The NBA league is called the National Basketball Association. It’s not just a league - it’s the top professional basketball league in the world, with teams from the United States and one from Canada. If you’ve ever watched a game with players like LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, or Stephen Curry, you’re watching the NBA.
How the NBA Got Its Name
The league didn’t always go by the name NBA. It started in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Back then, there were only 11 teams, and most of them were in big cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL), a rival league that had been around since the 1930s. After the merger, the league changed its name to the National Basketball Association. That name stuck - and it’s been the same for over 75 years.
What Makes the NBA Different
The NBA isn’t just the biggest basketball league - it’s the only one with global influence. Other countries have their own leagues: Spain’s Liga ACB, Turkey’s BSL, Australia’s NBL. But none of them have the same level of media reach, player salaries, or international fanbase. The NBA has players from over 40 countries. About 25% of active players are international. That’s more than any other major sports league.
It’s also the only league where the top players become global icons. Think of Michael Jordan in the 90s, or Kobe Bryant in the 2000s. Today, players like Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo have millions of followers on social media from countries where basketball isn’t even the main sport.
How the NBA Is Structured
The NBA has 30 teams split into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference has three divisions. The Eastern Conference includes teams like the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat. The Western Conference has teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets.
Each team plays 82 games in the regular season - 41 at home and 41 away. After the regular season, the top teams from each conference enter the playoffs. The playoffs are single-elimination, meaning if you lose a game, you’re out. The last two teams standing face off in the NBA Finals, and the winner gets the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Canadian Teams in the NBA
Canada has one team in the NBA: the Toronto Raptors. They joined the league in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies (who later moved to Memphis). The Raptors made history in 2019 when they won their first NBA championship. Kawhi Leonard was the Finals MVP, and it was the first time a non-U.S. team won the title.
Because of the Raptors, basketball has grown fast in Canada. More Canadian kids are playing basketball than ever before. The country now produces NBA-caliber talent like Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kelly Olynyk. The Raptors’ home court, Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, regularly sells out - and it’s one of the loudest arenas in the league.
What the NBA Isn’t
A lot of people think the NBA is the only basketball league in the U.S. That’s not true. There’s the WNBA (women’s professional basketball), the G League (NBA’s official development league), and even semi-pro and amateur leagues. But none of them have the same level of funding, media coverage, or global attention.
The NBA also isn’t the same as college basketball. The NCAA March Madness tournament is huge in the U.S., especially during March. But college players aren’t paid, and they can’t sign endorsement deals like NBA players can. The NBA is where the game turns professional - where talent becomes a career.
Why the Name Matters
Calling it the National Basketball Association isn’t just tradition. It reflects what the league is: a national organization that governs the sport at the highest level. The word "Association" means it’s not just a collection of teams - it’s a structured body that sets rules, schedules, contracts, and standards.
That’s why you don’t hear people say "the NBA basketball league." It’s redundant. The NBA already stands for National Basketball Association. Saying "the NBA league" is like saying "the ATM machine." The acronym already includes the word "league." The correct way is just "the NBA."
How the NBA Shapes Global Basketball
The NBA doesn’t just play games - it influences how basketball is played everywhere. The three-point shot, the fast-paced style, even the way players celebrate - a lot of that started in the NBA and spread overseas. Coaches in Europe and Asia study NBA film. Young players train using NBA drills. The league’s global outreach programs have built basketball courts in over 100 countries.
Because of the NBA, basketball is now the second most popular sport in the world after soccer. It’s played by over 450 million people. And most of that growth happened since the 1990s, right after Michael Jordan made the league a global phenomenon.
Final Thought
So, what is the NBA league called? It’s the National Basketball Association - a name that carries history, power, and global reach. It’s not just a name. It’s the brand behind the most watched basketball games, the highest-paid athletes, and the most watched sports league on TV outside of soccer. If you care about basketball, you’re watching the NBA. And whether you’re in Calgary, Lagos, or Shanghai, the NBA is the standard.
You might like
