bi-national Pacific Northwest, after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and became the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001 and the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma

  HOUSTON ROCKETS HISTORY (video) The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center, located in Downtown Houston. Throughout its history, Houston has won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. It was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets , an expansion team originally based in San Diego. In 1971, the Rockets relocated to Houston. The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season as a franchise in 1967. In the 1968 NBA draft, the Rockets were awarded the first overall pick and selected power forward Elvin Hayes, who would lead the team to its first playoff appearance in his rookie season. The Rockets did not finish a season with a winning record for almost a decade until the 1976–77 season, when they traded for All-Star center Moses M

  PHILADELPHIA 76ERS HISTORY (video) The Philadelphia 76ers (colloquially known as the Sixers ) are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division and play at the Wells Fargo Center. Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals , they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA and one of only eight (out of 23) to survive the league's first decade. The 76ers have had a prominent history, with many Hall of Fame players having played for the organization, including Dolph Schayes, Hal Greer, Wilt Chamberlain, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson. They have won three NBA championships, with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. The second title came in 1967, a team which was led by Chamberlain. The

  UTAH JAZZ HISTORY (video) The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference, Northwest Division. Since 1991, the team has played its home games at Vivint Arena. The franchise began play as an expansion team in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz (as a tribute to New Orleans' history of originating Jazz music). The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. The Jazz were one of the least successful teams in the league in their early years. Although 10 seasons elapsed before the Jazz qualified for their first playoff appearance in 1984, they did not miss the playoffs again until 2004. During the late 1980s, John Stockton and Karl Malone arose as the franchise players for the team, and formed one of the most famed point guard–power forward duos in NBA history. Led by coach Jerry Sloan, who took over from Frank Layden in 1988, they became one of

  OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDERS HISTORY (video) The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division.The team plays its home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder's NBA G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, which it owns.The Thunder are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City previously hosted the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons following devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The team was originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics , an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. The SuperSonics relocated from Seattle, Washington to Oklahoma City in 2008 after a settlement was reached between the ownership group led by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle following a lawsuit. In S

  BOSTON CELTICS HISTORY (video) The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are regarded as one of the most successful basketball teams in NBA history; the franchise is tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for most NBA Championships won with 17 (accounting for 23.6 percent of all NBA championships since the league's founding) and currently holds the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team. The Celtics are one of the two charter BAA franchises (the other is the New York Knicks) still playing in their original city. The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, which was heavily highlight

  SAN ANTONIO SPURS HISTORY (video) The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association (ABA) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA–NBA merger and are the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship. The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. As of the 2019–20 season, the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises. As of May 2017, the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada over the previous three decades From 1999–2000 to 2016–17, the Spurs won 50 games each season, setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seaso

  LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS HISTORY (video) The Los Angeles Clippers (branded as the LA Clippers ) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. They play their home games at the Staples Center, an arena they share with fellow NBA team Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise was founded as the Buffalo Braves in 1970 as an expansion team. Led by future Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, the Braves reached the playoffs three times during their eight seasons in Buffalo. Conflicts with the Canisius Golden Griffins over the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium and the sale of the franchise led to their relocation from Buffalo to San Diego, California in 1978. Rebranded as the San Diego Clippers after the

  INDIANA PACERS HISTORY (video) The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first established in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and became a member of the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA–NBA merger. They play their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team is named after the state of Indiana's history with the Indianapolis 500's pace cars and with the harness racing industry. The Pacers have won three championships, all in the ABA. The Pacers were NBA Eastern Conference champions in 2000. The team has won nine division titles. Six Hall of Fame players – Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Alex English, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown, and George McGinnis – played with the Pacers for multiple seasons.   MORE INFORMATIONS

  ORLANDO MAGIC HISTORY (video)   The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was established in 1989 as an expansion franchise, and such notable NBA stars as Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and Dwight Howard have played for the club throughout its young history. As of 2020, the franchise has played in the NBA playoffs 16 times in 31 seasons, and twice went to the NBA Finals, in 1995 and 2009. Orlando has been the second most successful of the four expansion teams brought into the league in 1988 and 1989 in terms of winning percentage, only after the Miami Heat.   MORE INFORMATIONS

  BROOKLYN NETS HISTORY (video) The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Barclays Center. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City; the other is the New York Knicks. The club was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBA's rival league, the American Basketball Association (ABA). They played in New Jersey as the New Jersey Americans during their first season, before relocating to Long Island, New York, in 1968 and changing their name to the New York Nets . During this time, the Nets won two ABA championships (in 1974 and 1976). In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, and the Nets were absorbed into the NBA along with three other ABA teams (the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Denver Nuggets), all of whom remain in the league t

