The National Basketball Association (or NBA ) is the principal North-American league of Basket-ball created in 1946 under the name of BAA ( Basketball Association off America ). In 1949, following fusion with NBL ( National Basketball League ), the league is famous NBA .

The championship includes/understands 30 franknesses, divided into two Conferences (Is and Western), including each one three Divisions. At the end one regular season including/understanding 82 matches, the 16 qualified teams clash in playoffs. The finales confront the best team of the Conference Is against the best team of the Western Conference. The team which manages the first to gain four matches is named champion.

Logo NBA is with the effigy of Jerry West, large leader of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Années 1960.

The head office of the NBA is located in Olympic Tower at the 645, of the 5th avenue with New York.

History

Basketball Association off America

BAA ( Basketball Association off America ) is founded the June 6th 1946 with the Commodore hotel, with New York by the owners of the arenas of sport of the North-East and the Midwest of the the United States. Maurice Podoloff is named president. It is not the first league of basketball created with the the United States. Indeed, there exists already the American Basketball League ( ABL ) as well as the National Basketball League ( NBL ). But the BAA is the first league to make play its teams in big rooms located in important cities. During the first years, the quality of the play of the BAA is not particularly better than those of the other leagues, or the club independent of the Harlem Globetrotters. For example, the Baltimore Bullets, finalist of the ABL in 1947, are included in the BAA and gain the title in 1948. In 1949, they are champions NBL of 1948, the Mineapolis Lakers which are essential in BAA. The history retains that the first match disputed in BAA, ancestor of the NBA, opposes on November 1st 1946 the Toronto Huskies to the New York Knickerbockers.

National Basketball Association

After the season 1948-1949, the BAA agrees to amalgamate with the NBL, becoming thus the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league then counts 17 franknesses located in a series from cities, small or large, some playing in large arenas, others in gymnasia. In 1950, the NBA decides to reduce the number of teams, bringing back it to 11. Continuing this process, the league reaches in 1954 the record of only 8 franknesses. It should be noted that these eight franknesses are always members of the NBA today (the Knickerbockers, the Celtics, the Warriors, the Lakers, the Royals/Kings, the Hawks and the Nationals/76ers). While the NBA is tightened, the franknesses installed in small towns settle in larger metropolises. The Hawks leave Tri Cities (called Quad Cities today) and settle with Milwaukee, then with Saint Louis. The Royals go from Rochester to Cincinnati and the Pistons of Fort Wayne to Detroit. Even if Japanese-amércain Wataru Misaka is the first to break the barrier of color NBA in 1947 - 1948 (of the time of the BAA), whereas he plays for the New York Knicks, 1950 is regarded as the year of integration in NBA, when Chuck Cooper joined the Boston Celtics, Nat " Sweetwater" Clifton the New York Knicks and Earl Lloyd the Washington Capitols. Today, more than fifty years after, the NBA sees mixing a great number of ethnos groups and cultures. The Afro-américain S are largely majority (80%).

The Mineapolis Lakers are the first to build a dynasty . Taken along by their pivot George Mikan, they gain five championships in six years (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1954).

To encourage with shooter and to instigate the play, the 24 seconds rule is founded in 1954: if a team did not try a shot whereas it with the ball since 24 seconds, the play is stopped and the ball returned to the adversary.

In 1956, the pivot rookie Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, which have already the back Bob Cousy and the coach Red Auerbach, and takes along the team towards incredible the perfomance of 11 titles in 13 seasons (in 1957, of 1959 with 1966, in 1968 and 1969).

Wilt Chamberlain integrates the NBA in 1959 and becomes the star archi-dominant of the years '60, establishing new records in points and rebounds. The competition which opposes it to Bill Russell legendary, is regarded as one of most intense of all the history of the collective sports.

During this time, the franknesses continue to move towards larger cities: the Lakers leave Mineapolis and settle with Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors démanagent with San Francisco and the Syracuse Nationals with Philadelphia. New teams are integrated.

In 1967, the NBA must face a new adversary: ABA (American Basketball Association). The two leagues declare the war of the talent . It is with that which will count in its rows the most talented players. The NBA seizes the best university player of the moment, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known then under the name of Lew Alcindor), which, with Oscar Robertson, will enmènera the Milwaukee Bucks under its second season, and which later will gain five titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, the best scorer of the NBA, Rick Barry, decides to go to play in ABA, just like do them four referees veterans (Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue).

ABA also succeeds in attracting some stars major, like Julius Erving, partly because the teams have the right to sign Undergraduate S (student of first cycle).

The NBA, during this period, grows quickly, seeking to place its franknesses in the most important cities. After the season 1975-1976, the two leagues agree: ABA disappears, but four of its franknesses are included in championship NBA: the New York Nets, the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers and the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA account then 22 franknesses.

The league adopts in 1979 the line at three points, which was an innovation of the ABA, and of its commissionnor George Mikan. This same year, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson arrive in NBA, respectively with the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. They start one period when the interest carried to the league with the the United States and in the world is increasing. Bird gains three titles with Boston. Johnson, five with Los Angeles.

Michael Jordan unloads in 1984 with the Chicago bulldozers, providing to the increasingly many fans a star more popular than ever. In 1989, several franknesses integrate the NBA, which counts from now on 27 of them. During the years '90, Jordan gains 6 titles (1991 with 1993 and of 1996 with 1998).

Years 1990 are also the theater of a large opening of the NBA. Famous the Dream TEAM of the 1992 Olympics, the first to gather the largest stars of gotha NBA, includes Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and much of others. More and more from good players also come from abroad. In the beginning, the majority of these players, like MVP 1994 Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria), played initially in NCAA to improve. But the foreign players start to leave their club to enter directly in NBA, like NBA Rookie off the Year 2002 and MVP of the CM 2006 Pau Gasol (Spain), like the choice of the draft 2002 Yao Ming (China), like MVP of the CM 2002 and the Euro 2005 Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), or like MVP of the tournament of the 2004 Olympics Manu Ginóbili (Argentine). Today, the young players of the anglophone world try to play in NCAA before presenting themselves to the draft (the best examples are MVP 2005 and 2006 Steve Nash (Canada) and the choice of the draft 2006 Andrew Bogut (Australia), while the other foreign players arrive in NBA directly since their professional club. The NBA is retransmise in 212 countries, in 42 languages.

In 1996, the NBA created WNBA (Women' S National Basketball Association) and in 2001 a minor league, the National Basketball Development League, called today NBA Development League (see low).

In 1998, the owners of the NBA begin a strike which lasts 191 days, and finishes the January 18th 1999. The season 1998 - 1999 thus is brought back of 82 matches per team to 50, all played at the time of the first months of 1999.

Today, the NBA gathers 30 franknesses and became one of the greatest sporting leagues in the world.

In 1999, the chain NBA TV is created. It devotes its programs to the Basket-ball and diffuse of the meetings of the NBA on line, of the great meetings of the past, of daily information on the basketball, the life of teams NBA throughout the season, of the reports on the players, their lives out of the parquet floors, the talks-shows. The chain also diffuses matches WNBA and meetings of Euroligue. The programs are produced by " NBA Entertainement" since Secaucus, New Jersey. It diffuses its programs in nearly 40 countries in the world.

The June 29th 2006, a new official balloon is presented for the season 2006-2007. It has been the first change of balloon for 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons. Conceived by Spalding, the new balloon offers a worked over again design and is consituée of a synthetic material which, according to Spalding, allows the better adherence and best taken in hand than the preceding balloon. However, the players complain quickly, affirming that the dry balloon is sticking, and that wet slipping.

The December 11th 2006, David Stern announces the return to the old leather balloon starting from January 1st 2007. The commissionnor ends up yielding to the complaints players who complain about cuts to the fingers due to the microfibres which compose the balloon.

Teams

The original BAA counts 11 teams for the season 1946-47. After many extensions, reductions and removals, the NBA has today 30 franknesses in its rows (29 with the the United States and 1 with the Canada). The Boston Celtics is the most titrated frankness, with 16 trophies with its credit. Then come the Los Angeles Lakers with 14 titles and the Chicago bulldozers with 6 titles (all gained over one 8 years period during the Années 1990). The San Antonio Spurs, which gained in June 2007 their fourth championship, are current holding of championship NBA. Since the season 2004-05, the league is divided into two conferences, each one containing three divisions of five teams.

Presidents or police chiefs

List of the presidents ( commissioners according to the English expression) of the NBA:

Players

During the regular season, each team has under contract 14 players at least and 15 players to the maximum (roster). This figure can be exceeded during the intersaison, but must be brought back to 15 for the first day of the regular season. 12 players with the " list inactive".

The inactive list was created for the season 2005-06. Previously the players were placed on a list of wounded the , that they are it really or not. The players registered on this list were inactivables for one minimum duration of 5 matches.

Course of the season

The regular season starts at the end of October with the handing-over of the rings of champions to the titrated team and finishes towards the end of April; then the playoffs start in the tread to end towards mid-June in Finales NBA. Each team disputes 82 matches in regular season. The faced adversaries depend on the division in which the team is. Indeed, each team must dispute at least 4 meetings against the teams of her division, at least 3 against each team of other divisions of the same Conference, and at least 2 against each team of the other Conference.

In February, the season stops for a week end, the time of the NBA All Star Week End, which is an event bringing together the best players of the season in progress and the occasion to privilege the spectacle. The moment headlight of this weekend is obviously the All-Star Range, which sees to clash the best players of the Conference East and the Western Conference. The five major one is chosen by vote of the fans through the whole world (who can vote on Internet), while the seven reservists are selected by the trainers of the league. These teams are directed by the trainers of the teams having the best percentage of victories in each conference a few days before the AlStar Weekend. The same trainer cannot exert this function two consecutive years.

A few days after this AlStar Weekend, in the neighborhoods of on February 20th traditionally, the clubs are seen imposing prohibition to carry out any transfer of players, and this until the beginning of July. Players without contract can however still be committed until the beginning of the playoffs.

Once the playoffs passed, recruitment becomes again possible gradually, with, initially, the draft, which takes place two weeks after the finales.

Playoffs

See also: Playoffs NBA

At the end of the regular season, in June and May, the 16 best teams (8 per Conference) clash in playoffs. In each Conference, the first four places are allotted to the three winners of division and to the team having obtained the most victories in regular season without being victorious of its division. The 4 other teams are qualified according to the number of victories obtained in regular season.

The first turn of the playoffs does not bear a particular name, the second round of the play-offs is called semi-final of conference and the third turn, finale of conference.

With the first turn, the classified team number 1 faces the classified team number 8, the number the 2 7, the 3 6 and the 4 5. In semi-final of conference, the winner team of the match between number 1 and number 8 meet the winner team of the match between number 4 and number 5 and the winner team of the match between number 2 and number 7 meet the winner team of the match between number 3 and number 6. The winners of the semi-finals of conference clashes conference finally. The two teams having gained the final of their respective conference (Is or Western) are named champions of conference and meet then for a series determining champion NBA.

Each series of playoffs proceeds with best of the 7 matches, the first team with 4 victories passing to the following turn. Thus, 2 matches are played in residence, follow-ups of 2 matches outside (+ 1 home match, 1 match outside and the last home match, if necessary (format 2-2-1-1-1 which differs for the Final NBA which presents a format 2-3-2)). In each series, the advantage of the ground is allotted to the team having the most victories whatever its classification at the conclusion of the regular season.

Each team must announce the manpower which it retained for the playoffs before those do not start and it cannot be modified any more before the champion is known, except wounds of players.

The Salary course (wage ceiling)

To avoid the supremacy of the richest teams (with the image of the Boston Celtics and their 8 consecutive titles in the Years 1960), the league founded a wage ceiling which prevents the teams from exceeding a wage bill fixed by the NBA.

The system is very complex and includes/understands many exceptions:

  • Once the team exceeded the wage ceiling, it has the right to at least sign only free agents wage and the rookies that it selected at the time of the draft;
  • Each team also has of the Low Level Exception (LLE) and the Mid Level Exception (MISS), placing at the disposal respectively 1M $ and 5M $ in order to sign one or more players without taking account of the wage bill;
  • the Larry Bird exception makes it possible a team to prolong the contract of a player without taking account of the constraint of the wage ceiling. This exception was founded at the time of the renewal of Larry Bird to the Boston Celtics.

Moreover, the contracts of the players are protected: if a player is laid off before the end of his contract, it will touch the remaining amount of its wages (contrary, for example, with NFL), and its wage bill will then continue to weigh on the team until the end of her contract.

The teams are forced to respect a minimal wage bill. There exists beyond the salary course another ceiling on the wage bill, much more constraining: if the wage bill of the club exceeds 61,7 million dollars, the sum beyond this stage will be taxed to 100% (for a poured dollar, the club pays a dollar of tax). This tax is called the Luxury tax .

NBA Development League

The NBA created in 2001 a minor league enabling him to have a fish pond of players who can supplement the manpower of a team: the NBA Development League (or D-League ). The NBADL directly competes with the other minor leagues of the the United States, in particular CBA.

Prize list

Honnor roll

Champions NBA

the number between brackets indicates the total of the titles

MVP of the Finales

Michael Jordan is the player having generally gained this trophy (6 times in 6 participations in Finales NBA), in front of Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan, prizes winner with three recoveries each one. Magic Johnson is the youngest player to have gained this trophy in 1980 at only 20 years. Jerry West, the first prize winner of this trophy, in 1969, is the only player of the history to have gained this reward while being member of the team beaten at the time of Finales NBA.

Trainers champion NBA

The most titrated trainers history are Red Auerbach and Phil Jackson, crowned with nine recoveries each one, in front of John Kundla and Pat Riley, champions with five recoveries. In addition, only three trainers were champions with two different teams: Phil Jackson with the Chicago bulldozers and the Los Angeles Lakers; Stalemate Riley with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat and Alex Hannum with the Saint-Louis Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

MVP of the regular season

See also: NBA Most Valuable Player

The trophy of MVP is also named trophy Maurice Podoloff, in honor with the first president of the NBA of 1946 with 1963. The vote is done by a panel of journalists and reward the player who contributed the most to the success of his team: in addition to the individual performance, the results of the team are taken into account by the journalists in the attribution of the trophy.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received the trophy six times.

