National Basketball Association

Publication date: 10 Jul 2025

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in North America, along with the NHL, MLB, MLS and NFL.

The Association consists of 30 teams divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is divided into 3 divisions of 5 teams each. The championship season consists of several stages:

• Regular season. It lasts 6 months;
• The Playoffs. It involves the leaders determined as a result of the regular season.

The Playoffs consist of First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Each stage’s winner advances to the next. In the final stage, the winning teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences meet to compete for the NBA title.

The most important stage of the NBA is the NBA Draft. It gives clubs the opportunity to select and sign new players and future basketball stars.

2025-26 NBA Season

The next season of the National Basketball Association starts on October 21, 2025 and promises to be especially hot. Traditionally, 30 teams will take part in it, playing 82 matches in the regular season. The important events of the season will be the intraseason NBA Cup tournament (in November-December), the All-Star Game on February 15, 2026 in California, as well as the decisive games – the playoffs and the NBA Finals in June 2026.

The focus is on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the current champions and the main contenders for the title. But the competition promises to be serious: the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers received a powerful boost, especially against the backdrop of injuries to key players of other top teams. And the Houston Rockets were strengthened in the offseason by the star transfer of Kevin Durant, and now many experts include them in the list of favorites.

History of the league

The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America. It later merged with the National Basketball League and was renamed the National Basketball Association.

In the early days, players received a monthly salary of $1,000, which was roughly the same for everyone. Over the years, the salaries of celebrity athletes have grown exponentially. It is known that in recent years the average salary of NBA players has been around $5 million per year.

Over the years, the NBA has partnered with various companies and organizations.

Outstanding NBA athletes

Names of basketball players that are on the lips of almost everyone:

1st place – Michael Jordan;

2nd place – Kobe Bryant;

3rd place – Kareem-Abdul Jabbar;

4th place – Magic Johnson;

5th place – Bill Russell.

Previous NBA season results:

2026-27 NBA Season

The start dates for the 81st season of the National Basketball Association are currently unknown.

The National Basketball Association is more than just a professional basketball league. It is history, passion and incredible skill brought together on the courts of America’s greatest arenas. Each NBA game is a true showcase. The stars of the sport showcase their skills and talent in front of millions of fans around the world.

Keep an eye on the dates of basketball championships and other events on our Sporting Events Calendar.