Michael Jordan
NBA legend Michael Jordan.
National Basketball Association
American sports organization
Also known as: NBA
Quick Facts
- Date:
- 1949 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- basketball
- professionalism
News •
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder beat the rested Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of West finals
• May 21, 2025, 12:24 AM ET (AP)
Knicks and Pacers set for Round 9 in their playoff rivalry, with the winner going to the NBA Finals
• May 20, 2025, 2:15 PM ET (AP)
Inside the NBA playoff numbers: Some rare matchups await, and some milestones loom
• May 20, 2025, 6:00 AM ET (AP)
Pacers-Knicks renew a rivalry with memorable moments involving Reggie Miller, Spike Lee and others
• May 19, 2025, 3:04 PM ET (AP)
The NBA's final 4 is set: Thunder, Knicks, Wolves and Pacers remain, and parity reigns again
• May 19, 2025, 9:25 AM ET (AP)
National Basketball Association (NBA), professional basketball league formed in the United States in 1949 by the merger of two rival organizations, the National Basketball League (founded 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (founded 1946). In 1976 the NBA absorbed four teams from the American Basketball Association (ABA), which disbanded that year.
(Read James Naismith’s 1929 Britannica essay on his invention of basketball.)
League growth and membership
By the early 1980s the NBA was plagued by money-losing franchises, low attendance, declining television ratings, and limited national appeal. The league soon rebounded under the leadership of David Stern, NBA commissioner from 1984, who helped transform it into an international entertainment company. Aggressive marketing highlighted star players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and, especially, Michael Jordan. Other innovations included league limits on player salaries, lucrative broadcast rights for network and cable television, and expanded All-Star Game festivities.
Britannica Quiz
Great Moments in Sports Quiz
The NBA membership is divided into two conferences, each with three divisions. There are 30 teams, aligned as follows:
Eastern Conference- Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors
- Central Division: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks
- Southwest Division: Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs
- Northwest Division: Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz
- Pacific Division: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings
The top-ranking teams at the end of each season engage in a playoff to determine the NBA champion, which claims the title of world champion. Probably the most dominant team in NBA history was the Boston Celtics, which, led by center Bill Russell, won 11 of 13 titles from 1956–57 to 1968–69; however, the league in those years contained only 8 to 14 teams, and team owners widely avoided signing African American players at the time. Other outstanding clubs were the Minneapolis (later Los Angeles) Lakers in the 1950s, the Los Angeles Lakers in the ’80s, and the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s.
NBA championship
Winners of the National Basketball Association championship are provided in the table.
| season | winner | runner-up | results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Stags | 4–1 |
| 1947–48 | Baltimore Bullets | Philadelphia Warriors | 4–2 |
| 1948–49 | Minneapolis Lakers | Washington Capitols | 4–2 |
| 1949–50 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals | 4–2 |
| 1950–51 | Rochester Royals | New York Knickerbockers | 4–3 |
| 1951–52 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knickerbockers | 4–3 |
| 1952–53 | Minneapolis Lakers | New York Knickerbockers | 4–1 |
| 1953–54 | Minneapolis Lakers | Syracuse Nationals | 4–3 |
| 1954–55 | Syracuse Nationals | Fort Wayne Pistons | 4–3 |
| 1955–56 | Philadelphia Warriors | Fort Wayne Pistons | 4–1 |
| 1956–57 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | 4–3 |
| 1957–58 | St. Louis Hawks | Boston Celtics | 4–2 |
| 1958–59 | Boston Celtics | Minneapolis Lakers | 4–0 |
| 1959–60 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | 4–3 |
| 1960–61 | Boston Celtics | St. Louis Hawks | 4–1 |
| 1961–62 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 |
| 1962–63 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–2 |
| 1963–64 | Boston Celtics | San Francisco Warriors | 4–1 |
| 1964–65 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–1 |
| 1965–66 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 |
| 1966–67 | Philadelphia 76ers | San Francisco Warriors | 4–2 |
| 1967–68 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–2 |
| 1968–69 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 |
| 1969–70 | New York Knickerbockers | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 |
| 1970–71 | Milwaukee Bucks | Baltimore Bullets | 4–0 |
| 1971–72 | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knickerbockers | 4–1 |
| 1972–73 | New York Knickerbockers | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–1 |
| 1973–74 | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | 4–3 |
| 1974–75 | Golden State Warriors | Washington Bullets | 4–0 |
| 1975–76 | Boston Celtics | Phoenix Suns | 4–2 |
| 1976–77 | Portland Trail Blazers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4–2 |
| 1977–78 | Washington Bullets | Seattle SuperSonics | 4–3 |
| 1978–79 | Seattle SuperSonics | Washington Bullets | 4–1 |
| 1979–80 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4–2 |
