Guide to the NBA

✧ The NBA (National Basketball Association) is a men's basketball league based in America. It's considered to be the greatest basketball league in the world and is also one of the four major professional sports leagues in the USA (alongside the NFL, MLB and NHL). It was founded in New York City on June 6, 1942, as the Basketball Association of America, before the name was changed to the NBA after it merged with the National Basketball League.

✧ There are thirty teams in the NBA–these are divided into two conferences (the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, or the East and the West). The conferences are then divided into six divisions, each containing five teams. The league's structure is:

Eastern Conference
Atlantic -> click for a list of teams

Central -> click for a list of teams

Southeast -> click for a list of teams

Western Conference
Northwest -> click for a list of teams

Southwest -> click for a list of teams

Pacific -> click for a list of teams

Division standings at the end of the regular season can dictate what happens in the NBA playoffs. Read our guide to the NBA Playoffs for more!

✧ After the offseason, teams start training camps in late September, where coaching staff evaluate players (as well as rookies chosen in the NBA draft). Teams are allowed to assign players with less than 2 years experience to the NBA G-League, which is the NBA's "baby brother".

After training camps, teams play in exhibition games - they can be held overseas, as well as in the USA. There is also the NBA Summer League which takes place during the offseason.

In the regular season, each team plays 82 games (41 home and 41 away). Each team plays the other teams in its own division 4 times a year (16 games), and it plays six of the teams from the other divisions (but in the same conference) four times (24 games). As for the remaining four teams in its own conference, they play them three times (12 games). Finally, each team plays every team in the other conference twice (30 games).

The NBA is the only league that regularly schedules games on Christmas Day, and Christmas games feature some of the best NBA teams and players.

✧ In the NBA, a player can win these awards:

Most Valuable Player -> click to find out more

Most Improved Player -> click to find out more

Sixth Man of the Year -> click to find out more

Rookie of the Year -> click to find out more

Defensive Player of the Year -> click to find out more

Coaches can also win the Coach of the Year award.

In the post-season, a player can be added to the All-NBA Team, the All-Defensive Team, and the All-Rookie team. There are 3 All-NBA teams, 2 All-Defensive teams and two All-Rookie teams. Each All-NBA team consists of the top five players at each position, the All-Defensive teams consist of the top five defenders at each position, but the All-Rookie teams consist of the top first-year players regardless of their position (this means the first-status All-Rookie team could have 3 point guards, 2 shooting guards and 1 power forward).

A player can also have his jersey retired at his team once he retires from the league; this means that no other player can use his jersey number. Players can also be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame once they retire. Players in this prestigious list include Kareem Abul-Jabbar, Ray Allen and Chauncey Billups.

✧ The chief executive, or Commissioner of the NBA, is Adam Silver. He began his role from 2014.

✧ Here on Genius, there's a ton of information that you can find on the NBA. You can find draft results, team rosters and more! Use the Sports Genius Basketball page to find more basketball-related pages!

✧ Use this section to find any terms you're unsure of.

All-NBA Team
All-Defensive Team
All-Rookie Team
MVP
Post-season
Regular season