The National Basketball Association, popularly known as the NBA, was founded in 1946. It is a professional basketball league that consists of 30 teams. These teams are located in the United States and Canada.
The NBA is included in the four major professional sports leagues in North America. This major league was founded more than fifty years ago and continues to be among the most prominent in North America. Looking back, it’s fascinating to see how this once small basketball league turned out to be a billion-dollar association.
If you’re a huge basketball fan and want to learn more about the history of the NBA, keep reading. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the brief history of the NBA, as well as the first eleven teams to join and play in the league.
The Original Eleven Teams in NBA
The National Basketball Association, popularly known as NBA, was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
The league originally consisted of eleven teams, all of which were located in major cities on both the Eastern and Western divisions. The original franchises include New York, Philadelphia, Providence, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago, and St. Louis.
- New York Knicks: Among the most iconic teams in the NBA, the Knicks were one of the original eleven franchises. The team is based in New York City and has won two championships since its inception.
- Boston Celtics: Another historic franchise, the Celtics are one of the most successful teams in NBA history. They’ve won a record seventeen championships and have been led by some of the greatest players to ever play basketball, including Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Kevin Garnett.
- Philadelphia Warriors: The Warriors are currently based in Oakland but were originally from Philadelphia. They’re one of the original eleven franchises and have won two championships, with their most recent coming in 1975.
- Detroit Falcons: The Pistons are a charter member of the NBA and one of the original eleven teams. They’re based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and have won three championships, most recently in 2004.
- Chicago Stags: The Stags were one of the original eleven franchises but only played for three seasons before folding. They were based in Chicago and never won a championship.
- St. Louis Bombers: The Hawks are currently based in Atlanta but were originally from St. Louis. They’re one of the original eleven franchises and have won four championships, most recently in 1958.
- Washington Capitols: The Wizards are currently based in Washington D.C. but were originally from Chicago. They’re one of the original eleven franchises and have never won a championship.
- Cleveland Rebels: The Cleveland Rebels were a professional basketball team that played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) from 1946 to 1949. They were one of the original eleven teams in the league and were based in Cleveland, Ohio. Unfortunately, the team never won a championship and disbanded in 1949.
- Toronto Huskies: The Toronto Huskies were one of the original eleven teams to join the NBA when it was founded in 1946. The team was based in Toronto, Canada, and played for two seasons before folding.
- Providence Steamrollers: The Steamrollers were one of the original eleven franchises but only played for two seasons before folding. They were based in Providence, Rhode Island.
- Pittsburgh Ironmen: The Pittsburgh Ironmen were one of the original eleven teams to join the NBA when it was founded in 1946. The team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and played for three seasons before folding. Unfortunately, the team never won a championship and disbanded in 1949.
The inaugural season saw moderate success, with strong fan support in all markets. The NBA would slowly expand over the next few decades, eventually becoming the global phenomenon it is today.
The Evolution of NBA Over the Years
The NBA is a professional men’s basketball league in North America. It’s one of the four major North American sports leagues, and it is the premier men’s basketball league in the world.
This league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and it coined its current name in 1949 after merging with the NBL or National Basketball League. The NBA consists of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and one in Canada.
The league’s regular-season runs from October to April, and each team plays 82 games. The NBA Finals, which pits the league’s champion against the runner-up from the Eastern Conference or Western Conference, takes place in June.
The NBA has grown significantly over the years, both in terms of popularity and profitability, and it is now broadcast in 215 countries and territories around the world.
The NBA has also been successful in attracting some of the world’s best players, many of whom have gone on to become global superstars. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant are just a few of the household names that have helped to make the NBA one of the most popular leagues in the world.
Top NBA Teams of All Time
The NBA has been around for over half a century, and in that time, there have been some truly dominant teams.
The Boston Celtics of the 1950s and 60s, led by Bill Russell, are widely considered to be the greatest team of all time.
The Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, featuring Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also put up some legendary performances.
More recently, the Golden State Warriors have established themselves as one of the top teams in NBA history, thanks in large part to their unparalleled shooting ability.
Whatever the era, though, there have always been a few teams that stand out above the rest.
Final Thoughts
The NBA has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1946. What started as a small league with just eleven teams has grown into a global phenomenon, featuring some of the best athletes in the world. The future looks bright for the NBA, and fans can be sure that there will be many more great moments to come.