76-893: Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky , on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center , which is owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, previously serving as the home of the University of Louisville Cardinals and, from 2020 to 2024, as the home of the Bellarmine University Knights . It has hosted Kiss , Grateful Dead , Chicago , AC/DC , WWE events, Mötley Crüe , Elvis Presley , The Doors , Janis Joplin , Creed , Led Zeppelin , Van Halen , Coldplay and many more. As well as
152-480: A violent incident between players and fans in a November 2004 game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons . In response, players were suspended for a total of 146 games with $ 11 million total lost in salary, and the league tightened security and limited the sale of alcohol. On May 19, 2005, Commissioner Stern testified before the U.S. House of Representatives ' Committee on Government Reform about
228-639: A deal on October 23, 2009. At the start of the 2010–11 season, free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat, joining Dwyane Wade to form the " Big Three ". The Heat dominated the league, reaching the Finals for four straight years. In 2011 , they faced a re-match with the Dallas Mavericks but lost to the Dirk Nowitzki -led team. They won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 against
304-446: A finals appearance marking their 18th championship, their first since 2008. Following pioneers like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia) who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. Since 2006, the NBA has faced EuroLeague teams in exhibition matches in
380-701: A four-game sweep by the Spurs over the LeBron James -led Cleveland Cavaliers . The 2008 Finals saw a rematch of the league's highest profile rivalry , the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers , with the Celtics winning their 17th championship. The Lakers won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 , against the Orlando Magic and the Celtics. The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was held at Cowboys Stadium in front of
456-563: A lawsuit filed by the city of Seattle , which was intended to keep the SuperSonics in Seattle for the remaining two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena . Following a court case, the city of Seattle settled with the ownership group of the SuperSonics on July 2, 2008, allowing the team to move to Oklahoma City immediately in exchange for terminating the final two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena. The Oklahoma City Thunder began playing in
532-571: A location, often with the specific intent of comparing an idea to a sporting event. Such examples of these would be terms such as "the arena of war", "the arena of love" or "the political arena". National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada ). It
608-637: A major role in the growth of the league during his career. Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls , spurring more interest in the league. In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets , Miami Heat , Orlando Magic , and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts, bringing the total to 27 teams. The Detroit Pistons won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, led by coach Chuck Daly and guard Isiah Thomas . Jordan and Scottie Pippen led
684-469: A regulation hockey rink is 200 feet (61 m) long, and a basketball court is only 94 feet). The North American International Livestock Exposition also is held there each November. Muhammad Ali fought his first professional fight at Freedom Hall when he won a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker . Freedom Hall was also one of the major stops on the Motortown (later MOTOWN) traveling music revue during
760-465: A small change to the typeface on the NBA wordmark in 2017) and would remain a fixture of the NBA brand. The ABA succeeded in signing a number of major stars in the 1970s, including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires , in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period. From 1966 to 1974, the NBA grew from nine franchises to 18. In 1970,
836-609: A trade. The 2019–20 season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors voted to resume the season in a 22-team format with 8 seeding games per team and a regular playoffs format, with all games played in a "bubble" in Walt Disney World without any fans present. This era also saw
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#1732855134683912-476: Is also the sport of indoor American football (one variant of which is explicitly known as arena football), a variant of the outdoor game that is designed for the usual smaller playing surface of most arenas; variants of other traditionally outdoor sports, including box lacrosse as well as futsal and indoor soccer , also exist. The term "arena" is also used loosely to refer to any event or type of event which either literally or metaphorically takes place in such
988-654: Is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States. The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices in Midtown Manhattan , while its NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey . The NBA
1064-429: Is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate a multitude of spectators. The word derives from Latin harena , a particularly fine-grained sand that covered the floor of ancient arenas such as
1140-596: Is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The league later adopted the BAA's history and considers its founding on June 6, 1946, as its own. In 1976,
1216-476: Is reportedly the lowest viewership seen for the Finals since at least 1994, when total viewers began to be regularly recorded and is a 45 percent decline from game one between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors , which had 13.51 million viewers a year earlier. Some attribute this decline to the political stances the league and its players are taking, while others consider load management,
1292-524: Is the second-wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue after the National Football League (NFL). The Boston Celtics have the most NBA championships with 18 and are the reigning league champions, having defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals . The NBA traces its roots to the Basketball Association of America which was founded in 1946 by owners of