    DETROIT PISTONS HISTORY (video)   The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Little Caesars Arena, located in Midtown. The team was founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons in 1941, a member of the National Basketball League (NBL), where it won two NBL championships: in 1944 and 1945. The Pistons later joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1948. The NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA in 1949, and the Pistons became part of the merged league.In 1957, the franchise moved to Detroit. The Pistons have won three NBA championships: in 1989, 1990 and 2004.  MORE INFORMATIONS

SACRAMENTO KINGS HISTORY (video) The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento. The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center. Their best seasons to date in the city were in the early 2000s, including the 2001–02 season when they had the best record in the NBA at 61–21 (a winning percentage of .744). The franchise began with the Rochester Seagrams (a semi-professional team) from Rochester, New York, that formed in 1923 and hosted a number of teams there over the next 20 years. They joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the renamed Rochester Royals ,winning that league's championship in their first season, 1945–46. They later jumped with three other NBL teams to the Basketball Associatio

  MIAMI HEAT HISTORY (video)  The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at American Airlines Arena, and has won three NBA championships. The franchise began play in the 1988–89 NBA season as an expansion team. After a period of mediocrity, the Heat gained relevance during the 1990s following the appointment of former head coach Pat Riley as team president. Riley constructed the high-profile trades of Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, which immediately propelled the team into playoff contention. Mourning and Hardaway led the Heat to four division titles, prior to their departures in 2001 and 2002. The team experienced renewed success after drafting Dwyane Wade in 2003. Led by Wade and following a trade for former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Shaquille O'Neal, Miami won their first N

  CHARLOTTE HORNETS HISTORY (video) The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team is mainly owned by Basketball Hall-of-Fame member Michael Jordan, who acquired a controlling interest in the team in 2010. The Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte. The original Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team, owned by George Shinn. After the conclusion of the 2001–02 NBA season, Shinn's franchise relocated to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004, the NBA established the Charlotte Bobcats , which was regarded as a new expansion team at the time. In 2013, the New Orleans franchise announced it would rebrand itself the New Orleans Pelicans, ultimately returning the Hornets name, records, and official history (span

  LOS ANGELES LAKERS HISTORY (video) The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, and have won 17 NBA championships, tied with the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history. The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers .Initially a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival Basketball Ass

  MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES The  Minnesota Timberwolves  are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 1989, the team is owned by  Glen Taylor  who also owns the WNBA's  Minnesota Lynx .  The Timberwolves play their home games at  Target Center , their home since 1990. Like most expansion teams, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett in the 1995 NBA draft, the team qualified for the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons from 1997 to 2004. Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division championship in 2004 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals that same season. Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player for that season. The team then went into rebuilding mode for more than a decade after

  NEW ORLEANS PELICANS HISTORY (video) The  New Orleans Pelicans  are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games in the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans were established as the  New Orleans Hornets  in the 2002–03 season when then-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, George Shinn, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the franchise temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, where they spent two seasons officially known as the  New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets . The team returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season. In 2013 the franchise announced it would rename itself the Pelicans, effective after the conclusion of the 2012–13 season. The Charlotte Hornets' name, history, and records from 1988 to 2002 were returned to its original cit

  MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES HISTORY (video) The  Memphis Grizzlies  are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The Grizzlies play their home games at FedExForum. The team is owned by Robert Pera. The Grizzlies are currently the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the city of Memphis, and is the only professional basketball team in the state of Tennessee. The team was originally established as the  Vancouver Grizzlies , an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1995–96 season. After the 2000–01 season concluded, the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. MORE INFORMATIONS

  DALLAS MAVERICKS HISTORY  (video) The  Dallas Mavericks  (often referred to as the  Mavs ) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center, which it shares with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars. Throughout the 1980s, the Mavericks were a perennial playoff team, led by All-Stars Rolando Blackman and Mark Aguirre. The team struggled during the 1990s, entering into a period of rebuilding. In 1998, the franchise's fortunes would change drastically with the acquisition of Dirk Nowitzki, who would become the cornerstone of the most successful period in franchise history, leading the team to its first NBA championship in 2011. The Mavericks later entered a rebuilding phase in the tail end of Nowitzki's storied career. They missed the playoffs in three consecutive years fro

