What is the NBA?
The NBA, or National Basketball Association, is the top professional basketball league in North America. It has 30 teams, 29 in the United States and one in Canada.
The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America and became the NBA in 1949 after merging with a rival league. Teams are split into the Eastern and Western Conferences. Each team plays 82 regular-season games, followed by playoffs, and the season ends with the NBA Finals in June.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are the most successful franchises, with 18 championships for the Celtics and 17 for the Lakers. Legendary players include Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
A global league
The NBA has become one of the world's most popular leagues, with fans everywhere and many international stars, such as Nikola Jokić from Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece and Victor Wembanyama from France. The Toronto Raptors are the only Canadian team. The New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA title, their first since 1973.
Did You Know?
LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer in 2023, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing record.