The biggest organization in world basketball and a legendary sporting behemoth, the National Basketball Association is truly in a league of its own. Watched by hundreds of millions across the world via live broadcasts and attended by millions in person, it's no wonder that NBA tickets are a prized commodity.
The league is, without doubt, the pinnacle of professional basketball and, as such, commands the best talents in the world, and in recent years, in particular, this has meant an influx of great foreign talent to the NBA.
Basketball fans flock to the NBA and have done so on an increasing basis, with the league going from strength to strength over the course of its lengthy history.
NBA History
In 1949 the National Basketball Association (NBA) was born with an original 17 teams taking part, with Minneapolis Lakers clinching the first title after beating the Syracuse Nationals in six games.
The creation of the NBA came following a period when the BAA (Basketball Association of America) and the NBL (National Basketball League) had merged.
Bill Russell and the Unstoppable Boston Celtics
The 1950s and 60s saw the Boston Celtics rule the NBA with Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Red Auerbach playing key roles in the franchise securing an incredible 11 titles in 13 seasons.
During this period, star center Wilt Chamberlain set a raft of records, including new single-game records in point scoring and rebounds.
Expansion
In 1976 the NBA merged with the ABA (American Basketball Association), and that led to four new franchises joining the league, the Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets (albeit at that time they were known as the New York Nets) and the San Antonio Spurs.
1980s Resurgence
With five NBA titles secured between 1980 and 1988, it would be fair to say that the 80s belonged to the "Showtime" team that the Los Angeles Lakers assembled under Pat Riley, albeit their first 80s Championship came under Paul Westhead.
That famous line-up included the likes of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and they enjoyed many great rivalries over this period, including a long-running battle with the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird.
This is when interest in the NBA really skyrocketed, both in the US and across the world, and in truth, it was only just beginning.
Bulls on Parade - The Michael Jordan Era
If the 80s were about "Showtime," then the 90s belonged to one man in particular, Michael Jordan.
The Chicago Bulls star reigned supreme during the decade, helping his side to six NBA titles between 1991 and 1998, all under the leadership of Phil Jackson.
During Jordan's legendary NBA career, the grandeur of the league continued to grow, and interest in watching NBA games increased greatly.
In 2002 the New Orleans Pelicans joined the fold, becoming an expansion team having previously been known as the New Orleans Hornets.
Warriors vs. Cavaliers Dominance
For four successive NBA finals, the Golden State Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, faced off with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with LeBron James at the helm, and an immense rivalry was born.
The Warriors ended up victors on three of the four occasions.
New Kids on the Block
In 2021-22 the Golden State Warriors secured their fourth NBA title in eight years as Steve Kerr's side edged past a vastly improved Boston Celtics.
In the current era as well as established stars like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Chris Paul, an array of newer stars have emerged, many of which originate from overseas.
In 2023, the big names include Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks ace Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets MVP winner Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, and Devin Booker.
This new blood is aiding the interest in NBA tickets; bringing new stars to the fore is part and parcel of an NBA that is always evolving.
NBA Finals - Recent Winners
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2014 San Antonio Spurs 4-1 Miami Heat
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2015 Golden State Warriors 4-2 Cleveland Cavaliers
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2016 Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3 Golden State Warriors
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2017 Golden State Warriors 4-1 Cleveland Cavaliers
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2018 Golden State Warriors 4-0 Cleveland Cavaliers
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2019 Toronto Raptors 4-2 Golden State Warriors
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2020 Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Miami Heat
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2021 Milwaukee Bucks 4-2 Phoenix Suns
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2022 Golden State Warriors 4-2 Boston Celtics
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2023: Denver Nuggets 4-1 Miami Heat
The NBA Season - How it Works
The NBA season is a long slog, with every one of the competing 30 NBA teams playing 82 regular season games.
Teams are split into the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, and each of these has three Divisions between them, each split into five groups of five.
A successful NBA team that is seeking to secure a place in the playoffs without having to go through the 'play-in' tournament must finish in the top six in their conference, with spaces seven to ten moving to the additional layer of games just to make it to the NBA playoffs.
The first round of the playoffs sees the 16 remaining teams, the top eight teams in each Conference, play best of seven games series, which then secures qualification for the Conference Semifinals, which in turn leads to the Conference Finals with the two Conference Champions then meeting in the NBA Finals, the last series of the year.
As a guide of just how arduous the NBA season can be, in 2021-22, the Golden State Warriors played a total of 104 games in total.
The Most Popular NBA Teams
Below is a list of the most popular NBA teams; this is based on a variety of metrics and is meant purely as a guide to their respective audiences. Listed teams also include their current home venue.
