The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a basketball federation in North America. The league is organized 30 teams as 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. It is the premier men’s skilled basketball association in the world.
The NFL league was established in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA’s regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league’s playoff tournament extends into June. As of 2020, NBA players are the world’s best-paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States. The league’s several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices in Midtown Manhattan, while its NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.
NBA Teams
The National Basketball Association started in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions and relocations currently consist of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams; another is in Canada.
Championships
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have won the most championships with each having 17 NBA Finals wins. The third most successful franchise is the Golden State Warriors, who have six overall championships (2 in Philadelphia, 4 in Oakland). Following the Warriors are the Chicago Bulls with six championships and the San Antonio Spurs with five championships, all since 1999.
| Teams | Win | Loss | Total | Match Won Year(s) | Runner-up Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers | 17 | 15 | 32 | 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020 | 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008 |
| Boston Celtics | 17 | 4 | 21 | 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008 | 1958, 1985, 1987, 2010 |
| Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors | 6 | 5 | 11 | 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018 | 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, 2019 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 | — |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 | 2013 |
| Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1955, 1967, 1983 | 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001 |
| Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1989, 1990, 2004 | 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005 |
| Miami Heat | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2006, 2012, 2013 | 2011, 2014, 2020 |
| New York Knicks | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1970, 1973 | 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999 |
| Houston Rockets | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1994, 1995 | 1981, 1986 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2016 | 2007, 2015, 2017, 2018 |
| St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1958 | 1957, 1960, 1961 |
| Baltimore/Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards) | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1978 | 1971, 1975, 1979 |
| Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1979 | 1978, 1996, 2012 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1977 | 1990, 1992 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1971 | 1974 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2011 | 2006 |
| Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1948 | — |
| Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1951 | — |
| Toronto Raptors | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2019 | — |
| Phoenix Suns | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 1976, 1993 |
| Utah Jazz (formerly New Orleans Jazz) | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 1997, 1998 |
| New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 2002, 2003 |
| Orlando Magic | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 1995, 2009 |
| Chicago Stags (folded in 1950) | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1947 |
| Washington Capitols (folded in 1951) | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1949 |
| Indiana Pacers | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2000 |