nBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men's basketball league and the premier level of competition in the sport in North America. It features 30 teams—29 in the United States and one in Canada (the Toronto Raptors). The NBA traces its origins to 1946, when it was founded as the Basketball Association of America (BAA); it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to form the NBA. Since then the league has expanded through multiple waves of growth and is now a global sports property.

The league is organized into two conferences, Eastern and Western, each comprising several divisions. The regular season consists of 82 games per team, typically played from October to April. The playoffs include the league’s top 16 teams, who compete in best-of-seven series across four rounds, with the NBA Finals determining the league champion. The champion receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

Governing and business aspects include a salary cap, collective bargaining with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), and a central draft that introduces new players from universities and international leagues. The Commissioner, as of now Adam Silver, oversees league operations.

Awards recognize individual excellence, including Most Valuable Player (MVP), Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Coach of the Year. The NBA also runs the NBA G League as its official developmental league. The league has a broad global footprint with international players and media rights extending worldwide, contributing to its popularity beyond North America.