1368-610: The 1999 championship with the Spurs , becoming the first former ABA team to win the NBA championship. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003 against the Nets . In 2004, the Lakers returned to the Finals , only to lose in five games to the Detroit Pistons . The league's image was marred by
1444-494: The 2022 NBA Finals , their fourth championship in eight years. The 2022–23 season saw the Denver Nuggets , led by center Nikola Jokić , make the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance and defeat the Miami Heat in five games to win their first NBA championship. The 2023–24 NBA season saw the star-studded Boston Celtics , winning a championship over the Dallas Mavericks, after five conference finals appearances , and
1520-852: The American Basketball Association (ABA) Championship in the 1974–75 season and reaching the ABA Finals two other times. The 1970–71 team played in the ABA Championship Finals, losing to the Utah Stars in 7 games. The 1972–73 team advanced to the Finals again, losing to the Indiana Pacers in 7 games. The Colonels were disbanded when the ABA merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. Hall of Fame players Louie Dampier , Dan Issel and Artis Gilmore played for
1596-612: The American Basketball League (ABL) and the NBL, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters . For instance, the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title, and
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#17328551346831672-521: The Bellarmine University Knights selected Freedom Hall as their home for men's and women's basketball, and played there for four seasons before returning home games to the on-campus Knights Hall effective in 2024–25. 38°12′1.06″N 85°44′30.79″W / 38.2002944°N 85.7418861°W / 38.2002944; -85.7418861 Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre , musical performances , and/or sporting events . It
1748-619: The Colosseum in Rome , Italy, to absorb blood. The term arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl , but such a facility is typically called a stadium . The use of one term over the other has mostly to do with the type of event. Football (be it association , rugby , gridiron , Australian rules , or Gaelic ) is typically played in a stadium, while basketball , volleyball , handball , and ice hockey are typically played in an arena, although many of
1824-607: The Kentucky Boys' High School State Basketball Tournament (also known as the Sweet 16) 23 times, including every year from 1965 to 1978. In 1984, the floor of the arena was lowered about 10 feet (3.0 m) to increase the capacity of the arena from 16,613 to its current figure. In the 1996–97 season Freedom Hall averaged an attendance of 19,590 surpassing arena capacity. Freedom Hall hosts the Championship tractor pull every February during
1900-800: The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team from 1956 to 2010, the arena's tenants included the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association from 1970 until the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976, and the Louisville Cardinals women's team from its inception in 1975 to 2010. The Kentucky Stickhorses of the North American Lacrosse League used Freedom Hall from 2011 until the team folded in 2013. From 2015 to 2019 it has hosted
1976-767: The NBA Europe Live Tour , and since 2009, in the EuroLeague American Tour . On November 9, 2007, when the Houston Rockets with Yao Ming faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks with Yi Jianlian , over 200 million people in China watched on 19 different networks, making it the most-viewed game in NBA history. The 2013–14 season opened with a record 92 international players on the opening night rosters, representing 39 countries and comprising over 20 percent of
2052-585: The NBA G League , was created. Two years after the Hornets' move to New Orleans , the NBA returned to North Carolina, as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed as an expansion team in 2004. The Hornets temporarily moved to Oklahoma City in 2005 for two seasons because of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina . The team returned to New Orleans in 2007. A new official game ball was introduced on June 28, 2006, for
2128-714: The NBA owners began a lockout that suspended all league business until a new labor agreement could be reached, which led to the season being shortened to 50 games. After the breakup of the Chicago Bulls championship roster in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference dominated much of the next two decades. The Los Angeles Lakers , coached by Phil Jackson , and the San Antonio Spurs , coached by Gregg Popovich , combined to make 13 Finals in 16 seasons, with 10 titles. " Twin Towers " Tim Duncan and David Robinson won
2204-498: The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Spurs, and lost in a re-match with the Spurs in the 2014 Finals . The 2011–12 season began with another lockout , the league's fourth. After the first few weeks of the season were canceled, the players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on December 8, 2011, setting up a shortened 66-game season. On February 1, 2014, commissioner David Stern retired after 30 years in
2280-792: The Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers , and the St. Louis Hawks moving to Atlanta , as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards ) became the ninth NBA team in 1961. From 1966 to 1968, the league expanded from 9 to 14 teams, introducing the Chicago Bulls , Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder ), San Diego Rockets (who moved to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks , and Phoenix Suns . In 1967,
2356-576: The Portland Trail Blazers , Cleveland Cavaliers , and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers ) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17. The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah ) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in
