National Basketball Association
| Current season, competition or edition: 2025 NBA Finals | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 6, 1946 (as BAA), New York City, New York, U.S. |
| First season | 1946–47 |
| Commissioner | Adam Silver |
| No. of teams | 30 |
| Countries | United States (29 teams) Canada (1 team) |
| Headquarters | 645 Fifth Avenue New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Most recent champion(s) | Boston Celtics (18th title) |
| Most titles | Boston Celtics (18 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) |
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| Official website | www |
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The league later adopted the BAA's history and considers its founding on June 6, 1946, as its own. In 1976, the NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged, adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league's playoff tournament extends into June, culminating with the NBA Finals championship series.
The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the governing body for basketball in the United States. The NBA is the second-wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue after the National Football League (NFL). As of 2020, NBA players are the world's highest paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
The Boston Celtics have the most NBA championships with 18 and are the reigning league champions, having defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.