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Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including theAmerican Basketball League (ABL) and theNational Basketball League (NBL), the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as theHarlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1947 ABL finalistBaltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title,[13][14] and the 1948 NBL championMinneapolis Lakers won the 1949 BAA title.[15]
Prior to the 1948–49 season, the BAA lured away theFort Wayne Pistons,Indianapolis Kautskys,Minneapolis Lakers, andRochester Royals from the NBL with the prospect of playing in major venues such asBoston Garden andMadison Square Garden.[16] The NBL hit back by outbidding the BAA for the services of several players, includingAl Cervi, rookieDolph Schayes and five stars from theUniversity of Kentucky while also gaining the upper hand in Indianapolis with the creation of theIndianapolis Olympians while the Kautskys folded.[4][17] With several teams facing financial difficulties,[18] the BAA and the NBL agreed on a merger on August 3, 1949, to create the National Basketball Association.Maurice Podoloff, the president of BAA, became the president of the NBA whileIke Duffey, president of the NBL, became the chairman.[19][20] The NBA later adopted the BAA's history and statistics as its own but did not do the same for NBL records and statistics.[21]
Asian American point guardWat Misaka broke BAA/NBA'scolor barrier as the first non-white player to play in the BAA in 1947.
Celtics' dominance, league expansion and competition (1956–1979)
In 1957, rookie centerBill Russell joined theBoston Celtics, which already featured guardBob Cousy and coachRed Auerbach, and went on to lead the franchise to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons.[31] CenterWilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new single-game records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55).Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports.[32]
The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics. Led by Russell, Cousy, and Auerbach, Boston won eight straight championships in the NBA from 1959 to 1966. This championship streak is the longest in the history of American professional sports.[33] They did not win the title in1966–67, but regained it in the1967–68 season and repeated in1969. The domination totaled nine of the ten championship banners of the 1960s.[34]
In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA). The leagues engaged in a bidding war.[36][37] The NBA landed the most important college star of the era,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who went on to become the league's best player of the 1970s.[38] However, the NBA's leading scorer,Rick Barry, jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker,Earl Strom, John Vanak, and Joe Gushue.[39]
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, shown shooting his signature "skyhook" shot, was one of the league's best players of the 1970s.
In 1969,Alan Siegel, who oversaw the design of Jerry Dior'sMajor League Baseball logo a year prior, created the modern NBA logo inspired by the MLB's. It incorporates the silhouette ofJerry West, based on a photo by Wen Roberts. The NBA would not confirm that a particular player was used because, according to Siegel, "They want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it. It's become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don't necessarily want to identify it with one player." The logo debuted in 1971 (with a small change to the typeface on the NBA wordmark in 2017) and would remain a fixture of the NBA brand.[40]
The league added the ABA'sthree-point field goal beginning in 1979.[44] That same year, rookiesLarry Bird andMagic Johnson joined theBoston Celtics andLos Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth of fan interest in the NBA.[45] The two had faced each other in the1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, and they later played against each other in three NBA Finals (1984, 1985, and 1987).[45] In the 10 seasons of the 1980s, Johnson led the Lakers to five titles[46] while Bird led the Celtics to three titles.[47] Also in the early 1980s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, theDallas Mavericks,[48] bringing the total to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first three three-point shooting contests.[49] On February 1, 1984David Stern became commissioner of the NBA.[50] Stern has been recognized as playing a major role in the growth of the league during his career.[51][52]
Michael Jordan became the league's most popular player during the 1990s, while leading theChicago Bulls to six championships.
The league's image was marred by aviolent incident between players and fans in a November 2004 game between theIndiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.[75] In response, players were suspended for a total of 146 games with $11 million total lost in salary, and the league tightened security and limited the sale of alcohol.[75]
On May 19, 2005, Commissioner Stern testified before theU.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Government Reform about the NBA's actions to combat the use ofsteroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. The NBA started its drug-testing program in 1983 and substantially improved it in 1999. In the 1999–2000 season, all players were randomly tested during training camp, and all rookies were additionally tested three more times during the regular season. Of the nearly 4,200 tests for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs conducted over six seasons, only three players were confirmed positive for NBA's drug program, all were immediately suspended, and as of the time of the testimony, none were playing in the NBA.[76]
The NBA Board of Governors approved the request of theSeattle SuperSonics tomove to Oklahoma City on April 18, 2008.[82] The team, however, could not move until it had settled a lawsuit filed by the city ofSeattle, which was intended to keep the SuperSonics in Seattle for the remaining two seasons of the team's lease atKeyArena. Following a court case, the city of Seattle settled with theownership group of the SuperSonics on July 2, 2008, allowing the team to move to Oklahoma City immediately in exchange for terminating the final two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena.[83] TheOklahoma City Thunder began playing in the 2008–09 season.
