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The ABA
In the beginning there was an NBA and an ABA,both very popular among basketball fans.The thing that set the two apart was the style of the game as well as the players. -
Style of Play
The ABA was more rougher,more gritty than the NBA.It had more flash than fundamental,it was more about being the better player rather than the better team. -
The Difference of Play
The ABA rules were quite different from the NBA's rules,one being that there was a 30 second shot clock (only 24 seconds in the NBA).They used a three-point field goal arc,the basketballs were red,white,and blue as oppose to the NBA's traditional orange ball. -
ABA-NBA Merger
The freewheeling style of the ABA caught on to fans but sadly lack of national television contract and protracted finacial losses would spell doom for the ABA as an independent circuit.In the last year of the ABA's existence,they pioneered the now-popular slam dunk contest at its all-star game in Denver. -
The NBA
The NBA added the three-point line to open up the game,that same rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were inducted into the NBA and would later become two of the most popular players in the league. -
NBA Early 80's
The NBA decided to add more expansion by adding the Dallas Mavericks to the rosters and bringing the total teams to 23.Later on Larry Bird won the first three-point shooting contest.David Stern took commissioner on April 1,1984.Also the leagues most popular player got drafted that same year,Michael Jordan. -
International Influence
The NBA has inducted many international players from all over the world.Perhaps the biggest names are Dirk Nowitzki,Manu Ginóbili,Leandro Barbosa,Tony Parker,Pau Gasol,Hakeem Olajuwon,and Yao Ming.There are tons more in the league and many more to come. -
NBA Late 80's
As the NBA's popularity increased more and more cities wanted teams of their own,so finally four cities got their wishes as the NBA added the Charlotte Hornets,Miami Heat,Orlando Magic,and the Minnesota Timberwolves bringing the NBA's total teams to 27. -
NBA Exciting 90's
In the first years of the 90's,the Detroit Pistons would win back to back NBA Titles.The Houston Rockets would win back to back titles in '94 and '95,but the biggest part about the 90's was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls three-peat from '91-'93 and '96-'98. -
The Dream Team
In 1992,the NBA players were able to play in the Olympics for the first time.Before only college players were able to go and play but that all changed after 1992.The Dream Team is perhaps the greatest team put together in sports history.It consisted of the NBA's greatest players who won the gold medal for the US and all of the NBA Dream Team players are Hall of Famers. -
NBA Expansion
The decided to expand its horizon so they went to Canada and added the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies to the NBA.Unfortunatley though,in 2001 the Vancouver Grizzlies became the Memphis Grizzlies. -
Creation of the WNBA
The came to a conclusion that basketball isn't just a man sport,that it is for all genders that love the sport.So in 1996,the NBA created the WNBA to give women in college who play basketball a place to go as oppose to just playing basketball to play basketball. -
Modern Era NBA
The Spurs reclaimed the title in '03.In '04 the Lakers returned to the NBA Finals only to lose to the Detriot Pistons.Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat to the Finals in '06 and won and became the finals MVP.In 2008,the Celtics-Lakers rivarly continued and ended with tthe Celtics winning their 17th NBA title.2009 ended with the Lakers defeating the Orlando Magic.2012 ended with the Miami Heat winning their second NBA Championship and Lebron James as the finals MVP. -
Other Developments
The NBA created the NBA Development League (or D-League). -
Another Expansion
In 2004, two years after the Hornets' relocation to New Orleans, the NBA returned to North Carolina as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed as an expansion team. -
NBA Time Zones
Reflecting the population distribution of the United States and Canada as a whole, most teams are in the eastern half of the country: thirteen teams are in the Eastern Time Zone, nine in the Central Time Zone, five in the Pacific, and three in the Mountain Time Zone. -
The New Orleans Hornets move
In 2005, the Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons because of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, the Hornets returned to New Orleans. -
NBA Game Ball
On June 28, 2006, a new official game ball was introduced for the 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second ball in 60 seasons.[22] Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet. -
No more Seattle SuperSonics
On July 2, 2008, it was announced that the Seattle SuperSonics would relocate to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder began playing in the 2008–09 season. -
First Outdoor Game
On October 11, 2008, the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets played the first outdoor game in the modern era of the NBA at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. -
Referee Lockout
On September 1, 2009, the contract between the NBA and its referees expired, creating a referee lockout. On October 1, 2009, the first preseason games were played and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used. The last time replacement referees were used was the beginning of the 1995–96 season.[30] The NBA and the regular referees reached a deal on October 23, 2009. -
NBA European Game
In 2011, the first official NBA league games on European ground took place. In two matchups, the New Jersey Nets faced the Toronto Raptors in London's O2 Arena in front of over 20,000 fans. -
NBA Layoffs
In July 2011, the NBA laid off around 114 league employees (about 11 percent of all the league office workforce) to save money. -
2011-2012 Lockout
The 2011–12 NBA season, scheduled to begin November 1, 2011 with a matchup between the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls, was postponed due to a labor dispute. The lockout officially ended on December 8, 2011, when players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, and the season began on Christmas Day. -
Brooklyn Nets
On April 30, 2012, the New Jersey Nets officially changed their name to the Brooklyn Nets. They began playing in the New York City borough of Brooklyn in the 2012–13 season. -
Flopping Rule
In October 2012, the NBA announced that it would begin fining players for flopping. -
Presidents and Commissioner
The NBA has had 4 different presidents and commissioners from 1946 to 1984.David Stern being the present day NBA Commissioner. -
NBA Time Zones
Reflecting the population distribution of the United States and Canada as a whole, most teams are in the eastern half of the country: thirteen teams are in the Eastern Time Zone, nine in the Central Time Zone, five in the Pacific, and three in the Mountain Time Zone. -
NBA Teams
The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations currently consists of 30 teams.The US is home to 29 teams and Canada consists of one team. -
NBA Playoffs
NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference going for the Championship. The three division winners, along with the team with the next best record from the conference are given the top four seeds. The next four teams in terms of record are given the lower four seeds.The higher the seed the better advantage you have.