  WASHINGTON WIZARDS HISTORY (video) The  Washington Wizards  are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at the Capital One Arena, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The franchise was established in 1961 as the  Chicago Packers  based in Chicago, Illinois, and were renamed to  Chicago Zephyrs  the following season. In 1963, they relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and became the  Baltimore Bullets , taking the name from a previous team of the same name. In 1973, the team changed its name to the  Capital Bullets  to reflect their move to the Washington metropolitan area, and then to  Washington Bullets  in the following season. In 1997, they rebranded themselves as the  Wizards . MORE INFORMATIONS

  ATLANTA HAWKS HISTORY (video) The   Atlanta Hawks   are an American professional   basketball   team based in   Atlanta . The Hawks compete in the   National Basketball Association   (NBA) as a member of the league's   Eastern Conference   Southeast Division . The team plays its home games at   State Farm Arena . The team's origins can be traced to the establishment of the  Buffalo Bisons  in 1946 in Buffalo, New York, a member of the National Basketball League (NBL) owned by Ben Kerner and Leo Ferris. After 38 days in Buffalo, the team moved to Moline, Illinois, where they were renamed the  Tri-Cities Blackhawks .In 1949, they joined the NBA as part of the merger between the NBL and the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and briefly had Red Auerbach as coach. In 1951, Kerner moved the team to Milwaukee, where they changed their name to the  Hawks . Kerner and the team moved again in 1955 to St. Louis, where they won their only NBA Championship in 1958 and qualified to

  CHICAGO BULLS HISTORY (video) The  Chicago Bulls  are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 16, 1966, and played its first game during the 1966–67 NBA season. The Bulls play their home games at the United Center, an arena on Chicago's West Side shared with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s when they played a major part in popularizing the NBA worldwide. They are known for having one of the NBA's greatest dynasties, winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats. All six of their championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships while never losing an NBA Finals series in the

  PHOENIX SUN HISTORY  (video) The  Phoenix Suns  are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in their division not based in California. The Suns play their home games at the Phoenix Suns Arena. The franchise began play in 1968 as an expansion team, and their early years were shrouded in mediocrity, but their fortunes changed in the 1970s, where, after partnering long-term guard Dick Van Arsdale and center Alvan Adams with Paul Westphal, the Suns reached the 1976 NBA Finals, in what is considered to be one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. However, after failing to capture a championship, the Suns would rebuild around Walter Davis for a majority of the 1980s, until the acquisition of Kevin Johnson in 1988. MORE INFORMATIONS

  CLEVELAND CAVALIERS HISTORY (video) The  Cleveland Cavaliers , often referred to as the  Cavs , are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, which is shared with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005. The Cavaliers opened their inaugural season losing their first 15 games and struggled in their early years, placing no better than sixth in the Eastern Conference during their first five seasons. The team won their first Central Division title in 1976,

  NEW YORK KNICKS HISTORY (video) The   New York Knickerbockers ,   more commonly referred to as the   New York Knicks , are an American professional   basketball   team based in the   New York City borough   of   Manhattan . The Knicks compete in the   National Basketball Association   (NBA) as a member of the   Atlantic Division   of the   Eastern Conference .The team plays its home games at   Madison Square Garden , an arena they share with the   New York Rangers   of the   National Hockey League   (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City; the other team is the   Brooklyn Nets . Alongside the   Boston Celtics , the Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still located in its original city. The team, established by Ned Irish in 1946, was one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which became the NBA after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949. The Knicks were successful during their early years and were

HERE YOU CAN SEE THE 30 NBA TEAMS   &video 1) New York Knicks 2)Cleveland Cavaliers 3) Phoenix Suns 4) Chicago Bulls 5)Atlanta Hawks 6)Washington Wizards 7)Dallas Mavericks 8)Memphis Grizzlies 9) New Orleans Pelicans 10)Minnesota Timberwolves 11)Los Angeles Lakers 12)Charlotte Hornets 13)Miami Heat 14)Sacramento Kings 15)Detroit Pistons 16)Brooklyn Nets 17)Orlando Magic 18)Indiana Pacers 19)LA Clippers 20)San Antonio Spurs 21) Boston Celtics 22)Oklahoma City Thunder 23)Utah Jazz 24)Philadelphia 76ers 25)Houston Rockets 26)Portland Trail Blazers 27)Denver Nuggets 28)Golden State Warriors 29)Toronto Raptors 30)Milwaukee Bucks

  The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is a professional basketball lea gue in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada . It is the premier men's professional basketball league in the world. The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league's playoff tournament extends into June. As of 2020, NBA players are the world's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball ( USAB), which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the national governing bod