A referee lockout began on September 1, 2009, when the contract between the NBA and its referees expired. The first preseason games were played on October 1, 2009, and replacement referees from theWNBA andNBA Development League were used, the first time replacement referees had been used since the beginning of the 1995–96 season. The NBA and the regular referees reached a deal on October 23, 2009.[87][88]
At the start of the 2010–11 season, free agents LeBron James andChris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat, joining Dwyane Wade to form the "Big Three".[89] The Heat dominated the league,[90] reaching the Finals for four straight years.[91] In2011, they faced a re-match with the Dallas Mavericks but lost to theDirk Nowitzki-led team.[92] They won back-to-back titles in2012 and2013 against theOklahoma City Thunder and the Spurs,[93] and lost in a re-match with the Spurs in the2014 Finals.[94]
The 2011–12 season began withanother lockout, the league's fourth.[95] After the first few weeks of the season were canceled, the players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on December 8, 2011, setting up a shortened 66-game season.[96]
After the 2012–13 season, the New Orleans Hornets were renamed thePelicans.[97] By May 2014, the Bobcats officially reclaimed the Hornets name, and by agreement with the league and the Pelicans, also received sole ownership of all history, records, and statistics from the Pelicans' time in Charlotte. As a result, the Hornets are now officially considered to have been founded in 1988, suspended operations in 2002, and resumed in 2004 as the Bobcats, while the Pelicans are officially treated as a 2002 expansion team.[98] (This is somewhat similar to the relationship between theCleveland Browns andBaltimore Ravens in theNFL.)
On February 1, 2014, commissioner David Stern retired after 30 years in the position, and was succeeded by his deputy,Adam Silver.[99]
Warriors' dynasty (2014–2022)
LeBron James became an era-defining star during the 2010s, while leading theCleveland Cavaliers to a historic title in 2016.
After the departure of James in free agency in 2018, the Cavaliers' streak of playoff and Finals appearances ended. The Warriors returned for afifth consecutive Finals appearance in 2019 but lost to the Toronto Raptors, who won their first championship after acquiringKawhi Leonard in a trade.[107]
Stephen Curry revolutionized the NBA during the 2010s, while leading theGolden State Warriors to four championships between 2015 and 2022.
This era also saw the continuous near year-over-year decline in NBA viewership. Between 2012 and 2019, the league lost 40 to 45 percent of its viewership. While some of it can be attributed to "cable-cutting", other professional leagues, like the NFL and MLB have retained stable viewership demographics. The opening game of the 2020 Finals between theLos Angeles Lakers andMiami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That is reportedly the lowestviewership seen for the Finals since at least 1994, when total viewers began to be regularly recorded and is a 45 percent decline from game one between the Golden State Warriors andToronto Raptors, which had 13.51 million viewers a year earlier. Some attribute this decline to the political stances the league and its players are taking, while others consider load management, the uneven talent distribution between the conferences and the cord-cutting of younger viewers as the main reason for the decline.[113][114][115][116][117]
The 2020s have been an unprecedented era ofparity for the league. 2019–2025 is the longest continuous period in the NBA's history where a unique champion has been crowned each year (pictured are theFinals MVPs for those years).
2023 saw the ratification of a newcollective bargaining agreement, which will penalize teams who exceed the luxury tax above certain "apron" thresholds, making it significantly more difficult for teams to sign multiple superstars to maximum contracts.[120] Seven different champions were crowned in seven years from 2019 to 2025, the longest such stretch in league history, leading numerous outlets to dub this the "parity era" in contrast to the dynasties which dominated previous decades.[121][122]
We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league. The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that’s what we’re seeing here.
