National Basketball Association

(Bast)

National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the major league basketball in North America created in 1946 under the name BAA (Basketball Association of America). In 1949, following the merger with the NBL (National Basketball League), the league is renowned NBA.

The championship includes 30 franchises, divided into two conferences (East and West), including all three Divisions. After a regular season includes 82 games, 16 teams compete in playoffs (playoffs). The Finals confront the best team in the Eastern Conference against the best team in the West Conference. The team that reaches the first to win four games is named champion.

The NBA logo is the effigy of Jerry West, a great leader of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1960's.

The headquarters of the NBA is located in the Olympic Tower at 645, the 5eAvenue in New York.


Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) is founded on June 6, 1946 at the Commodore Hotel in New York by the owners of sports arenas North-East and Midwest of the USA. Maurice Podoloff is named president. It is not the first league basketball created the USA. Indeed, there is already the American Basketball League (ABL) and the National Basketball League (NBL). But BAA is the first league to play its teams in large rooms located in major cities. During the early years, the quality of the game of the BAA is not particularly better than other leagues, or club independent of Harlem Globetrotters. For example, Baltimore Bullets, a finalist for the ABL in 1947, are included in the BAA and won the title in 1948. In 1949, the NBL champions of 1948, the Minneapolis Lakers needed to BAA. The story holds that the first match played in BAA, the forerunner of the NBA, between 1 November 1946 the Toronto Huskies to the New York Knickerbockers.

National Basketball Association
On August 3, 1949, the BAA agrees to merge with the NBL, thus becoming the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 1949-1950 season may be seen as the first season in the history of the NBA as such. The league has 17 franchises then in a series of cities, large and small, some playing in large arenas, others in gyms. In 1950, the NBA decides to reduce the number of teams, bringing to 11. Continuing this process, the league in 1955 reached a record of only 8 franchises. It should be noted that these eight franchises are still members of the NBA today (Knickerbockers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals / Kings, Hawks and Nationals/76ers). While the NBA reserre, franchises located in small towns settle in larger cities. The Hawks leave Tri Cities (now known as Quad Cities) and settled in Milwaukee, then in St. Louis. The Rochester Royals are in Cincinnati and Fort Wayne Pistons in Detroit.

Even if the Japanese-amércain Wataru Misaka is the first to break the color barrier NBA in 1947-1948 (time of the BAA), while he plays for the New York Knicks, 1950 is regarded as the year integration in the NBA, when Chuck Cooper joined the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton of the New York Knicks and Earl Lloyd the Washington Capitols. Today, more than fifty years later, the NBA sees mingle many ethnicities and cultures. The Afro-Americans are widely majority (80%).

The Minneapolis Lakers were the first to build a dynasty. Led by their pivot George Mikan, they won five titles champions in six years (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1954).

To encourage a shooter and energize the game, the 24 second rule is introduced in 1954: if a team has not attempted to shoot when she has the ball for 24 seconds, the game is stopped and the ball travelled to the 'opponent.

In 1956, the linchpin rookie Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already behind Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and takes the team to the incredible performance of 11 titles in 13 seasons (1957, from 1959 to 1966, 1968 and 1969).

Wilt Chamberlain joined the NBA in 1959 and became the star archi-dominant 60 years, setting new records in points and rebounds. The rivalry between the east to legendary Bill Russell, considered one of the most intense in the history of team sports.

Meanwhile, franchises continue to move to bigger cities: Minneapolis Lakers leave and settled in Los Angeles, Philadelphia Warriors moved to San Francisco and the Syracuse Nationals in Philadelphia. New teams are integrated.

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

However, the best scorer of the NBA, Rick Barry, decides to go play in ABA, as the arbitrators are four veterans (Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue).

The ABA also managed to attract some major stars such as Julius Erving, in part because the teams have the right to sign undergraduates (students).

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

The league adopted in 1979 the three-point line, which was an innovation of the ABA, and its commissionneur George Mikan. That same year, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson arrived in the NBA, respectively, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. They begin a period where interest in the league the USA and the world is growing. Bird won three titles with Boston. Johnson, five with Los Angeles.

Michael Jordan arrived at the 1984 Chicago Bulls, giving fans more and more a star more popular than ever. The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets integrate the NBA in 1988, joined in 1989 by the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves. The league has 27 teams then. During the 90 years, Jordan won 6 titles (1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 1998).

The 1990 is also the scene of a grand opening of the NBA. The famous Dream Team Olympics 1992, the first to bring together the biggest stars of the NBA Dignitaries, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and many others.

In 1995, the NBA knows its first expansion abroad, namely in Canada, with the creation of franchises of the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies. In 2001, the Grizzlies moved to Memphis, the Raptors became the only team in the league to be located outside the USA. The last franchise created is that of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004, bringing the current number of teams in the NBA to 30.

More and more good players also come from abroad. At the outset, most of these players, as the 1994 MVP Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria), played first in NCAA for self-improvement. But foreign players are beginning to leave their club to enter directly in the NBA, as Rookie of the Year and MVP of the 2002 World Championship 2006 Pau Gasol (Spain) as the 1st choice of the 2002 draft Yao Ming (China) as MVP of the 2002 World Championship and Euro 2005 Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), or as the tournament MVP of the 2004 Olympics Manu Ginóbili (Argentina). Today, young players in the English-speaking world are trying to play NCAA will arise before the draft (the best examples are the 2005 and 2006 MVP Steve Nash (Canada) and 1 draft choice of 2006 Andrew Bogut (Australia) , While other foreign players arrive in the NBA directly from their club professional.

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

In 1998, owners of the NBA start a strike that lasted 191 days, and ends on January 18, 1999. The 1998-1999 season is therefore reduced from 82 matches per team to 50, all played during the first months of 1999.

On 29 June 2006, a new official ball is presented for the 2006-2007 season. This is the first ball change in 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons. Designed by Spalding, the new ball offers a reworked design and is made of a synthetic material which, according to Spalding, allows a better grip and a better grip the ball back. However, players complain quickly, saying that the ball is dry adhesive, and that the wet slippery.

On 11 December 2006, David Stern announced the return to the old leather ball in from 1 January 2007. The commissionneur eventually give in to complaints from players who complain about cuts to the fingers due to the microfibers that make up the ball.

Today, brings together 30 NBA franchises and became one of the largest sports leagues in the world. The matches are broadcast in 212 countries and 42 languages.

Read also Basketball

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