National Basketball Association

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National Basketball Association

Basketball dates to the late nineteenth century. In 1891, a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Training School instructor named James Naismith (1861–1939) hung a pair of peach baskets on a gymnasium track railing and urged those in attendance to toss balls into the baskets, thus inventing the game. Throughout the early twentieth century, various professional basketball leagues were born, and many quickly failed. Two of the most enterprising were the American Basketball League (ABL), which began in 1925 and folded during the 1930s, and the National Basketball League (NBL), formed in 1937. Then in 1946, came the formation of the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Three years later, the East Coast– based BAA merged with the Midwest-based NBL. The merger resulted in the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA), history's most successful and enduring pro basketball league.

At first, the NBA was a hodgepodge of seventeen teams, representing a cross-section of cities from New York and Boston to Syracuse and Sheboygan. Not surprisingly, at the start of the 1950–51 season, seven of the less-competitive teams folded. In its early years, the NBA remained a secondary sports league. Games often were lumbering affairs, dominated by big men such as Minneapolis Laker center George Mikan (1924–) and slowed to a crawl by constant fouling designed to hamper scoring.

To spark interest in the game, the NBA authorized rule changes to speed up play, increase scoring, and encourage athleticism. The Boston Celtics were the immediate beneficiaries. The Celts, coached by the legendary Arnold "Red" Auerbach (1917–), featured two players who excelled in the new, fast-break style of play. Bill Russell (1934–), an intimidating center, aggressively blocked shots. Bob Cousy (1928–), a sleek guard, played the new game well. Starting in 1959, the Celtics won eleven NBA titles in thirteen years.

The 1960s and 1970s featured a rivalry between two of the game's most dominant centers: Russell and Wilt Chamberlain (1936–1999). The New York Knicks, NBA champions in 1970 and 1973, were famed for a thoughtful, team-oriented playing style. By now, passing, shooting, and nonstop action were synonymous with pro basketball. However, the upstart American Basketball Association (ABA) began signing many top college players, including Rick Barry (1944–) and Julius "Dr. J." Erving (1950–). The NBA-ABA rivalry was extinguished in 1976, when the leagues merged and four ABA teams were allowed to join the NBA.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the NBA was losing its hold on the public. There were no compelling rivalries and few charismatic star players. A series of violent off-court incidents and drug abuse among players tarnished the league. Two multitalented players were single-handedly responsible for the NBA's reemergence: Larry Bird (1956–), of the Boston Celtics, and Earvin "Magic" Johnson (1959–), of the Los Angeles Lakers. These competitors—who met each other in their final collegiate game, the 1979 NCAA championship game between Bird's Indiana State University and Johnson's Michigan State University—maintained a fierce rivalry in the pros. Their teams met in the 1984 championship finals, a thrilling seven-game affair that attracted the largest television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) audience in NBA history.

In the ensuing years, the league expanded, adding teams as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada. The star player of the 1980s and 1990s was Michael Jordan (1963–; see entry under 1990s—Sports and Games in volume 5), who joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984. Jordan's graceful leaping ability, congenial personality, and sharp intelligence propelled the Bulls to six NBA championships. Without argument, Jordan is the NBA's all-time greatest player. He helped to popularize basketball across the globe, transforming the NBA into an international presence.

—Rob Edelman