 The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America (twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada). It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which include Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).
The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Following the summer break, teams hold training camps in October. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games), teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times (36 games), and teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule will vary significantly between teams.
As of 2008, the NBA is one of only three major leagues in North America (besides the Canadian Football League) in which teams play every other team during the regular season (the others being the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer). Each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season.
Professional Basketball Teams (NBA)
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Atlanta Hawks (NBA) - Atlanta
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Boston Celtics (NBA) - Boston
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Charlotte Bobcats
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Chicago Bulls (NBA) - Chicago
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Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) - Cleveland
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Dallas Mavericks (NBA) - Dallas
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Denver Nuggets (NBA) Website - Denver
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Detroit Pistons (NBA) - Detroit
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Golden State Warriors (NBA) Website - Oakland
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Houston Rockets (NBA) - Houston
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Indiana Pacers (NBA) - Indianapolis
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LA Clippers (NBA) Website - Los Angeles
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LA Lakers (NBA)
Website - Los Angeles
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Memphis Grizzlies
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Miami Heat (NBA) Website - Miami
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Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) - Milwaukee
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Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) - Minneapolis
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New Jersey Nets (NBA) - East Rutherford
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New Orleans Hornets (NBA) - New Orleans
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New York Knicks (NBA) - New York City
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Oklahoma City Thunder
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Orlando Magic (NBA) Website - Orlando
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Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) - Philadelphia
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Phoenix Suns (NBA) - Phoenix
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Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) - Portland
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Sacramento Kings (NBA) Website - Sacramento
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San Antonio Spurs (NBA) - San Antonio
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Seattle Sonics (NBA) - Seattle
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Toronto Raptors
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Utah Jazz (NBA) - Salt Lake City
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Washington Wizards (NBA) - District of Columbia
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Select Team Fan Gear by State
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NBA National Basketball Sports Teams