The National Basketball Association, the world’s most storied and famous professional basketball league, was founded on November 1, 1946. The league was founded by the owners of the major pro basketball leagues in the country at the time, the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. Both leagues had been established in their respective regions before World War II, but both were eventually forced to disband.
The NBA was then divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. The league initially consisted of only eight teams, but by the late 1950s, it had expanded to twenty-two teams. Over the next several decades, the league grew in size and popularity, and by the 1980s, it had become the most popular professional sports league in the United States. Currently, the NBA has 30 teams.
The NBA Draft
The history of the NBA draft is, in some ways, as fascinating as the league itself. The draft is a process used to determine the best players in the league, and the thirty teams are required to select players from a set list to build their rosters for the upcoming season.
Over the years, the draft has evolved into one of the most prestigious events in professional sports, with players, analysts, and fans paying close attention. The draft has even become a platform for players to showcase their abilities in front of a large audience, with famous players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry having made their names in the draft.
Top Players Over the Years
Throughout the league’s history, the best players have come from all over the world, with international stars like Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol making their names in the league. The best players of the modern era have included superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, who have made an immediate impact on their teams.
NBA players of today are pushing the game to new heights, with superstars like James Harden and Russell Westbrook redefining the game of basketball for the next generation. It is only expected that the NBA will continue to grow and become even better than it already is.