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2432-623: The Tri-Cities to Milwaukee in 1951, and later shifted to St. Louis in 1955. In 1957, the Rochester Royals moved from Rochester, New York , to Cincinnati and the Pistons moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana , to Detroit. Japanese-American Wataru Misaka is considered to have broken the NBA color barrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks in the BAA. He remained
2508-664: The University of Kentucky while also gaining the upper hand in Indianapolis with the creation of the Indianapolis Olympians while the Kautskys folded. With several teams facing financial difficulties, the BAA and the NBL agreed on a merger on August 3, 1949, to create the National Basketball Association. Maurice Podoloff , the president of BAA, became the president of the NBA while Ike Duffey , president of
2584-612: The #1 ranked team in the nation. Louisville won in an upset 78–68. The arena began to gain new tenants in 2012 with the addition of the Kentucky Stickhorses , and in 2013, with the addition of the Kentucky Xtreme . However, the Kentucky Stickhorses folded in 2014 after the lack of wins and the lack of attendance. The Kentucky Xtreme were suspended mid-season with other teams playing the remainder of their season. In 2020,
2660-415: The 10 seasons of the 1980s, Johnson led the Lakers to five titles while Bird led the Celtics to three titles. Also in the early 1980s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks , bringing the total to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first three three-point shooting contests. On February 1, 1984 David Stern became commissioner of the NBA. Stern has been recognized as playing
2736-526: The 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers won the 1949 BAA title. Prior to the 1948–49 season, the BAA lured away the Fort Wayne Pistons , Indianapolis Kautskys , Minneapolis Lakers , and Rochester Royals from the NBL with the prospect of playing in major venues such as Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden . The NBL hit back by outbidding the BAA for the services of several players, including Al Cervi , rookie Dolph Schayes and five stars from
2812-515: The 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second ball in 60 seasons. Manufactured by Spalding , the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet. Commissioner Stern announced on December 11, 2006, that beginning January 1, 2007,
2888-745: The 2008–09 season. The first outdoor game in the modern era of the league was played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on October 11, 2008, between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets . The first official NBA league games on European ground took place in 2011. In two matchups, the New Jersey Nets faced the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena in London in front of over 20,000 fans. After
2964-433: The 2012–13 season, the New Orleans Hornets were renamed the Pelicans . During the 2013–14 season, Stern retired as commissioner after 30 years, and deputy commissioner Adam Silver ascended to the position of commissioner. During that season's playoffs, the Bobcats officially reclaimed the Hornets name, and by agreement with the league and the Pelicans, also received sole ownership of all history, records, and statistics from
3040-499: The Bulls to two three-peats in eight years during the 1991–1998 seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team , the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Bird, Johnson, David Robinson , Patrick Ewing , Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler , Karl Malone , John Stockton , Chris Mullin , Charles Barkley , and star NCAA amateur Christian Laettner . The team
3116-432: The Colonels during their successful run. Hall of Fame Coach Hubie Brown coached the Colonels Championship team. In 1984 the facility was refurbished, including lowering the floor to allow maximum capacity to increase from 16,664 to 18,865 for basketball. It was the full-time home of Cardinal men's basketball from the 1957–58 season to 2010, with the team winning 82% of home games in 50+ seasons. The University of Louisville
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3192-457: The Minneapolis Lakers won five NBA championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty ; their squad was led by center George Mikan who was the NBA's first superstar . To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics , which already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach , and went on to lead
3268-404: The NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged , adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league's playoff tournament extends into June, culminating with the NBA Finals championship series. As of 2020 , NBA players are the world's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player. The NBA
3344-405: The NBA from 1959 to 1966. This championship streak is the longest in the history of American professional sports. They did not win the title in 1966–67 , but regained it in the 1967–68 season and repeated in 1969 . The domination totaled nine of the ten championship banners of the 1960s. Through this period, the NBA continued to evolve with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles,
3420-408: The NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006–07 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball. The Players' Association had filed a suit on behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball. As of the 2017–18 season , the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Nike , replacing
3496-549: The NBA's actions to combat the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. The NBA started its drug-testing program in 1983 and substantially improved it in 1999. In the 1999–2000 season, all players were randomly tested during training camp, and all rookies were additionally tested three more times during the regular season. Of the nearly 4,200 tests for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs conducted over six seasons, only three players were confirmed positive for NBA's drug program, all were immediately suspended, and as of
3572-402: The NBL, became the chairman. The NBA later adopted the BAA's history and statistics as its own but did not do the same for NBL records and statistics. The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories . In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954–55, when
