Why Is There 76 Players In the NBA and Not 75?

We all know that there are 30 teams in the NBA, each with five players on the active roster. So why is there 76 players in the NBA and not 75? The answer is twofold. First, each team is allowed to have up to two players on the inactive list at any given time. Secondly, players who are signed to a two-way contract are considered NBA players, even though they spend the majority of their time in the G League.

The NBA’s Beginnings

The National Basketball Association, or NBA, was founded in 1946. At that time, there were 17 teams in the league. In 1949, the league expanded to 21 teams with the addition of four more teams. Three years later, in 1952, the NBA once again expanded; this time adding three more teams for a total of 24 teams.

The league remained at 24 teams until 1967 when it doubled in size to 48 teams with the addition of 24 ABA (American Basketball Association) franchises. In 1976, the NBA and ABA merged; at that time there were 22 NBA teams and 14 ABA teams. The NBA then absorbed nine of the 14 ABA franchises: San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, New York Nets, San Diego Conquistadors (later became the Cleveland Cavaliers), Kentucky Colonels (disbanded), Spirits of St. Louis (disbanded), Virginia Squires (disbanded) and Indiana Fever (became an WNBA team).

That brought the number of active NBA franchises to 31 for the 1976-1977 season. But one more franchise needed to be added to get to an even 32: The Seattle SuperSonics were admitted to the league on January 20th, 1977; giving us the 30-team league we have today.

The ABA and the Merger

The ABA was a professional basketball league that was founded in 1967. The ABA had many differences from the NBA, most notably the use of a three-point line. The ABA was also known for its flashy style of play and for signing players that the NBA had overlooked, such as Julius Erving.

In 1976, the ABA and the NBA merged, with four ABA teams joining the NBA. As part of the merger agreement, each team was allowed to keep two players from their ABA roster. This resulted in an influx of talent into the NBA, and also increased the size of rosters from 12 to 13 players.

Why the NBA Chose to Keep the 76ers

In 1967, the NBA expanded from 10 to 12 teams with the addition of the San Diego Rockets (now the Houston Rockets) and the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder). At that time, each team was allowed to carry 12 players on its roster. But two years later, when the league added two more teams in 1970 (the Milwaukee Bucks and the Buffalo Braves, now the Los Angeles Clippers), it stuck with 12 players per team instead of increasing it to 14. That’s why there are currently 76ers in the NBA.

The NBA Today

The NBA today is made up of 30 teams. Each team has a maximum of 15 players on its roster. That means that, at any given time, there are 450 active NBA players. So, why is there 76 players in the NBA and not 75?

The answer is simple: There are always a few players who are injured and cannot play. These players are still considered a part of the team, even though they cannot play. As a result, they still count towards the 15-player roster limit.

In addition, each team has what is called a “dispersal draft”. This is a draft that takes place when a team folds or joins the league. The dispersal draft allows players from the folding team to be drafted by other teams. This helps to keep the number of active NBA players at around 450.

So, while there may only be 450 active NBA players at any given time, there are usually around 76 players in the NBA. This is because there are always a few players who are injured and cannot play, as well as a few players who are drafted but have not yet joined their new team.