— NBA CommissionerAdam Silver on the NBA's new era of parity[123]
The2023–24 NBA season saw the star-studded Boston Celtics, winning a championship over the Dallas Mavericks, after fiveconference finals appearances, and a finals appearance marking their 18th championship, their first since 2008.[125]
The2025 NBA playoffs featured four teams (theKnicks,Pacers,Thunder andTimberwolves) who had championship droughts spanning several decades or who had never won a championship. The Thunder would ultimately defeat the Pacers in seven games in the2025 NBA Finals to win their second title in franchise history and their first in Oklahoma City.[126]
The2013–14 season opened with a record 92 international players on the opening night rosters, representing 39 countries and comprising over 20 percent of the league.[131] The NBA defines "international" players as those born outside the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. This means that:
Players born in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and theU.S. Virgin Islands, most notably USVI nativeTim Duncan, are counted as "international" even though they are U.S. citizens by birth, and may even have represented the U.S. in international competition (like Duncan).
U.S.-born players are not counted as "international" even if they were born with citizenship in another country and represent that country internationally, such asJoakim Noah, andKosta Koufos.
The beginning of the 2017–18 season saw a record 108 international players representing 42 countries marking 4 consecutive years of at least 100 international players and each team having at least one international player.[132] In 2018, thePhoenix Suns hired Serbian coachIgor Kokoškov as their new head coach, replacing Canadian interim coachJay Triano, making Kokoškov the first European coach to become a head coach for a team in the NBA.[133]
In the2023–24 season, the Mavericks and the Thunder each had eight international players on their roster.[134] For seven consecutive seasons from2018–19 to2024–25, the league'sMVP award has been given to an international player.[135][136]
In 2001, an affiliatedminor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called theNBA G League, was created.[137]
Anew official game ball was introduced on June 28, 2006, for the 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second ball in 60 seasons.[138] Manufactured bySpalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet.
Commissioner Stern announced on December 11, 2006, that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006–07 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball.[139] ThePlayers' Association filed a suit on behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball.[140]
TheFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation on July 19, 2007, over allegations that veteran NBA refereeTim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting thepoint spread in those games.[141] On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to twofederal charges related to the investigation. Donaghy claimed in 2008 that certain referees were friendly with players and "company men" for the NBA, and he alleged that referees influenced the outcome of certain playoff and finals games in 2002 and 2005. NBA commissionerDavid Stern denied the allegations and said Donaghy was a convicted felon and a "singing, cooperating witness".[142] Donaghy served 15 months in prison and was released in November 2009.[143] According to an independent study by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, although the refs increased the Lakers' chances of winning through foul calls during the game, there was nocollusion to fix the game. On alleged "star treatment" during Game 6 by the referees toward certain players, Beech claimed, "there does seem to be issues with different standards and allowances for different players."[144]
The first official NBA league games on European ground took place in 2011. In two matchups, theNew Jersey Nets faced theToronto Raptors at theO2 Arena in London in front of over 20,000 fans.