3648-451: The National Farm Machinery Show. From 2001 to 2008, the arena football team Louisville Fire of the af2 played in Freedom Hall before ceasing operations. On the lower level is the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame where an engraved bronze plaque honors each inductee. The University of Louisville men's basketball team played their final game at Freedom Hall in front of a record crowd of 20,138 on March 6, 2010, against Syracuse University,
3724-410: The Pelicans' time in Charlotte. As a result, the Hornets are now officially considered to have been founded in 1988, suspended operations in 2002, and resumed in 2004 as the Bobcats, while the Pelicans are officially treated as a 2002 expansion team. (This is somewhat similar to the relationship between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL .) Donald Sterling , who was then-owner of
3800-498: The VEX Robotics Competition World Championship Finals yearly in mid-April. The arena lost its status as Kentuckiana 's main indoor sporting and concert venue when the downtown KFC Yum! Center opened in 2010. It is still used regularly, however, hosting concerts, horse shows, conventions, and basketball games. Freedom Hall was completed in 1956 in the newly opened Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center located 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Downtown Louisville . It received its name as
3876-405: The Warriors faced each other in the Finals a record four consecutive times . In the 2015–16 season, the Warriors finished the season 73–9, the best season record in NBA history . However, the Cavaliers overcame a 3–1 deficit in the Finals to win their first championship that season, and end a 52-year professional sports championship drought for the city of Cleveland . In the 2016–17 season,
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#17328551346833952-414: The Warriors recruited free agent Kevin Durant and went on to win the 2017 and 2018 Finals against the Cavaliers. After the departure of James in free agency in 2018, the Cavaliers' streak of playoff and Finals appearances ended. The Warriors returned for a fifth consecutive Finals appearance in 2019 but lost to the Toronto Raptors, who won their first championship after acquiring Kawhi Leonard in
4028-402: The allegations and said Donaghy was a convicted felon and a "singing, cooperating witness". Donaghy served 15 months in prison and was released in November 2009. According to an independent study by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, although the refs increased the Lakers' chances of winning through foul calls during
4104-464: The continuous near year-over-year decline in NBA viewership. Between 2012 and 2019, the league lost 40 to 45 percent of its viewership. While some of it can be attributed to "cable-cutting", other professional leagues, like the NFL and MLB have retained stable viewership demographics. The opening game of the 2020 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That
4180-560: The design of Jerry Dior's Major League Baseball logo a year prior, created the modern NBA logo inspired by the MLB's. It incorporates the silhouette of Jerry West , based on a photo by Wen Roberts. The NBA would not confirm that a particular player was used because, according to Siegel, "They want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it. It's become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don't necessarily want to identify it with one player." The logo debuted in 1971 (with
4256-514: The early and mid-1960s. Grateful Dead played Freedom Hall 4 times including 6/18/74, 4/9/89, 6/15/93, and 6/16/93. 6/18/74 was officially released as Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3 . Judgment Day (2000) was also held at the Freedom Hall. A collegiate wrestling tournament was held at the arena in 2019. Freedom Hall has hosted campaign rallies for two U.S. presidents: John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump . The Kentucky Colonels fielded successful teams during their tenure at Freedom Hall, winning
4332-405: The first European coach to become a head coach for a team in the NBA. In the 2023–24 season , the Mavericks and the Thunder each had eight international players on their roster. For six consecutive seasons from 2018–19 to 2023–24 , the league's MVP award has been given to an international player. In 2001, an affiliated minor league , the National Basketball Development League, now called
4408-489: The franchise to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new single-game records in scoring ( 100 ) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics. Led by Russell, Cousy, and Auerbach, Boston won eight straight championships in
4484-424: The game, there was no collusion to fix the game. On alleged "star treatment" during Game 6 by the referees toward certain players, Beech claimed, "there does seem to be issues with different standards and allowances for different players." The NBA Board of Governors approved the request of the Seattle SuperSonics to move to Oklahoma City on April 18, 2008. The team, however, could not move until it had settled
4560-461: The larger arenas hold more spectators than do the stadiums of smaller colleges or high schools. There are exceptions. The home of the Duke University men's and women's basketball teams would qualify as an arena, but the facility is called Cameron Indoor Stadium . Domed stadiums, which, like arenas, are enclosed but have the larger playing surfaces and seating capacities found in stadiums, are generally not referred to as arenas in North America. There
4636-414: The largest crowd ever, 108,713. A referee lockout began on September 1, 2009, when the contract between the NBA and its referees expired. The first preseason games were played on October 1, 2009, and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used, the first time replacement referees had been used since the beginning of the 1995–96 season. The NBA and the regular referees reached
