Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
National Basketball Association
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Michael Jordan wearing a red Chicago Bulls uniform dunks a basketball during an NBA game, with spectators and an opposing player visible in the background. The Denver Nuggets team celebrates around the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, wearing championship hats and shirts. Owner Stan Kroenke stands in front in a blue jacket, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver holds a microphone.
Quizzes
Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)
Great Moments in Sports Quiz
Cricket bat and ball. cricket sport of cricket.Homepage blog 2011, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
Sports Quiz
MILANO, ITALY - SEPT 17: Allen Ezail Iverson during his European tour on September 17, 2009 in Milan, Italy
Basketball Player Nicknames
A ball swishes through the net at a basketball game in a professional arena.
Basketball Quiz
A ball swishes through the net at a basketball game in a professional arena.
NBA Postseason 2021 Quiz
Quick Facts
Date:
1949 - present
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Michael Jordan wearing a red Chicago Bulls uniform dunks a basketball during an NBA game, with spectators and an opposing player visible in the background.
Michael Jordan NBA legend Michael Jordan.

National Basketball Association

American sports organization
Also known as: NBA
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
β€’History
Top Questions

Which team has won the most NBA championships?

How many teams are in the NBA?

Who are the last five NBA champions?

News •

Marcus Smart suspended 3 games by the NBA for throwing a punch at Warriors' Bassey • Nov. 12, 2026, 6:10 PM ET (AP)
Warriors star Stephen Curry suffers torn oblique muscle and will be sidelined at least two weeks • Nov. 12, 2026, 2:45 PM ET (AP)
NBA picks Miami for 2028 All-Star weekend, AP source says • Nov. 9, 2026, 4:52 PM ET (AP)
Dosunmu scores 21 and Kuminga sparks late surge in Timberwolves’ 117-107 win over Rockets • Nov. 4, 2026, 11:28 PM ET (AP)
Jaylen Brown scores season-high 30 points and makes key block in 76ers' 112-106 win over Pistons • Nov. 4, 2026, 10:13 PM 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.

Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)
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
Western Conference

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.

National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship
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
2024–25 Oklahoma City Thunder Indiana Pacers 4βˆ’3
2025–26 New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs 4–1

NBA all-time records

The table provides a selection of National Basketball Association records.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE
Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas
shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art
Mobile
National Basketball Association all-time records1
players/teams number season/date
Individual career records
Games played LeBron James 1,622 2003–04β€”2025–26
Points scored LeBron James 43,440 2003–04β€”2025–26
Field goals attempted LeBron James 31,5022003–04β€”2025–26
Field goals made LeBron James 15,961 2003–04β€”2025–26
Field-goal percentage2 DeAndre Jordan .6741 2008–09β€”2023–24
Three-point field goals attempted Stephen Curry 10,0732009–10β€”2025–26
Three-point field goals made Stephen Curry 4,2482009–10β€”2025–26
Three-point field-goal percentage3 Steve Kerr .454 1988–89β€”2002–03
Free throws attempted Karl Malone 13,188 1985–86β€”2003–04
Free throws made Karl Malone 9,787 1985–86β€”2003–04
Free-throw percentage4 Stephen Curry .91192009–10β€”2025–26
Assists John Stockton 15,806 1984–85β€”2002–03
Rebounds Wilt Chamberlain 23,924 1959–60β€”1972–73
Steals5 John Stockton 3,265 1984–85β€”2002–03
Blocked shots5 Hakeem Olajuwon 3,830 1984–85β€”2001–02
Personal fouls Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 4,657 1969–70β€”1988–89
Wins (coaching) Gregg Popovich 1,390 1996–97β€”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 JosΓ© CalderΓ³n .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, 1971β€”
Jan. 7, 1972
Championships Boston Celtics 18
Consecutive championships Boston Celtics 8 1959–66
1Through the end of the 2025–26 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.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.