The National Basketball Association, or NBA for short, is the top tier of North American basketball. It is the sport’s biggest competition in the world, surpassing every other basketball competition in popularity and revenue. Of all winners of the NBA, the L.A. Lakers and the Chicago Bulls are the most popular teams, with supporters across every corner of the globe.
In this article, we walk you through the basics of the NBA: how the league is structured, the price of the tickets, where you can watch the games, and the most prominent players.
Understanding the NBA
Thirty teams participate in the league, with 29 teams from the United States and one from Canada. The teams are then divided by conferences, with fifteen being part of the Eastern Conference, and the other fifteen of the Western Conference.
Each Conference is divided into three sections, splitting the teams into smaller groups based on their geographic position.
The competition has two stages. The first is called the Regular Season. In this stage, every team plays against the other teams in their division four times, making up the first sixteen games. Then, each team is matched with six opponents from other divisions in the same Conference. They must play against each other four times, raising the match count to 40.
After this stage, they must play against the remaining teams of the Conference three times, taking the match toll to 52.
Finally, they must play against every team in the opposing Conference, playing two games with each team. With these extra 30 matches, each team plays 82 games in the Regular Season.
After the Regular Season, the eight best-placed teams in the league are qualified to enter the Playoffs. After being matched up, the teams face each other in the quarterfinals in a best-of-seven encounter. These rules apply to the semifinals and Conference finals.
In the end, the winners of each Conference final play against one another in the NBA Finals. The season usually starts in October and ends in April of the following year.
How Much do NBA Tickets Cost
Have you ever wanted to watch an NBA game on the court? Well, NBA tickets are not exactly cheap. Due to the sheer popularity of the NBA, the tickets can be quite expensive. Tickets for a regular stand in the arena usually go for 85 to 95 dollars. Tickets for courtside seats can go for about two thousand dollars.
Where to Watch NBA Games
If watching the game on the court is not an option for you, you can watch comfortably from home, as the NBA is one of the most mediatized sports.
Cable channels all across the globe play NBA games, like Sky Sports in the UK and ESPN. The NBA also has a worldwide streaming service that allows you to watch games live, replays, and interviews. If you prefer or need to reduce spending, NBA results are widely available on the Internet.
Star Players
The NBA has produced some of the most popular figures in the world of sports, such as Michael Jordan. Almost synonymous with basketball, Jordan played most of his career for the Chicago Bulls and, alongside the likes of Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pipen, dominated the NBA landscape. Other superstars are the Boston Celtics’ legend Larry Bird, the late great Kobe Bryant, and the giant Shaquille O’Neal.
Currently, the NBA is still full of stars: LeBron James in the L.A. Lakers, Steph Curry in the Warriors, and Nikola Jokic, who proves that Europeans are also good at basketball.
Conclusion
The NBA is hotter than ever, and with the packed calendar, fans can expect great matches on a weekly basis from October to April. Keep an eye out for the best upcoming games and become a basketball expert watching the best in the most popular league in the world.
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