| 1980–81 | Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets | 4–2 |
| 1981–82 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4–2 |
| 1982–83 | Philadelphia 76ers | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–0 |
| 1983–84 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 |
| 1984–85 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4–2 |
| 1985–86 | Boston Celtics | Houston Rockets | 4–2 |
| 1986–87 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4–2 |
| 1987–88 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | 4–3 |
| 1988–89 | Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–0 |
| 1989–90 | Detroit Pistons | Portland Trail Blazers | 4–1 |
| 1990–91 | Chicago Bulls | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–1 |
| 1991–92 | Chicago Bulls | Portland Trail Blazers | 4–2 |
| 1992–93 | Chicago Bulls | Phoenix Suns | 4–2 |
| 1993–94 | Houston Rockets | New York Knickerbockers | 4–3 |
| 1994–95 | Houston Rockets | Orlando Magic | 4–0 |
| 1995–96 | Chicago Bulls | Seattle SuperSonics | 4–2 |
| 1996–97 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4–2 |
| 1997–98 | Chicago Bulls | Utah Jazz | 4–2 |
| 1998–99 | San Antonio Spurs | New York Knickerbockers | 4–1 |
| 1999–2000 | Los Angeles Lakers | Indiana Pacers | 4–2 |
| 2000–01 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers | 4–1 |
| 2001–02 | Los Angeles Lakers | New Jersey Nets | 4–0 |
| 2002–03 | San Antonio Spurs | New Jersey Nets | 4–2 |
| 2003–04 | Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–1 |
| 2004–05 | San Antonio Spurs | Detroit Pistons | 4–3 |
| 2005–06 | Miami Heat | Dallas Mavericks | 4–2 |
| 2006–07 | San Antonio Spurs | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4–0 |
| 2007–08 | Boston Celtics | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–2 |
| 2008–09 | Los Angeles Lakers | Orlando Magic | 4–1 |
| 2009–10 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | 4–3 |
| 2010–11 | Dallas Mavericks | Miami Heat | 4–2 |
| 2011–12 | Miami Heat | Oklahoma City Thunder | 4–1 |
| 2012–13 | Miami Heat | San Antonio Spurs | 4–3 |
| 2013–14 | San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat | 4–1 |
| 2014–15 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4–2 |
| 2015–16 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | 4–3 |
| 2016–17 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4–1 |
| 2017–18 | Golden State Warriors | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4–0 |
| 2018–19 | Toronto Raptors | Golden State Warriors | 4–2 |
| 2019–20 | Los Angeles Lakers | Miami Heat | 4–2 |
| 2020–21 | Milwaukee Bucks | Phoenix Suns | 4–2 |
| 2021–22 | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | 4–2 |
| 2022–23 | Denver Nuggets | Miami Heat | 4–1 |
| 2023–24 | Boston Celtics | Dallas Mavericks | 4–1 |
NBA all-time records
The table provides a selection of National Basketball Association records.
| National Basketball Association all-time records1 | |||
| players/teams | number | season/date | |
| Individual career records | |||
| Games played | Robert Parish | 1,611 | 1976–77—1996–97 |
| Points scored | LeBron James | 42,184 | 2003–04—2024–25 |
| Field goals attempted | LeBron James | 30,583 | 2003–04—2024–25 |
| Field goals made | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 15,837 | 1969–70—1988–89 |
| Field-goal percentage2 | DeAndre Jordan | .6741 | 2008–09—2023–24 |
| Three-point field goals attempted | Stephen Curry | 9,589 | 2009–10—2024–25 |
| Three-point field goals made | Stephen Curry | 4,058 | 2009–10—2024–25 |
| Three-point field-goal percentage3 | Steve Kerr | .454 | 1988–89—2002–03 |
| Free throws attempted | Karl Malone | 13,188 | 1985–86—2003–04 |
| Free throws made | Karl Malone | 9,787 | 1985–86—2003–04 |
| Free-throw percentage4 | Stephen Curry | .9114 | 2009–10—2024–25 |
| Assists | John Stockton | 15,806 | 1984–85—2002–03 |
| Rebounds | Wilt Chamberlain | 23,924 | 1959–60—1972–73 |
| Steals5 | John Stockton | 3,265 | 1984–85—2002–03 |
| Blocked shots5 | Hakeem Olajuwon | 3,830 | 1984–85—2001–02 |
| Personal fouls | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 4,657 | 1969–70—1988–89 |
| Wins (coaching) | Gregg Popovich | 1,422 | 1996–97—2024–25 |
| Individual season records | |||
| Points scored | Wilt Chamberlain | 4,029 | 1961–62 |
| Field goals attempted | Wilt Chamberlain | 3,159 | 1961–62 |
| Field goals made | Wilt Chamberlain | 1,597 | 1961–62 |
| Field-goal percentage | Mitchell Robinson | .7419 | 2019–20 |
| Three-point field goals attempted | James Harden | 1,028 | 2018–19 |
| Three-point field goals made | Stephen Curry | 402 | 2015–16 |
| Three-point field-goal percentage | Kyle Korver | .536 | 2009–10 |
| Free throws attempted | Wilt Chamberlain | 1,363 | 1961–62 |
| Free throws made | Jerry West | 840 | 1965–66 |
| Free-throw percentage | José Calderón | .9805 | 2008–09 |
| Assists | John Stockton | 1,164 | 1990–91 |
| Rebounds | Wilt Chamberlain | 2,149 | 1960–61 |
| Steals5 | Alvin Robertson | 301 | 1985–86 |
| Blocked shots5 | Mark Eaton | 456 | 1984–85 |
| Personal fouls | Darryl Dawkins | 386 | 1983–84 |
| Team records | |||
| Highest winning percentage (season) | Golden State Warriors | .890 (73–9) | 2015–16 |
| Consecutive games won | Los Angeles Lakers | 33 | Nov. 5, 1971— Jan. 7, 1972 |
| Championships | Boston Celtics | 18 | |
| Consecutive championships | Boston Celtics | 8 | 1959–66 |
| 1Through the end of the 2024–25 regular season. 2Minimum 2,000 made. 3Minimum 250 made. 4Minimum 1,200 made. 5Since 1973–74; before that season steals and blocked shots were not officially recorded by the NBA. | |||