What Is the NBA?
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in the world. Founded in 1946, it consists of 30 teams across the United States and Canada, split into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference has 15 teams divided into three divisions of five teams each.
The NBA season runs from October through June. The regular season ends in April, the playoffs run through May and June, and the whole thing culminates with the NBA Finals — a best-of-seven series between the Eastern and Western Conference champions.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending NBA champions, having won the 2025 title. The 2025–26 playoffs are currently underway as of April 2026.
Basic Rules of Basketball
Basketball is played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular hardwood court. The goal is simple: put the ball through the opposing team's hoop more times than they put it through yours.
The Court
An NBA court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide. Key markings include the three-point arc (23.75 feet from the basket at the top), the free-throw line (15 feet from the basket), the paint (a 16-foot-wide lane under the basket), and the half-court line.
Game Structure
NBA games are divided into four quarters of 12 minutes each (48 minutes of regulation). If the score is tied after four quarters, the game goes to overtime — five-minute periods played until a team leads at the end of one. Unlike other sports, the clock stops frequently in basketball (out-of-bounds, fouls, timeouts), so a 12-minute quarter typically takes about 30–35 real-world minutes.
Scoring: How Points Are Scored
| Shot Type | Points | When It Counts |
|---|---|---|
| Three-Point Shot | 3 | Shooter's feet behind the three-point arc when releasing |
| Field Goal (2-pointer) | 2 | Any made shot inside the three-point arc |
| Free Throw | 1 | Uncontested shot from the free-throw line after a foul |
| And-One | +1 | Made field goal while being fouled; earns one free throw |
Violations (Turnovers)
The ball changes possession when a violation occurs. The most common violations include:
- Traveling: Taking too many steps without dribbling (more than two without putting the ball on the floor)
- Double Dribble: Stopping your dribble and then dribbling again, or using both hands simultaneously
- Shot Clock Violation: Failing to attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession
- Out of Bounds: Ball or ball-handler stepping on or crossing the boundary lines
- Backcourt Violation: Once the offense crosses half-court, they can't dribble back over the line
- Goaltending: Blocking a shot that is on its way down toward the basket (illegal; points awarded)
Fouls Explained
A foul is illegal physical contact with an opponent. The NBA has several foul types:
Personal Fouls
Each player is allowed 6 personal fouls per game. If a player commits a 6th foul, they are "fouled out" and cannot return. The player with the most fouls per season is often a physical big man who plays aggressive defense.
When a player is fouled while shooting, they receive free throws — 2 if fouled on a 2-point attempt, 3 if fouled on a three-point attempt, 1 if the shot went in (and-one).
Team Fouls & The Bonus
Teams collectively accumulate fouls each quarter. Once a team reaches 5 team fouls in a quarter, the opposing team enters the bonus — meaning any subsequent non-shooting foul also results in free throws (2 shots).
Flagrant Fouls
Unusually hard or dangerous contact. Flagrant 1 results in 2 free throws and possession. Flagrant 2 (more severe) also ejects the player. Multiple flagrant fouls in a season lead to suspensions.
Technical Fouls
Called for unsportsmanlike behavior — arguing with officials, trash-talking, delay of game. Each technical foul results in one free throw for the opposing team. A player who receives 2 technical fouls in a game is automatically ejected.
The Five Positions
In modern basketball, the lines between positions have blurred significantly. The rise of "positionless basketball" means teams often play by size and skill set rather than traditional roles. A 6'8" player might guard any of the five positions depending on the matchup.
The NBA Season
Regular Season (Oct–April)
Each of the 30 teams plays 82 games — 41 at home, 41 away. The schedule is designed so teams play each division rival more frequently. The regular season determines playoff seeding and individual award winners (MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, etc.).
In-Season Tournament
The NBA launched the NBA Cup (In-Season Tournament) starting in 2023–24. Teams play designated group stage games in November, with the top teams advancing to a knockout bracket. The winner gets a trophy and bonus money for players.
All-Star Weekend (February)
A mid-season showcase with the All-Star Game (East vs. West or a draft format), the Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest, and Skills Challenge. All-Star selections are voted on by fans, media, and players.
The Playoffs (April–June)
The top 8 teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs. However, the league also holds a Play-In Tournament for seeds 7–10 in each conference — teams ranked 7th–10th compete in a mini-bracket to determine the final two playoff spots (seeds 7 and 8).
Playoff rounds are all best-of-seven series. You need to win 4 games to advance. The first team to win three rounds in their conference advances to the NBA Finals. The Finals is also best-of-seven.
In any playoff series, the higher seed has home court advantage — they host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 (if necessary). Home court matters: since 2000, the home team wins about 65% of playoff games.
Salary Cap & Team Building
The NBA uses a soft salary cap system, which means teams can exceed the cap but pay a luxury tax as a penalty. The 2025–26 cap is set at $154.6 million.
- Salary Cap: $154.6M — teams can exceed via exceptions
- Luxury Tax Line: $201M — teams over this pay a dollar-for-dollar (or more) tax
- First Apron: $209M — additional restrictions on trades and signings
- Second Apron: $222M — severe restrictions; few teams operate here
Key exceptions allow teams to go over the cap: the Mid-Level Exception (MLE) lets over-cap teams sign players at roughly the average salary; Bird Rights let teams re-sign their own players even if over the cap.
Basketball Glossary
Awards & Recognition
The NBA hands out several major individual awards each season, voted on by media members after the regular season:
- MVP (Most Valuable Player): Best player in the league for that season. Nikola Jokić has won this award 4 times.
- Finals MVP: Best player across the NBA Finals series.
- Defensive Player of the Year: Best individual defender.
- Sixth Man of the Year: Best player coming off the bench (not starting).
- Rookie of the Year: Best first-year player.
- Most Improved Player: Player who showed the biggest improvement from the previous season.
- Coach of the Year: Best coaching performance relative to expectations.