The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the foremost professional basketball league in the United States. It comprises thirty franchised teams, twenty-nine of which are located in the US, with one in Canada. It is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the national governing body for basketball in the United States, and is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB). The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues. NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.

NBA Rule Book for 2014/2015 season

History:

The NBA was first founded on June 6, 1946 in New York City as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It was later renamed to the National Basketball Association after merging with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949.

The NBA is the first successful professional basketball league created in the US. Earlier attempts at professional basketball, such as the American Basketball League (ABL) and the NBL did not succeed in bringing basketball to national attention at a major city level-it was only until the NBA was founded that it gained footing as one of the major professional sports in the US.

In 1950, the NBA only consisted of 11 franchises, and consolidating further, eight franchises from during the 1953-54 season. Between 1966 and 1974, the number of franchises grew from nine to 18. In 1977, four teams from the rival American Basketball Association (ABA) joined the NBA, bringing the total number of franchises up to 22. By 2005, with the inclusion of the Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA reached its current total of 30 teams.

Throughout the years, the NBA has grown and changed as new rules were introduced (such as the addition of the three-point shot in 1979), including changes made both on and off the court. Unlike the other major three professional sports teams in the US (MLB, the NFL, and the NHL), the NBA uses a lottery-based draft system to determine the order of drafting.

The story of the NBA logo:

It was 1969. The National Basketball Association was locked in a bitter battle against its upstart rival, the American Basketball Association. At stake: fans, players, media - and millions of dollars.

The NBA turned to Alan Siegel, founder of Siegel+Gale.

Seeking inspiration, Siegel poured through the photo archives of Sport magazine. A particular photo of the All-Star Jerry West grabbed his attention: It was dynamic, it was vertical, it captured the essence of the game.

The NBA is reluctant to acknowledge that it’s Jerry West in the logo, and Siegel, a lifelong basketball fan, believes he knows why. Today, this classic image generates $3 billion a year in licensing, and the NBA name symbolizes the pinnacle of excellence in professional basketball.

List Of Current NBA Team Rosters

NBA 2015–2016 season:

The season will open Oct. 27, with the Cavaliers at the Bulls, followed by the Pelicans and defending champion Golden State Warriors, who will receive their championship rings before the game. Both games will broadcast on TNT. Detroit will also play Atlanta that night. Other intriguing opening week games include Spurs at Thunder Oct. 28, and Mavericks at Clippers Oct. 29.

Christmas Day highlights five nationally-broadcasted games: Pelicans at Heat (ESPN), Bulls at Thunder (ABC), and the Cavaliers at the Warriors (ABC) in an NBA Finals rematch. The night games are Spurs at Rockets (ESPN) and Lakers at Clippers (ESPN), to conclude the league's customary all-day showcase.

Martin Luther King Day will feature four nationally televised matchups: Pelicans at Grizzlies, Magic at Hawks, Warriors at Cavaliers and Rockets at Clippers.

TNT will televise All-Star weekend from Toronto Feb. 12–14, as well as 18 Thursday night doubleheaders. ESPN will broadcast 38 games on Wednesdays and 31 on Fridays, also available on WatchESPN. The networks, along with ABC and NBA TV, will use flexible scheduling throughout the season.

Defending Champion - Golden State Warriors:

One such elite club is the Golden State Warriors, and after winning the franchise’s first championship in 40 years last season, there’s no question they’ll be back contending for another one. They took down another elite team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will also be legitimate contenders once again the Eastern Conference as they, too, seek to end their own title drought. In any event, it’s worth noting that the two will be on complete opposites of the travel spectrum when the new season begins.

It may only be fitting that the defending champion leads the league in miles traveled, as the Warriors figure to travel 53,575 miles for the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season, according to NBAsavant.com. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, get a significant break, as they’re set to travel nearly 20,000 fewer miles across the season than the defending champions (35,055 miles). That difference at least hypothetically puts the Warriors at a severe disadvantage to repeat, while Cleveland could very well end up being the freshest and most well-rested team in the league, which will be crucial come playoff time. After all, arguably the main reason they fell in the Finals was completely tied to the major injuries on their roster.

Other interesting NBA News:

Kevin Durant says not to trust any free agent rumors this season

NBA's top 10 games for the 2015-16 season

Supermarket chain must pay Michael Jordan $8.9 million for use of name

LeBron James-sponsored tweets valued at $140K, or $1K per character

Top 100 Plays of the 2015 NBA Season: