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NBA: National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association, which is just as often referred to by its NBA acronym, is America’s premier league for professional basketball players. Originally known as the Basketball Association of America when it was formed in June, 1946, it merged three years later with the National Basketball League and adopted its current name shortly afterwards.

How many teams in the NBA?

Whilst the NBA only had 11 teams when it began, the subsequent merger with the National Basketball League obviously changed that situation, and there are now some 30 teams playing in the NBA. All but one of those teams are based in the USA, with the sole exception being the Toronto Raptors, who are based in Ontario, Canada.

The 30 NBA teams are divided into two conferences, each of which has three five-team divisions. Pre-season training usually gets underway towards the end of September, with the season proper beginning at the end of October.

How many games in NBA?

Each NBA season sees every team playing 82 games, with each team playing every other team in the competition at least twice. The main season ends in April, and is followed by the NBA Playoffs, where teams compete to reach the NBA Finals in June. The team that wins the NBA Finals receives the coveted Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy, which is named after the man who served as commissioner of the NBA from 1975 to 1984.

The most successful teams in the NBA at the time of writing are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, who have both won the NBA Finals 17 times.

Because basketball is such a popular sport, it isn’t surprising that some of its best players have also enjoyed mainstream celebrity status. Notable examples include Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal, who have both made a number of appearances - including starring roles - in movies and TV shows.