NBA Trivia Challenge

National Basketball Association (NBA):

• The NBA is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.

• The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and it changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball League (NBL).

• The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games, and the league's playoff tournament extends into June.

• NBA players are the world's best-paid athletes by average annual salary per player.

• The NBA is the third wealthiest professional sport league in North America after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) by revenue, and among the top four in the world.

• The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the most NBA championships at 17 each.

• The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices in Midtown Manhattan, while its NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

• The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

• In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association (ABA).

• Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, spurring more interest in the league.

• In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

• The Los Angeles Lakers, coached by Phil Jackson, and the San Antonio Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, combined to make 13 Finals in 16 seasons, with 10 titles.

• The league's image was marred by a violent incident between players and fans in a November 2004 game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.History of the NBA: Lockouts, Big Three, International Influence, and Other Developments

• The NBA had a lockout during the 2009-2010 season and a shortened season due to another lockout in the 2011-2012 season.

• The Miami Heat formed the "Big Three" with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.

• The NBA has seen a decline in viewership since 2012, with a 40-45% loss in viewership, with some attributing it to political stances taken by the league and its players.

• The NBA has seen an increase in the number of international players, with a record 92 international players on opening night rosters in 2013-14, representing 39 countries.

• The NBA G League, a minor league, was created in 2001.

• The Charlotte Bobcats were formed as an expansion team in 2004, and the New Orleans Hornets were renamed the Pelicans in 2013.

• The NBA unveiled an updated logo in 2017 and allowed corporate sponsor advertisement patches on team uniforms, beginning with the 2017-18 season.

• The NBA consists of 30 teams, with most teams in the eastern half of the United States and Canada.

• During the regular season, each team plays 82 games against opponents in their own division, other divisions in their conference, and the other conference.

• The NBA regularly schedules games on Christmas Day since 1947, with the first Christmas Day games televised in 1983-84.

• The NBA All-Star Game is held annually in February, with fans voting for starters, coaches voting for the remaining players, and the top vote-getters in each conference drafting their own team.

• Becky Hammon became the first full-time female coach in any of the four major professional sports in North America when she was hired as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.Overview of the NBA Season, Playoffs, Championships, Media Coverage, Viewership Demographics, Controversies and Criticism, Notable People, and International Influence:

NBA Season:

• The NBA season starts in October and ends in April the following year.
• Each team plays 82 games in the regular season.
• The All-Star Game is held in February and includes various events such as the Rising Stars Challenge, Skills Challenge, Three Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest.
• The trade deadline falls on the 16th Thursday of the season in February.
• Awards, such as the Most Valuable Player Award, are given out after the regular season.

Playoffs and Championships:

• The NBA playoffs begin in April with the top eight teams from each conference competing for the championship title.
• Seeds are awarded based on regular season records, with the higher seed having home-court advantage.
• The playoffs follow a tournament format with each series being best-of-seven.
• The final playoff round is known as the NBA Finals and is held annually in June.
• The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have won the most championships with 17 each.

Media Coverage and Viewership Demographics:

• The NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the United States.
• The NBA has a contract with ESPN and TNT through the 2024-25 season.
• Ticket prices range from $10 to $70,000 depending on the market and stage of the season.
• The NBA has the youngest audience, with 45 percent of its viewers under 35.
• 45 percent of its viewers were black, while 40 percent of viewers were white.
• The NBA's biggest international market is in China, where an estimated 800 million viewers watched the 2017-18 season.

Controversies and Criticism:

• The NBA has been involved in a number of controversies over the years and has received a significant amount of criticism.

Notable People:

• Notable figures in the NBA include presidents, commissioners, players, foreign players, and coaches.

International Influence:

• The NBA has seen an increasing number of international players move directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA.
• The NBA has faced EuroLeague teams in exhibition matches in the NBA Europe Live Tour.
• In the 2013-14 season, there were a record 92 international players on the opening night rosters, representing 39 countries.

NBA Cares:

• The league has a global social responsibility program, NBA Cares, that is responsible for the league's stated mission of addressing important social issues worldwide.