Donald Sterling, who was then-owner of theLos Angeles Clippers, received a lifetime ban from the NBA on April 29, 2014, after racist remarks he made became public. Sterling was also fined US$2.5 million, the maximum allowed under the NBA Constitution.[146]
The NBA announced on April 15, 2016, that it would allow all 30 of its teams to sell corporate sponsor advertisement patches on official game uniforms, beginning with the 2017–18 season. The sponsorship advertisement patches would appear on the left front of jerseys, oppositeNike's logo, marking the first time a manufacturer's logo would appear on NBA jerseys, and would measure approximately 2.5 by 2.5 inches. The NBA would become the firstmajor North American professional sports league to allow corporate sponsorship logos on official team uniforms, and the last to have a uniform manufacturer logo appear on its team uniforms.[149] The first team to announce a jersey sponsorship was thePhiladelphia 76ers, who agreed to a deal withStubHub.[150]
On July 6, 2017, the NBA unveiled an updated rendition of its logo; it was largely identical to the previous design, except with revised typography and a "richer" color scheme. The league began to phase in the updated logo across its properties during the2017 NBA Summer League.[151]
The NBA also officially released newNike uniforms for all 30 teams beginning with the 2017–18 season, replacing the previous supplier,Adidas. All team jerseys included the Nike logo except for theCharlotte Hornets, whose jerseys instead had theJumpman logo associated with longtime Nike endorserMichael Jordan, who owns the Hornets.[152] In addition, the league eliminated "home" and "away" uniform designations. Instead, each team would have four or six uniforms: the "Association" edition, which is the team's white uniform, the "Icon" edition, which is the team's color uniform, and the "Statement" and "City" uniforms, which most teams use as an alternate uniform.[153] In 2018, the NBA added the "Earned" uniform.[154]
In 2018, Adam Silver showed support in theSupreme Court's decision to overturn a federal ban onsports betting. Silver thought it would bring greater transparency and integrity as well as business opportunities.[155] Before namingDraftKings andFanDuel co-official sports betting partners of the NBA in 2021, the NBA first namedMGM as the exclusive official gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA—the first major American sports league to do so.[156][157] With a deal between the 76ers and then-sportsbook FOX Bet as the first agreement between an NBA team and a sportsbook app, more teams partnered with operators thereafter.[158] This early acceptance of sports betting translated to basketball being the most bet-on sport in the United States over football in 2023.[159]
As a part of its November 2021 multi-year partnership deal with theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), the NBA hosted two preseason games in Abu Dhabi on October 4 and 6, 2024, marking its third annual trip to the country. However, theHuman Rights Watch (HRW) raised concerns, citing the UAE's pattern of using high-profile events to enhance its image. HRW accused the league of being complicit in "sportswashing" the UAE's poor human rights record, while the country seeks to display itself as open country, without addressing the abuses. On September 30, HRW wrote a letter to the NBA, urging it to implement a human rights risk mitigation strategy, and to ensure that the preseason games were not used as a distraction from the UAE's human rights abuses. The rights organization also pointed out that the UAE hosted the games amidst the reports of the country being directly involved in fuelling theSudanese civil war. A coalition of human rights groups called upon the NBA to cancel the games in Abu Dhabi in solidarity with Sudanese.[160]
Map all coordinates usingOpenStreetMapDownload coordinates asKML
The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions and relocations consists of 30 teams – 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.
The current league organization divides 30 teams into two 15-team conferences[163] of three divisions with five teams each. The current divisional alignment was introduced in the2004–05 season.[164] Reflecting the population distribution of the United States and Canada as a whole, most teams are in the eastern half of the country: 13 teams are in theEastern Time Zone, nine in theCentral, three in theMountain, and five in thePacific.
The Indiana Pacers,New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets all joined the NBA in 1976 as part of theABA–NBA merger.
TheCharlotte Hornets are regarded as a continuation of the original Charlotte franchise, which suspended operations in 2002 and rejoined the league in 2004. They were known as the Bobcats from 2004 to 2014. The New Orleans Pelicans are regarded as being established as an expansion team in 2002, originally known as the New Orleans Hornets until 2013.
Following the summer break, teams begin training camps in late September.[165] Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to theNBA G League. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBA cities, both in the United States and overseas. The NBA regular season begins in mid-October.[163]
During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away.[166] A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games).[166] Each team plays six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games).[166] Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games).[166] This asymmetrical structure means thestrength of schedule will vary between teams (but not as significantly as theNFL orMLB). Over five seasons, each team will have played 80 games against their division (20 games against each opponent, 10 at home, 10 on the road), 180 games against the rest of their conference (18 games against each opponent, 9 at home, 9 on the road), and 150 games against the other conference (10 games against each team, 5 at home, 5 on the road).
Starting with the2023–24 season, the regular season includes anin-season tournament, in which all games in the tournament (except for the final) count towards the regular season.[167]
The NBA is also the only league that regularly schedulesgames on Christmas Day.[168][original research] The league has been playing games regularly on the holiday since 1947,[169] though the first Christmas Day games were not televised until1983–84.[170] Games played on this day have featured some of the best teams and players.[168][169][170] Christmas is also notable for NBA on television, as the holiday is when the first NBA games air on network television each season.[169][170] Games played on this day have been some of the highest-rated games during a particular season.
