NBA History

The Fascinating History of the NBA

The Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League amalgamated in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).  Although the NBA started strong with seventeen teams, many of the teams moved, merged and disbanded until only eight teams remained in the league by 1954.  The NBA continued to struggle until a ninth team, the Chicago Packers, joined the league in 1961.

The early years of NBA’s history seen the arrival of its first basketball stars who were winning hearts, setting records, and changing the game. George Mikan, who played in the NBA from 1949 to 1956, is known as the NBA’s first star player.  He rocketed to fame after the Minneapolis Lakers overpowered the Syracuse Nationals in the first NBA championship game.  Another early basketball star was Wilt Chamberlain, who played from 1959 to 1974.  Chamberlain held numerous records and awards for scoring, rebounds, and accuracy.

The NBA and its players caused basketball to evolve and slowly become the game we know today.  The face of the game changed with the introduction of African-American players in 1950.  The introduction of the 24-second shot clock rule was just one of the changes to the game itself.  The NBA also adopted its court design with widening of the foul lane in 1951.  In order to boost its popularity, the NBA incorporated some of the characteristics of American Basketball Association in the 1960‘s.  This included the legalization of a signature moved, called the “slam dunk,” in 1967 and the addition of the three point line in 1969. 

The NBA continued to expand and gain in popularity right into the present day.  The merger with the ABA and the addition of other expansion teams allowed the league to grow to its current size of 30 teams.  The league also expanded to include a professional women’s league, known as the WNBA, in 1996.  Today, the trademarks and stars of the NBA are found in homes and hearts worldwide.