NBA: A HISTORY
For those who don’t know, the National Basketball Association (affectionately known as the “NBA”), is a men’s basketball league consisting of thirty teams. Twenty nine of them are from the United States of America, and one is from Canada. The NBA is one
of four major sports leagues in North America (the other three are the MLB, NHL and NFL). The truth is, many people have heard about the NBA, but most of them do not know, or do not care about the league’s history. Well read on and get educated, since Basketball
has now become one of the most played sports in the world.
The National Basketball Association was organized in 1946, in the city of New York under the name of the “Basketball Association of America” (BAA). The name we know and use now-a-days, was adopted in 1949, when the BAA merged with another league called
the “National Basketball League” (NBL). The NBA league was formed by owners of major hockey arenas in Northeastern and Northwestern America, and in Canada. In fact, the very first game of basketball to be played by the NBA was in Toronto, Canada in the Maple
Leafs Garden Arena.
During the 50’s, the NBA had seventeen franchises under its name. But at around 1953-4, the number of franchises dwindled down to eight. All of which are still in the NBA today. These franchises include teams such as the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles
Lakers. During this era, the league brought in the “shot clock” to encourage shooting. If the team could not shoot the ball in twenty four seconds, the play is stopped and the ball is given to the opposing team. During the 70’s, the NBA league experienced
a sudden growth spurt. It expanded from the eight franchises that it was, to eighteen franchises. After the 1976 season, this number increased to twenty two different franchises. Every city wanted to have a team in the NBA. Some of the biggest stars in basketball
history are from this era. Players such as Kareem Abdul Jabaar and Dan Issel graced the basketball field with their awesome presence. During the 80’s the three point field goal was introduced. This was also the time when Magic Johnson joined Boston’s team.
The 1990’s perhaps was NBA’s most memorable moments when the unforgettable Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls. Along with Jordan came thousands of his fans, which caused the popularity of the NBA to increase. He also led the Bulls through six victories
along with his team mate Scottie Pippins. During 1995, the NBA added two new teams from Canada. They were the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. The Grizzlies were relocated to Memphis, leaving the Raptors the only Canadian team in the league. In
1996, the NBA created a league specifically for women, called the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). During 1998, the NBA owners decided to begin their lockout. This lockout started in June 1998, and lasted 191 days. This lockout forced the 1998-1999
games to be shorted to 50 games per team. The lockout was the cause of a payment dispute between the owners and the players who were receiving the minimum salaries of the league. However the lockout ended in January, after 204 days. This lockout caused television
ratings and ticket sales to decline drastically. Slowly yet steadily, the NBA rebuilt its popularity and its ratings and became what it is today.
The NBA is filled with history. In fact, it is PART of history whether you are American, Chinese, or African. It is an important part of human culture and possibly one of the most played sports in the world, maybe even rivaling soccer. Thus it is important
to know the history of his league, where it came from, who started it, etc. Basketball might actually be one of the best things to have been invented in America. Hats off to the pioneers of this sport.
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