In February, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annualNBA All-Star Game.[172] Fans vote throughout the United States, Canada, and on the Internet, and the top vote-getters in each conference are named captains. Fan votes determine the rest of the All-Star starters. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with aGame MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break include theRising Stars Challenge (originally Rookie Challenge), where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA play in a 5-on-5 basketball game, with the current format pitting U.S. players against those from the rest of the world; theSkills Challenge, where players compete to finish an obstacle course consisting of shooting, passing, and dribbling in the fastest time; theThree Point Contest, where players compete to score the highest number of three-point field goals in a given time; and theNBA Slam Dunk Contest, where players compete to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way according to the judges. These other attractions have varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights.
Shortly after the All-Star break is thetrade deadline, which is set to fall on the 16th Thursday of the season (usually in February) at 3 pmEastern Time.[173] After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time forgeneral managers.
Around the middle of April, the regular season ends.[163] It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary, league-wide, postseason teams. TheSixth Man of the Year Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started). TheRookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. TheMost Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. TheDefensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. TheCoach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. TheMost Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed the most valuable for (his team) that season. Additionally,Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized)Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise.
The postseason teams are theAll-NBA Team, theAll-Defensive Team, and theAll-Rookie Team; each consists of five players. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.[174][175]
The NBA playoffs begin in April after the conclusion of the regular season andplay-in tournament with the top eight teams in each conference,[163] regardless of divisional alignment, competing for the league's championship title, theLarry O'Brien Championship Trophy.Seeds are awarded in strict order of regular season record (with a tiebreaker system used as needed).
Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed begins the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed, having a higher seed typically means a team faces a weaker opponent in the first round. The team in each series with the better record has home-court advantage, including the First Round.
The league began using its current format, with the top eight teams in each conference advancing regardless of divisional alignment, in the 2015–16 season. Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners.[176]
The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays an opponent in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. All but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the first- and eighth-seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the second- and seventh-seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the third- and sixth-seeded teams. In every round, the best-of-7 series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 home-court pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. From 1985 to 2013, theNBA Finals followed a 2–3–2 pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 5.[177]
The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as theNBA Finals and is held annually in June (sometimes, the series will start in late May). The winner of the NBA Finals receives theLarry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards theBill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best performing player of the series.
As one of the major sports leagues in North America, the NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the United States. The NBA signed a contract withDuMont Television Network in its eighth season, the1953–54 season, marking the first year the NBA had a national television broadcaster.[180] Similar to theNational Football League, the lack of television stations led toNBC taking over the rights from the1954–55 season until April 1962–NBC's first tenure with the NBA.[181] The2025–26 season marks the first year of 11-year agreements with broadcast networksABC and NBC, pay television networkESPN, and streaming servicesPeacock andAmazon Prime Video to nationally televise games in the United States.[182] Games that are not broadcast nationally are usually aired overregional sports networks specific to the area where the teams are located.
The NBA has sporadically participated in international club competitions. The first international competition involving the NBA was a 1978 exhibition game inTel Aviv, Israel between theWashington Bullets and Israeli clubMaccabi Tel Aviv.[183] From 1987 to 1999 an NBA team played against championship club teams from Asia, Europe and South America in theMcDonald's Championship. This tournament was won by the NBA invitee every year it was held.[184]
Ticket prices and viewership demographics
In 2022, an average ticket cost $77.75.[185] Depending on the market and stage of the season—preseason, regular season, postseason—a ticket can range from $10 to $100,000.[a][186][187]
In 2020, ticket prices for theNBA All Star Game became more expensive than ever before, averaging around $2,600, and even more on the secondary market.[188]
Viewership demographics
According to Nielsen's survey, in 2013 the NBA had the youngest audience, with 45 percent of its viewers under 35. As of 2022[update], the league remains the least likely to be watched by women, who make up only 30% of the viewership.[189] As of 2014[update], 45 percent of its viewers wereblack, while 40 percent of viewers werewhite, making it the only top North American sport that does not have a white majority audience.[190]
As of 2017[update], the NBA's popularity further declined among white Americans, who during the 2016–17 season, made up only 34% of the viewership. At the same time, the black viewership increased to 47 percent, while Hispanic (of any race) stood at 11% and Asian viewership stood at 8%. According to the same poll, the NBA was favored more strongly byDemocrats thanRepublicans.[191]
Outside the U.S., the NBA's biggest international market is in China,[192][193] where an estimated 800 million viewers watched the2017–18 season.[194]NBA China is worth approximately $4 billion.[192][193]
Following pioneers likeVlade Divac (Serbia) andDražen Petrović (Croatia), who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. Below is a list of foreign players who have won NBA awards or have otherwise been recognized for their contributions to basketball, either currently or formerly active in the league:
Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Lithuania – 2014 inductee into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. First player from the Soviet Union and one of the first Europeans to sign a contract with an NBA club and to play solidly in the league, helping to lead the way for the internationalization of the league in the late 1990s.[203]
Tony Parker, France – four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs,2007 NBA Finals MVP, six-time NBA All-Star and 2007 Euroscar winner.
