What You Need to Know About the NBA

Among the professional sports leagues in North America, the National Basketball Association is one of the largest. Its 30 teams play 82 games during the regular season. The playoffs begin in April and run until June. The NBA finals feature a best-of-seven series between victors of two conferences. The winner receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

The NBA's current organizational structure was created in 2004-2005 and divides the league into two conferences, the Eastern and Western Conferences. Each conference is made up of fifteen teams. Each team plays a home and away game against opponents from the other conference. The teams play each other 16 times during the regular season. In addition, each conference has a play-in tournament. This gives the 7th and 8th seeded teams a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

Each team has a maximum of 15 players on their active roster. Three of the players are designated inactive, meaning they can't play during a game. The remaining players are the team's reserve players. These players must be activated at least 24 hours before a game. They are usually veterans or players recovering from an injury.

A team's salary cap is set at $102 million for the 2018-19 season. The cap is designed to enable a team to make enough money to win a championship. The NBA also makes money through ticketing, merchandising, and television revenue. This means that every team has the opportunity to earn millions of dollars. The salary cap is also designed to prevent teams from building super teams. These teams are often stunted by teams willing to take salary cuts.

The NBA awards the MVP to the most valuable player on the team. In addition, the league also awards the Defensive Player of the Year to the best defender. The Sixth Man of the Year award is given to the best player coming off the bench. Similarly, the Most Improved Player award is given to the player who has improved the most from the previous season.

A team's salary cap is based on a number of factors, including the revenue the team generates. The salary cap is set by a collective bargaining agreement. The revenue the team receives is equal to the salary cap, with the team having to share this revenue with other teams. In addition, there is a luxury tax, which is applied to the team's overspending. The NBA salary cap is different from other professional sports in that it is designed to facilitate winning a championship.

The NBA also has a "play-in" tournament for teams with a 7th or 8th seed in the playoffs. The top vote-getter in each conference is awarded the first pick of the draft. He becomes the captain of his conference's team. The other fourteen starters are chosen by coaches.

The NBA's best all-time records include those of the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. The Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves have the worst all-time records.