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#17328551346834712-523: The league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs , Denver Nuggets , Indiana Pacers , and New York Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets). Some of the biggest stars of this era were Abdul-Jabbar, Barry, Dave Cowens , Erving, Elvin Hayes , Walt Frazier , Moses Malone , Artis Gilmore , George Gervin , Dan Issel , and Pete Maravich . The end of the decade, however, saw declining TV ratings, low attendance and drug-related player issues – both perceived and real – that threatened to derail
4788-512: The league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The leagues engaged in a bidding war. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who went on to become the league's best player of the 1970s. However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry , jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees— Norm Drucker , Earl Strom , John Vanak, and Joe Gushue. In 1969, Alan Siegel , who oversaw
4864-444: The league reached its smallest size of eight franchises: the New York Knicks , Boston Celtics , Philadelphia Warriors , Minneapolis Lakers , Rochester Royals , Fort Wayne Pistons , Milwaukee Hawks , and Syracuse Nationals , all of which remain in the league today, although the latter six all did eventually relocate. The process of contraction saw the league's smaller-city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks had shifted from
4940-459: The league. The league added the ABA's three-point field goal beginning in 1979. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth of fan interest in the NBA. The two had faced each other in the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game , and they later played against each other in three NBA Finals (1984, 1985, and 1987). In
5016-511: The league. The NBA defines "international" players as those born outside the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. This means that: The beginning of the 2017–18 season saw a record 108 international players representing 42 countries marking 4 consecutive years of at least 100 international players and each team having at least one international player. In 2018, the Phoenix Suns hired Serbian coach Igor Kokoškov as their new head coach, replacing Canadian interim coach Jay Triano , making Kokoškov
5092-464: The major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto , Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens , in a game the NBA now refers to as the first game played in NBA history. The first basket was made by Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers. Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including
5168-439: The only non-white player in league history prior to the first African-American, Harold Hunter , signing with the Washington Capitols in 1950. Hunter was cut from the team during training camp, but several African-American players did play in the league later that year, including Chuck Cooper with the Celtics, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton with the Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols . During this period,
5244-435: The past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games. On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation . Donaghy claimed in 2008 that certain referees were friendly with players and "company men" for the NBA, and he alleged that referees influenced the outcome of certain playoff and finals games in 2002 and 2005. NBA commissioner David Stern denied
5320-433: The position, and was succeeded by his deputy, Adam Silver . After four seasons with the Miami Heat, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2014–15 season. He led the team to their second Finals appearance with the help of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love . The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in six games, led by the " Splash Brothers " Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson . The Cavaliers and
5396-428: The previous supplier, Adidas . All teams will wear jerseys with the Nike logo except the Charlotte Hornets , whose jerseys will instead have the Jumpman logo associated with longtime Nike endorser Michael Jordan , who owns the Hornets. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation on July 19, 2007, over allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over
5472-638: The result of a statewide essay contest sponsored by the State Fair Board and the American Legion . Charlotte Owens, a senior at DuPont Manual High School , submitted the winning entry over 6,500 others. Designed for the nation's premier equestrian competition, the Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show , the floor length and permanent seating were designed specifically for the almost 300-foot (91 m)-long show ring (in comparison,
5548-448: The time of the testimony, none were playing in the NBA. After the Spurs won the championship again in 2005 , the 2006 Finals featured two franchises making their inaugural Finals appearances. The Miami Heat , led by their star shooting guard, Dwyane Wade , and Shaquille O'Neal, who had been traded from the Lakers during the summer of 2004, won the series over the Dallas Mavericks . The Lakers/Spurs dominance continued in 2007 with
5624-420: The uneven talent distribution between the conferences and the cord-cutting of younger viewers as the main reason for the decline. During the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks would defeat the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals , securing their second NBA championship since 1971, and the Golden State Warriors made their sixth appearance in the finals defeating the Boston Celtics in
5700-590: Was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame , while 11 of the 12 players (along with three out of four coaches) have been inducted as individuals in their own right. In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors . In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In 1998,
5776-545: Was ranked in the Top 5 in attendance for the past 25 years, with 16 of the last 19 years averaging more than 100% of capacity. In addition to being the home of the Cardinals, Freedom Hall has hosted NCAA tournament games ten times, including six Final Fours between 1958 and 1969. The arena has also hosted 11 conference tournaments, nine Metro Conference Tournaments and two Conference USA tournaments—2001 and 2003. It has also hosted
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