Manu Ginóbili, Argentina – four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, 2008 Sixth Man Award winner, two-time NBA All-Star, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors, Olympic gold medalist in2004 withArgentina.
Nikola Jokić, Serbia – NBA champion with theDenver Nuggets (2023),2023 NBA Finals MVP, three-time NBA MVP, six-time NBA All-Star, 2016 NBA All-Rookie First Team, Olympic silver medalist.
On some occasions, young players, most but not all from the English-speaking world, have attended American colleges before playing in the NBA. Notable examples are:
NigerianHakeem Olajuwon – first overall pick in the1984 NBA draft, two-time champion, 12-time NBA All-Star, 1994 NBA MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, two-timeNBA Defensive Player of the Year (only player to receive the MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP award in the same season,) and Hall of Famer.
CongoleseDikembe Mutombo – fourth overall pick in the1991 NBA draft, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer.
DutchmanRik Smits – second overall pick in the1988 NBA draft, 1998 NBA All-Star, played 12 years for the Indiana Pacers.
GermanDetlef Schrempf – two-time NBA Sixth Man Award winner, three-time NBA All-Star.
CamerooniansJoel Embiid (2023 NBA MVP, four-time NBA All-Star, 2017 NBA All-Rookie First Team) andPascal Siakam (2019 NBA champion with Toronto Raptors, 2019 Most Improved Player, two-time NBA All-Star)
The league has a global social responsibility program, NBA Cares, that is responsible for the league's stated mission of addressing important social issues worldwide.[207]
^ab"This Date in the NBA: June". National Basketball Association. RetrievedMarch 4, 2022.June 6, 1946–The National Basketball Association was founded at the Commodore Hotel in New York. Maurice Podoloff was the league's first president, a title later changed to commissioner.
^"NBA Directories"(PDF). National Basketball Association. October 17, 2019. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on October 26, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2022.
^Hoffman, Benjamin (March 27, 2016)."N.B.A.'s Eastern Conference Chips Away at West's Dominance".New York Times. RetrievedMay 12, 2024.…since Michael Jordan's second (of three) retirements, the West has truly dominated, winning 12 of 17 titles. It is an edge that becomes even more extreme when you realize the Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers have each won as many titles in that time as all Eastern Conference teams combined.
^Stern, David J.; Buchanan, Richard W. (May 19, 2005)."Testimony of David J. Stern, Commissioner, National Basketball Association and Richard W. Buchanan, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, National Basketball Association, Before the Committee on Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives"(PDF).oversight.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on January 18, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 17, 2021.The NBA has conducted almost 4,200 tests for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in the six seasons since these substances were banned by our drug program, and have had a total of 23 initial laboratory positives – approximately ½ of 1 percent. Of the 23 initial laboratory positives in the NBA's program, only three satisfied the additional criteria that must be met for a sample to be confirmed as "positive" under the NBA's drug program (i.e., a laboratory positive on the "B" sample conducted at a different laboratory, and review and confirmation by the Medical Review Officer). Several initial laboratory positives involved players that were terminated from employment prior to confirmation of their test results; others were found by the Medical Review Officer to be subject to a reasonable medical explanation. Each of the 3 players with a confirmed positive test result was immediately suspended. None of these players are currently playing in the NBA.
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