Trainer of the year

See also: NBA Coach off the Year

The Trophy Red Auerbach (in homage to the trainer of the dynasty of the Boston Celtics which gained eight titles of sharpened) reward the best trainer of the season. In general, is not rewarded the trainer who obtained the best assessment of the regular season, but that which obtained the best results compared to the resources than it had at disposal. Doc. Rivers was thus appointed trainer of the year in 1999-2000 whereas its team did not even take part in the play-offs. Nevertheless, the assessment of 41 victories for 41 defeats exceeded all waitings of a team which on paper seemed condemned to the last place of the league.

Gift Nelson and Pat Riley received the trophy three times each one.

Better defender of the year

See also: Defensive NBA Player off the Year

The title of the Defensive Player off the Year reward the best defender of the regular season, the statistical categories most influential for this title is the interceptions, counter them and the defensive rebounds. The handing-over of the title is done through a vote of 125 journalists of the press and North-American television. Each journalist names 3 players: the first receiving 5 points, second 3 points and third 1 point.

The trophy allotted a record number of 4 times to Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace.

6th man of the year

See also: NBA Sixth Man off the Year

The Sixth Man Award is intended to the best player having played less 50  % of its matches in the five of departure.

Player having progressed more

See also: NBA Most Improved Player

The title of the Most Improved Player (player having progressed more) reward the player having progressed more compared to the previous year, on the basis of its individual statistics. The election is done through a vote of 123 journalists of the press and North-American television. Each journalist names 3 players: the first receiving 5 points, second 3 points and third 1 point.

Rookie of the year

See also: NBA Rookie off the Year

The trophy of rookie of the year is given to the best disputing player his first season in NBA. It was given for the first time at the end of the season 1952-1953. The winner receives the trophy Eddie Gottlieb.

Team-type

At the end of each season, three team-types are made up ( All-NBA First TEAM , All-NBA Second TEAM , All-NBA Third TEAM ). A player receives 5 points for a vote in the first team, 3 points for a vote in the second team and 1 point for a vote in the third team. Each team must be made up of two backs, two wingers and a pivot. The players having obtained the most votes at their respective station (two first for the backs and the wingers, the first for the station of pivot) are elected in the first team, then the following in the second team and the five following in the third team. The team-types were elected since the inaugural season of the NBA in 1946-1947. The panel of voters is consisted 129 journalists of the agency Associated Press.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the greatest number of selections in All-NBA TEAM with 15 appearances, Karl Malone is second with 14 selections, Shaquille O'Neal is currently third with 13 selections; follow ex-aequo, Dolph Schayes, Bob Cousy, Jerry West and Hakeem Olajuwon with 12 selections. Karl Malone is the player having obtained the greatest number of selections in the All-NBA First TEAM with 11 appearances, followed by six players ex-aequo with 10 selections: Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.

defensive Team-type

The team-type defensive ( Defensive AlNBA TEAM ) is an annual distinction allotted to the best defensive players of the NBA during the regular season. This distinction exists since the season 1968-1969. The vote is carried out by the 30 trainers of the NBA, those not being able to vote for the players of their own team. Ten players are distinguished, component a All-NBA First Defensive TEAM and a All-NBA Second Defensive TEAM . The players receive 2 points for a vote in the first team-type and 1 point in the second team-type. The five players obtaining the most votes compose the first team-type defensive and the five following composes the second team. If there is equality, the team can possibly include/understand 6 players, as that could occur at the time of the season 2005-2006 with Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant. There is no respect required as for the station of the players.

The recordmen in this field are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bobby Jones with 11 selections in the Defensive All-NBA TEAM , followed Scottie Pippen and Tim Duncan with 10 selections. Michael Jordan and Gary Payton holds, them, the record of selections in the All-NBA First Defensive TEAM with 9 appearances each one, followed Scottie Pippen and Bobby Jones with 8 selections each one and Dennis Rodman and Walt Frazier with 7 appearances each one.

rookie Team-type

The team-type rookie ( AlRookie TEAM ) is an annual distinction allotted since the season 1962-63. Until the season 1987-88, there was only one named team, then two teams are it since the season 1988-89 ( All-Rookie First TEAM and All-Rookie Second TEAM ). These teams are made up of the best players carrying out their first season in NBA.

Old franknesses

NBA.com

NBA.com is gate Internet of the league, it belongs to the sites most visited in the world, and, with Eurobasket.com is visited the most with regard to the Basket-ball. It is through this gates that the fans of the whole world can, since 2003, to vote to elect the players participating in NBA All-Star Range. It is declined in several languages, adapting to the massive arrival of the international players in the franknesses from the league. It is gathered with the gates of the Women' S National Basketball Association (WNBA.com) and of NBA Development League (nbadleague.com).

See too

References

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