The National Professional Basketbal

The National Professional Basketball Association or NBA is North America’s foremost professional men’s basketball league. It is composed of thirty teams: twenty-nine of which are from United States and one from Canada. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball or USAB which is recognized by FIBA, the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States.

The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 with the merger of the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League. The NBA started with eleven teams but after several team expansions, reductions and relocations, the NBA now consists of thirty teams. The early years of the NBA history is made up mostly of the merger between the BAA and the NBL. During the 1960’s the NBA faced an external threat with the formation of the ABA. During this era, the NBA landed with a famous basketball player known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 1970’s had the NBA facing off with the ABA for fans, player and audience supremacy. The 1980’s was dominated by the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson rivalry. The 1990’s was known for being the Jordan Era with Michael Jordan stealing the limelight with his performance. The 2000s was known as the Post-Jordan Western Conference domination in the NBA. With the absence of Michael Jordan and the break-up of the Chicago Bulls, several teams rose to the limelight.