The History & Rise of NBA: Breaking Down One of the World’s Leading Sports
- Updated: December 18, 2017
When you think American sports, you typically think of four big hitters: American football, baseball, ice hockey and, last but not least, basketball.
In fact, even though a few sports rank slightly higher in terms of popularity, 6% of fans in the US rate the NBA as their favourite form of entertainment. In real terms, that’s a few million people and, when you bring college ball into the mix, that’s another few million fans loving basketball.
As you’d expect, when the biggest games are on, the masses tune in. In 2016, 19.6 million viewers watched the Golden State Warriors secure two wins over Cleveland to clinch the NBA finals. From this, it’s little wonder that the as a league generates $5.87 billion in revenue, while teams such as the New York Knicks bank upwards of $350 million every year.
With so much money floating around the industry, it’s not just the franchises cashing in on the popularity of the sport. Today, regardless of where you are in the world, NBA betting is a big thing. When the Finals are on, more than 25% of the money bet in Las Vegas is on basketball. Across the pond, European punters can bet on the action online. Thanks to the likes of Sun Bets sports betting pages, anyone of age can bet money on everything from the league’s outright winners to point spreads and more.
The History of the NBA
Basically, when you breakdown the numbers and look at elite-level basketball in context, it’s clearly one of the biggest sports in the world. However, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, to know how we got to this point, it’s worth looking at where we’ve come from. To this end, let’s take a look back at the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
1949: After three years of competition, the (BAA) Basketball Association of America and (NBL) National Basketball League merged to form the NBA. Nine years before the formation of the NBA, the NBL was the main basketball league in the US. Hosting games in small venues, the NBL paved the way for the professional game.
By 1946, the BAA formed and started hosting games in larger venues such as Madison Square Garden. This presence resulted in the likes of Fort Wayne and Indianapolis switching leagues. The resulting disagreements forced the two organisations to agree a merger in 1949 and, with that, the NBA was born.
The 1950s: The NBA started with 17 teams, but interest started to fade and, by 1954, only eight teams remained. In a bid to revive interest in the sport, the NBA introduced a 24-second clock. This innovation sped up the game and increased interest in basketball. With players forced into making plays in less time, the game became one of the fastest sports in the US and that’s when its popularity started to soar.
The 1960s: As the money started to roll in, the league experienced a boom in the sixties and expansion was rapid. By the seventies, the NBA consisted of 30 franchises and the wheels today’s booming industry were firmly in motion.
Iconic NBA Moments
With the NBA flying and athletes starting to shine, records tumbled and fans were treated to an increasing number of seminal moments. Although we can’t run through every NBA highlight from the past 70+ years, we have collated some of the most iconic moments from the league’s top talent:
1972: The LA Lakers go on a then record 33-game unbeaten streak to clinch their first NBA title for 18 years.
1980: This was the year the three-point line was introduced. It’s also the first time we got to see future Hall of Famers, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
1984: The greatest player in history by many fan’s standard, Michael Jordan, become a first draft.
1986: Larry Bird hits a 63-point playoff game.
1991: Michael Jordan wins his first NBA championship ring as the Chicago Bulls went 4 and 1 against the LA Lakers.
1994: Michael Jordan retires at the age of 30 but returns in 1995.
1998: Michael Jordan retires again before making a final return in 2002.
2006: Kobe Bryant hits 81 points to cement his status as one of the NBA’s finest.
Even though we could go on and on, the potted history we’ve provided should give you enough of an insight into why the NBA is sporting powerhouse. Regardless of whether you’re a die hard US fan or someone watching from the UK and beyond, the NBA offers high octane entertainment that everyone should experience at least once in their life.
Author bio
Daniel Smyth is a sports and betting writer with almost a decade’s worth of experience producing previews, reviews and analytical pieces on football, MMA, boxing and a wealth of other sports.
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