Professional sports leagues in North America are made up of a certain number of teams known as franchises, each of which fields one team. The majority of the teams in the four major North American leagues were formed as a result of a planned league expansion or the merging of two rival leagues. In some cases, such as with the Montreal Canadiens and New York Knicks, a franchise was given its name before it became part of the league.
The first six teams were awarded to owners who had been selected by A.C. Greenburg, a prominent baseball owner, on January 8, 1946. The first game played by a franchise after their official introduction into the league took place that same day between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Warriors. The Celtics won this match-up 97-93 at Fenway Park in Boston. Bob Cousy was named the first captain of the Celtics.
In July of that year, the National Basketball League (NBL) merged with the American Basketball Association (ABA) to form the current NBA. The Celtics were one of the twelve original teams of the NBA. The franchise has won more games than any other team in NBA history. Currently, the Celtics play their home games at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and are led by head coach Brad Stevens.
The Charlotte Hornets originated as the Atlanta Hawks' minor league affiliate until 1972 when they were granted an NHL franchise.
NBA stands for National Basketball Association. Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL) are the four leagues generally included in the term.
| League | National Basketball Association |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Year founded | 1946 |
| Teams | 30 |
| Last expansion | 2004 |
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a North American professional basketball league. The league is one of the four main professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, with 30 clubs (29 in the United States and one in Canada).
The NBA is currently ranked as the world's most popular sport by international sporting authorities. It is played during regular season weeks between April and June in the U.S., and Canada hosts two teams each year based on location. The season consists of about 290 games per team, with each club playing 66 games during the regular season. The playoffs are then divided into three rounds: the first round is a best-of-seven series between all wild-card teams; the second round is also a best-of-seven series between the winners of each conference; and the finals are a best-of-seven match between the conference champions. The 2017–18 season was the 20th annual season of the NBA. For the first time, every game was available to stream online through ESPN's new subscription service, ESPN Plus.
The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order in which teams select players in the first round of the draft. The lottery is held each year after the last game of the previous season, with the current format being introduced in 2013. Teams that finish below.500 have a better chance at winning the lottery than those that exceed it.
A Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, or Major League Soccer team that is a New England or Pacific Covered Team. These teams can be found in the American Sports section of your local newspaper.
An NFL team that has made the playoffs every year since its creation in 1933 and has appeared in at least one Super Bowl during this time-frame. The Green Bay Packers meet these criteria; they have won more regular season games than any other team over this period and are ranked first all time by wins percentage.
A baseball team that has a winning record (50 percent or better) for five consecutive seasons or more. The Boston Red Sox qualify; from 2004 to 2008 they had the best record in baseball each year.
A basketball team that has won at least 30 games three times in four years. The Chicago Bulls meet these requirements; they have won at least 30 games three times in the last four years. They were also the number one seed in the Eastern Conference last season before being upset in seven games by the Miami Heat.
A soccer team that has finished in first place in its conference each year since its creation in 1994 and has gone on to win the MLS Cup (the team championship).
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