Starting with the 2023–24 season, the regular season includes an in-season tournament known as the NBA Cup, in which all games in the tournament (except for the final) count towards the regular season. Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece , 30 games,. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away. Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBA cities, both in the United States and overseas. The current league organization divides 30 teams into two 15-team conferences of three divisions with five teams each. In 2001, an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA G League, was created.
The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals and is held annually in June (sometimes, the series will start in late May). 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). The first preseason games were played on October 1, 2009, and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used, the first time replacement referees had been used since the beginning of the 1995–96 season. 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.
Women’s basketball
The 2023–24 NBA season saw the star-studded Boston Celtics (winning a championship over the Dallas Mavericks), after five conference finals appearances, and a finals appearance marking their 18th championship, their first since 2008. The 2022–23 season saw the Denver Nuggets (led by center Nikola Jokić), make the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance and defeat the Miami Heat in five games to win their first NBA championship. The 2019–20 season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. The Cavaliers and the Warriors faced each other in the Finals a record four consecutive times. After four seasons with the Miami Heat — LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2014–15 season. 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.
The objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw, as it rebounds from the hoop or backboard. A particularly bad shot (or one that only hits the backboard), is jocularly called a brick. This shot NHL over under betting requires the player to be in motion toward the basket, and to „lay“ the ball „up“ and into the basket, typically off the backboard (the backboard-free, underhand version is called a finger roll). For most teams today, the shooting guard and small forward have very similar responsibilities and are often called the wings, as do the power forward and center, who are often called post players. In FIBA and NCAA women’s basketball (a foul resulting in ejection is called a disqualifying foul), while in leagues other than the NBA, such a foul is referred to as flagrant. There is a second category of fouls called technical fouls, which may be charged for various rules violations including failure to properly record a player in the scorebook, or for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The basket is a steel rim 18 inches , 46 cm, diameter with an attached net affixed to a backboard that measures 6 by 3.5 feet (1.8 by 1.1 meters) and one basket is at each end of the court. The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or around the center circle. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment such as clocks (score sheets), scoreboards, alternating possession arrows, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems. The game is controlled by the officials consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA) — one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in the NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed.
Violations
Limits exist on the steps a player may take without dribbling, often leading to a violation referred to as traveling. Possession is forfeited by the last team that touches the ball before it goes out of bounds, as the ball must remain within the court. Players can advance the ball toward the basket by shooting (passing), dribbling, tapping, rolling, or throwing. When women compete, the official circumference for a basketball is 28.5 inches , 72 cm, and weighs 20 oz (570 g), also known as size 6 or the „285 ball. Although the court and backboard dimensions can vary, maintaining the correct height for the basket is crucial; even minor discrepancies can negatively impact shooting. The backboard features a white outlined box that stands 18 inches , 46 cm, tall and spans 2 feet (61 cm) in width.
LeBron James shouts out Bronny, USC medical staff in TIME 100 speech
In 1957 (Bill Russell), a rookie center, became a member of the Boston Celtics, which already included guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, ultimately leading the team to 11 NBA championships over thirteen seasons. During this era — the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, the NBA’s inaugural superstar, achieved five NBA championships, establishing the team’s legacy as the first dynasty in the league. Before the 1948–49 season, several NBL teams, including the Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Kautskys, Minneapolis Lakers, and Rochester Royals, were attracted by the BAA’s promise of playing in prominent venues like Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden. From October to April, the NBA’s regular season takes place, with teams each competing in 82 games. Basketball is commonly played in schools and colleges as an extracurricular — intramural, or amateur sport.
The NBA has featured many famous players, including; George „Big Man“ Mikan, ball-handling wizard Bob Cousy, defensive pro Bill Russell and the charismatic center, Wilt Chamberlain. There is currently no tournament to determine a national high school champion. Today virtually every high school in the United States fields a basketball team in varsity competition. Perhaps the most legendary of high school teams was Indiana’s Franklin Wonder Five, which took the nation by storm during the 1920s, dominating Indiana basketball and earning national recognition. In the days before widespread television coverage of professional and college sports, the popularity of high school basketball was unrivaled in many parts of America. McGill won 9–7 in overtime; the score was 7–7 at the end of regulation play — and a ten-minute overtime period settled the outcome.
Rules for gameplay
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%. As of 2014update, 45 percent of its viewers were black, while 40 percent of viewers were white, making it the only top North American sport that does not have a white majority audience. Depending on the market and stage of the season—preseason, regular season, postseason—a ticket can range from $10 to $100,000.a 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.
Surging popularity and Bulls‘ dynasty (1979–
A widely played variation of basketball is the half-court game, typically occurring in informal settings without strict rules or referees. Players occupying the power forward or center positions tend to achieve more blocks than shorter players in guard roles. According to international regulations, blocking a shot that is descending or has contacted the backboard is prohibited until it strikes the rim. An adept player can dribble while not directly observing the ball, relying on peripheral vision and the dribbling motion to monitor its position. This technique (known as a crossover), serves as the most effective method for bypassing defenders while dribbling. Proficient ball handlers often employ dribbling techniques such as behind-the-back moves and sudden direction changes, creating a less predictable and more challenging pattern for defenders to counter.
A referee lockout commenced on September 1, 2009, coinciding with the expiration of the contract between the NBA and its referees. Following a legal dispute (the Seattle city government reached an agreement with the SuperSonics‘ ownership group on July 2), 2008, facilitating the team’s move to Oklahoma City in return for dissolving the last two seasons of their lease at KeyArena. The SuperSonics faced a delay in relocation until they resolved a lawsuit from the city of Seattle, which aimed to ensure the team’s presence in the city for the remaining two years of the KeyArena lease.