Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association holds fifteen teams as of the 2025, 26 season. These franchises split into three distinct groups called divisions.
This specific layout took shape at the start of the 2004, 05 season. That year marked the entry of the Charlotte Bobcats as the league's thirty-first franchise and forced a major reshuffle of existing team alignments.
In the 2021, 22 season, officials renamed the award to the Bob Cousy Trophy. Hall of Famer Bob Cousy received this honor posthumously after the league first awarded an Eastern Conference championship trophy during the 2000, 01 season.
Boston Celtics hold eleven championships won by any Eastern Conference team. Their last title came in 2024.
The 1997, 98 season saw the Chicago Bulls finish with a 62, 20 record. They defeated the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals four games to two before improving to 69, 13 the following year and repeating as champions.