NBA
The National Basketball Association or NBA has a history that dates back to the middle of the 1940’s. From the time of its inception to this day, it has played its part superbly in turning the sport of basketball into a global phenomenon. A glance at the history shows us that how far this sport has come from the time when NBA was formed.
How it all began?
It all began in 1946 after the conclusion of World War II. Some arena owners got together and started to think about a way to make Americans spend the money on sports. That idea manifested in the form of Basketball Association of America (BAA), a basketball league. The ten teams were segregated into the West and East Divisions.
The BAA faced competition from the rival NBL. The two leagues went head to head for three years before merging together to create NBA as we see it today in August, 1949. That kicked started a basketball revolution. The number of teams all of a sudden increased to seventeen and the NBA was able to perform in almost every part of the country at big as well as small arenas. That number was brought down to eight in the year 1954.
What Happened Next?
NBA began to make its mark gradually. New rules were incorporated to increase the pace of the game and to make it more watchable for the fans. The NBA underwent an expansion phase that started in 1961 and went all the way to 1968 which resulted in the number of franchises being increased to fourteen.
The Boston Celtics became NBA’s first dominant force. Their era of success began in 1957 and by the time 1969 came around they had won a whopping eleven NBA championships. Other teams like Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers also began to make their mark which not only increased the competition but also improved the quality of the basketball on offer.
For much of the 1960’s and the 1970’s NBA and the rival ABA went toe-to-toe. The rivalry came to a close in 1976 as the two leagues merged. The three point shot was incorporated in 1979 and that gave basketball games a new dimension. The 1980’s were dominated by the Celtic-Lakers rivalry with both teams winning eight NBA titles between them.
The 1990’s saw Michael Jordan and company turn Chicago Bulls into the team to beat. The Bulls clinched half a dozen championships between 1991 and 1998. The 2000’s saw the like of Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat step up win multiple titles to kick-start a new era in basketball.
NBA has done all that was expected of it and more when it comes to making basketball popular and exciting. The league has turned the sport on its head which is why millions of fans root for their teams by watching in game live.
NBA’s Structure
NBA is divided into two conferences named the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is then divided into three divisions of five teams each. The Eastern Conference has the Atlantic, Central and Southeast divisions whereas the Western Conference comprises of Northwest, Pacific and Southwest divisions.
Three division champions from both conferences go to the NBA playoffs. They are joined by a team each from either conference with the fourth best record and four teams with the next four best records. The eight teams from each conference then square off in a best of seven series in the first playoff round. The winners from the first round then make it to the semi finals to take on each other in both conferences in one more best of seven series. The teams from both conferences that come out on top go head-to-head in the conference finals. The two Eastern and Western Conference champions then take on each other in the NBA finals.
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