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Founding
The NBA was founded on June 6th, 1946 when two rival leagues, the BAA and the NBL, merged and created a larger attraction for basketball fans. -
First Finals
the first NBA finals was held in the 1950 season and was played between the Minneapolis Lakers and the Syracuse Nationals. The Lakers wnet on to win this chamionship and 4 more in the next 5 years. -
Creation of the shot clock
During the 1954-55 season, the NBA had lost fans and therefore revenue. To regain their fanbase, the NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock to help speed up play and create a more fast-paced and exciting game for fans to watch. -
The Biggest Shoe Deals
As you may have guessed, the most lucrative shoe deal in the NBA goes to LeBron James who had a 7-year, 90 million dollar deal with Nike before he graduated highschool. Derrick Rose is the second highest paid with a 13-year, 185 million dollar contract with Adidas. -
Official Ball
In December of 2004, the NBA extended its deal with Spalding with an eight year, 125 million dollar contract to keep Spalding as the offical ball of the NBA. -
Adidas
During April of 2006, the NBA signed a merchandise deal with Adidas. The deal was an eleven-year, 400 million dollar deal that allowed Adidas to make the official uniform and apparel supplier of the NBA. -
Extension of Deals
In June of 2007 ESPN, TNT, and ABC each extended their deals with the NBA for another eight years. The deal was an eight year, 7.5 billion dollar deal set to expire at the end of the 2015-2016 season. -
Current NBA
On October 30th, 2007, the Oklahoma City Thunder played its first game as the newest team in the NBA. Coming from the Seattle Supersonics, the Thunder was the last team to be added to the 30 team list that the NBA possessed.
