National Basketball Association
On the 1st of November 1946, the first professional basketball game in what would become the NBA took place inside Maple Leaf Gardens. The venue sat in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, hosting a matchup between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers. Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers made the very first basket recorded in league history. This event marked the beginning of the Basketball Association of America, founded earlier that year by owners of major ice hockey arenas across the Northeastern United States and Canada. The BAA aimed to play primarily in large arenas within major cities, distinguishing itself from earlier leagues like the American Basketball League or the National Basketball League. During its early years, the quality of play did not significantly exceed that of competing leagues or independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. The 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title. The 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers also won the 1949 BAA title.
In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, which already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach. Russell went on to lead the franchise to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s. He set new single-game records in scoring at one hundred points and rebounding at fifty-five rebounds. Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics, who won eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966. This championship streak remains the longest in the history of American professional sports. They did not win the title in 1966, 67 but regained it in the 1967, 68 season and repeated in 1969. The domination totaled nine of the ten championship banners of the 1960s. Later dynasties emerged with Michael Jordan leading the Chicago Bulls to six championships during the 1991, 1998 seasons. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers.
On the 1st of February 1984, David Stern became commissioner of the NBA after serving as deputy to Larry O'Brien. Stern played a major role in the growth of the league during his thirty-year tenure before retiring on the 1st of February 2014. He was succeeded by Adam Silver, who has led the league since then. In 1998, NBA owners began a lockout that suspended all league business until a new labor agreement could be reached. This resulted in the season being shortened to fifty games. Another lockout began at the start of the 2011, 12 season, canceling the first few weeks of play. Players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on the 8th of December 2011, setting up a shortened sixty-six-game season. A referee lockout started on the 1st of September 2009, when the contract between the NBA and its referees expired. Replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used for the first time since the beginning of the 1995, 96 season. The league and regular referees reached a deal on the 23rd of October 2009.
In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. The league's biggest international market is China, where an estimated eight hundred million viewers watched the 2017, 18 season. NBA China is worth approximately four billion dollars. On the 9th of November 2007, over two hundred million people in China watched a game featuring Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian across nineteen different networks. This became the most-viewed game in NBA history. The first regular season NBA league games in Europe took place in 2011 at the O2 Arena in London. Over twenty thousand fans attended matchups between the New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors. On the 10th of March 2025, the NBA announced that the New Orleans Pelicans would play two preseason games at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne as part of the NBA x NBL: Melbourne Series. In 2024, the league hosted two preseason games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, marking its third annual trip to the country.
The NBA signed a contract with DuMont Television Network in its eighth season, the 1953, 54 season, marking the first year the league had a national television broadcaster. NBC took over the rights from the 1954, 55 season until April 1962. The 2025, 26 season marks the first year of eleven-year agreements with broadcast networks ABC and NBC, pay television network ESPN, and streaming services Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. Games not broadcast nationally are usually aired over regional sports networks specific to the area where teams are located. In 2022, an average ticket cost seventy-seven dollars and seventy-five cents. Depending on the market and stage of the season, a ticket can range from ten dollars to one hundred thousand dollars. The NBA is the second-wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue after the National Football League. NBA players are the world's highest paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the first professional basketball game in what would become the NBA take place?
The first professional basketball game in what would become the NBA took place on the 1st of November 1946 inside Maple Leaf Gardens. This event marked the beginning of the Basketball Association of America, which was founded earlier that year by owners of major ice hockey arenas across the Northeastern United States and Canada.
Who won eleven NBA titles with the Boston Celtics during the 1950s and 1960s?
Rookie center Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons starting from 1957. The franchise also featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach during this dominant period.
When did David Stern serve as commissioner of the National Basketball Association?
David Stern became commissioner of the NBA on the 1st of February 1984 after serving as deputy to Larry O'Brien. He served a thirty-year tenure before retiring on the 1st of February 2014 and was succeeded by Adam Silver.
Which cities hosted the first regular season NBA games outside North America?
The first regular season NBA league games in Europe took place in 2011 at the O2 Arena in London. The league announced on the 10th of March 2025 that it would play two preseason games at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne as part of the NBA x NBL: Melbourne Series.
What were the television broadcasting rights for the National Basketball Association during the 1953, 54 season?
The NBA signed a contract with DuMont Television Network in its eighth season, the 1953, 54 season, marking the first year the league had a national television broadcaster. NBC took over the rights from the 1954, 55 season until April 1962.