When Did the NBA Begin?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world’s premier professional basketball league. It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).

The Early Days

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in North America, and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. It was founded on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The NBA originally started with 11 teams, and through a series of expansions and mergers, has grown to 30 teams.

The first game

On November 1, 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BBA) was founded in New York City. The first game was played on January 6, 1947, between the New York Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The Knicks won the game 68-66.

The first season

The first season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) was held in 1946–47, after a merger between the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The season ended with the Philadelphia Warriors winning the inaugural NBA Championship, beating the Chicago Stags four games to one. Six teams from the Eastern and Western Division playoffs competed in the two-round finals: three each from the East and West. Regular season attendance for this inaugural season averaged 3,500 people per game.

The Modern Era

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded on June 6, 1946, and originally known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league began with 11 teams, and through a series of expansions, mergers and relocations, has grown to 30 teams as of the 2013-14 season. The NBA has used the same schedule format since its inaugural season in 1946-47, with each team playing 82 games.

The ABA

The ABA was a professional basketball league that operated from 1967 to 1976. The ABA was the first major competing basketball league to the NBA. The ABA competed with the NBA for players, fans, and credibility. The two leagues merged in 1976, with four ABA teams joining the NBA.

The NBA-ABA merger

In the summer of 1976, the NBA and ABA finally agreed to merge. The NBA absorbed four ABA teams — the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers and New York Nets — which increased the league’s size to 22. The ABA also brought with it a more flamboyant style of play, which helped increase attendance and TV ratings. This was most evident with the arrival of Julius Erving, who became one of the NBA’s first superstars.

The present day

The origins of the National Basketball Association (NBA) can be traced back to the birth of the sport of basketball itself. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a physical education teacher at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith was looking for a way to keep his students occupied during the long New England winters, and he came up with the game of basketball as a solution.

The NBA today

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the preeminent men’s professional basketball league in North America,and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. It has 30 franchised member clubs (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), and is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[1] which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which also includes Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL).

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[2][3] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with its rival National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA charges a maximum ticket price of US$2,500 per game ($320 for preseason games) as of 2018–19,[4] making it one of the most expensive sports leagues in the world. The NBA also has high merchandise sales: about US$3.4 billion according toNBAStore.com sales ranking NBA Store as number two among all major professional sports leagues in terms of revenue.[5]

In 2019, Forbes estimated that each NBA franchise was worth $1.9 billion on average.[6] This figure was up from $1.4 billion just four years earlier.[7][8][9] In 2018, Bloomberg estimated that an NBA franchise generate an average annual revenue of $95 million.[10] In 201718 season, total league revenues reached a record $8 billion,[11][12][13] 54% higher than its previous $5.2 billion high reached during the 201617 season.[14]