The NBA, the basketball league played in North America and made up of 29 teams from the United States and another, the Toronto Raptors, from Canada, returns this Tuesday. Founded in 1946 and known as the NBA since 1949, the league will now have 79 seasons of history and the current champions are the Boston Celtics, the team with the most championships in the history of the competition.
How does the NBA work? The teams are divided into two conferences – East and West – each with 15 teams and the competition is divided into two parts: the regular season and the playoffs. Each conference is divided into three divisions -there are six in total- with five teams each and during the regular season, teams play 82 games, facing each of the 29 opponents at least twice, once at home and once away.
REGULAR SEASON AND PLAYOFFS
Once the regular season is over, the top teams in each conference advance to the postseason. In total, eight teams from each conference compete, with the top six teams securing their place and the remaining two teams fighting in a play-in between the seventh through tenth place finishers. Those that do not qualify for the playoffs go straight to the draft, and it is common for some teams to opt for ‘tanking’ to improve their position in the future draft.
The playoffs are played in four best-of-seven series: first round, conference semifinals, conference finals and the finals. During these playoffs, teams from the Eastern Conference only play teams from their conference until they reach the finals, where the Eastern and Western champions face each other. Last June, the aforementioned Boston Celtics were crowned champions after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-1.
THE NBA SCHEDULE
The NBA season usually starts around the penultimate week of October. This year, the date chosen is the 22nd, with two games to open the competition: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks. Once the regular season begins, teams compete nearly every night until mid-April to determine their playoff position. The final game of the regular season will be played on April 13, although there is a break in between.
February brings All Star Weekend, a three-day event that includes a game between first- and second-year players, skills contests, and the main game featuring the league’s top players. This year, the event will be held February 14-16. In addition, there are commemorative dates such as the Christmas Day (December 25) and Martin Luther King (January 20) games, as well as the new NBA Cup to be played from November 12 to December 17.
SQUADS AND THE DRAFT
Each NBA team can have up to 15 standard contract players, plus two dual-contract players who can alternate between the developmental league (G-League) and the NBA. Team construction is governed by a salary cap that cannot be exceeded, promoting equal opportunity among franchises. Teams acquire players through the draft, trades and free agency.
The draft is an event where young players and international prospects apply to join the NBA. There are two rounds with a total of 60 picks, and the 14 teams that do not make the playoffs participate in a lottery to try to get the first pick. In the NBA, trades are made using the barter method, where if a team sends a player for a certain value, they must receive something similar in return. Free agency is also a key aspect, allowing players to change teams at the end of their contract.
BEST PLAYERS AND TEAMS OF THE SEASON
In the 2024-2025 season, some of the league’s top players to watch will be LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) and Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors). The last three MVPs are Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks). Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), who are considered among the best current players, also stand out.
In terms of franchises, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are historically the most successful, with 18 and 17 championships, respectively. However, at present, the Celtics are the top favorites, along with other teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks. These teams have key players that position them as favorites to compete for the ring this season.
