The Complete History of Basketball

Basketball has grown from a simple indoor winter activity invented in Massachusetts in 1891 into one of the world's most popular sports. Its history includes peach baskets, fenced-in courts, barnstorming teams, industrial leagues, college tournaments, the rise of the NBA, the challenge of the ABA, the growth of women's basketball and the globalization of the game.

Basketball History Timeline

Year	Event
1891	James Naismith invents basketball at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.
1898	Some of the first organized professional basketball leagues begin operating in the northeastern United States.
1920s	College basketball, industrial teams, AAU basketball and barnstorming become major parts of the sport.
1936	Men's basketball becomes an official Olympic medal sport.
1937	The National Basketball League begins play.
1938	The National Invitation Tournament begins.
1939	The first NCAA men's basketball tournament is held.
1946	The Basketball Association of America begins play.
1949	The BAA and remaining NBL clubs combine to create the National Basketball Association.
1950	The NBA integrates as Chuck Cooper, Nat Clifton and Earl Lloyd enter the league.
1954	The NBA introduces the 24-second shot clock for the 1954-55 season.
1967	The American Basketball Association begins play as a major rival to the NBA.
1976	Four ABA franchises join the NBA. Women's basketball also makes its Olympic debut.
1979	The NBA adopts the three-point field goal.
1984	David Stern becomes NBA commissioner as the league enters a major period of growth.
1992	The United States Olympic "Dream Team" helps accelerate basketball's global growth.
1997	The WNBA begins play.
2020	The COVID-19 pandemic interrupts basketball around the world and leads to the NBA Bubble.
2023	The NBA introduces its In-Season Tournament, later renamed the NBA Cup.

The Origins of Basketball

The game we recognize today as basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 while he was teaching at the International YMCA Training School, now Springfield College, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Naismith had been asked to develop an indoor activity that could keep students physically active during the winter without the excessive physical contact associated with sports such as football. His solution involved a soccer-style ball, two peach baskets and a set of 13 original rules.

The objective was simple: players attempted to throw the ball into an elevated basket. Unlike modern basketball, the bottom of the peach basket was initially closed, meaning the ball had to be manually retrieved after successful shots.

Basketball was not the first civilization to use a ball and elevated goal as part of an athletic contest. Mesoamerican cultures had played varieties of ceremonial ballgames for centuries. Those games, however, developed independently and were fundamentally different from the sport Naismith created.

Basketball Spreads Across America

Naismith's game caught on quickly. YMCA instructors and students helped carry basketball throughout the United States and eventually around the world.

By the late 1890s, basketball was being played across the country, including throughout the Western United States. The sport became popular enough in Utah that basketball was included among festivities surrounding Utah's admission to the Union in 1896.

Women also adopted basketball almost immediately. Women's basketball began developing during the 1890s, although different regions and institutions frequently used modified rules.

The early game would have looked very strange to a modern fan. Courts sometimes featured wire mesh or netting surrounding the playing area. This contributed to basketball players being nicknamed "cagers."

Early baskets could be made from peach baskets or other improvised containers, and backboards were not yet universal. Physical play was common, and the rules governing contact continued to evolve as organizers tried to make the sport safer.

The Birth of Professional Basketball

Professional basketball emerged surprisingly early. By 1898, organized professional leagues were appearing in the northeastern United States, including the original National Basketball League and the Interstate Basketball League.

These early leagues were concentrated primarily in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Teams frequently operated with limited financial resources, and leagues often reorganized, folded or replaced franchises in the middle of a season.

Scores were generally much lower than they are today, partly because the game lacked a shot clock and because offensive strategy was still developing.

The Barnstorming Era

As organized professional basketball developed, barnstorming became one of the sport's dominant business models.

Barnstorming clubs were not necessarily tied to a single league schedule. They traveled from city to city playing local teams, other touring clubs and league opponents while receiving appearance fees or a share of ticket revenue.

Some of the greatest teams in early basketball history thrived through barnstorming, including the Buffalo Germans, Original Celtics, New York Renaissance and Harlem Globetrotters.

The model allowed successful teams to survive for years even while organized leagues frequently collapsed around them.

Basketball After World War I

World War I disrupted many of basketball's early leagues, but the sport grew rapidly again after the war.

One important development was the rise of company-sponsored basketball. Corporations formed teams made up partly or entirely of employees. Players could receive steady employment while also competing for the company's basketball team.

This model became particularly important in the industrial Midwest and helped create many of the organizations that later populated the National Basketball League.

The Rochester Seagrams, founded in the 1920s, eventually evolved through a long series of organizational changes into the Rochester Royals and ultimately the modern Sacramento Kings.

The Growth of College Basketball

College basketball also expanded rapidly during the first decades of the 20th century.

Early college basketball was concentrated heavily in the Northeast, but by the 1920s colleges throughout the country were sponsoring teams and organizing conferences.

The sport gained a more formal national championship structure during the late 1930s. The National Invitation Tournament began in 1938, followed by the NCAA Tournament in 1939.

For many years, the NIT and NCAA Tournament competed for prestige. Eventually, the NCAA Tournament became the dominant championship event and developed into what is now known as March Madness.

Basketball Becomes an International Sport

Basketball began spreading beyond the United States soon after its invention. YMCA instructors, schools, missionaries and military personnel helped introduce the game throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Basketball appeared as a demonstration sport at early Olympic events before men's basketball became an official Olympic medal sport at the 1936 Berlin Games.

International competition continued expanding throughout the 20th century, eventually leading to strong national programs in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Women's Basketball Develops

Women began playing basketball almost immediately after the sport's invention. High schools and colleges became particularly important centers for women's basketball during the early 20th century.

One remarkable early performance came on February 26, 1924, when Maryland high-school player Marie Boyd scored 156 points in a game her team won 163-3.

Women's basketball developed differently from men's basketball in many regions, with modified rules and restrictions on movement remaining in place for decades.

Eventually, women's college basketball expanded nationally, international competition grew, and women's basketball became an Olympic medal sport in 1976.

Basketball During the Great Depression

The Great Depression devastated many American businesses, but basketball remained relatively inexpensive entertainment compared with several other professional sports.

Industrial basketball became particularly important. Companies could provide players with jobs while sponsoring teams that generated local publicity and community interest.

Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin became especially important centers for professional and industrial basketball.

The American Basketball League

The American Basketball League became one of the most significant professional circuits before the rise of the NBA.

The ABL included prominent teams such as the Cleveland Rosenblums, Philadelphia Sphas, New York Celtics and Baltimore Bullets at various points in its history.

The league experienced several interruptions and reorganizations but helped establish professional basketball along the East Coast.

The National Basketball League

One of the most important developments in professional basketball came when the Midwest Basketball Conference reorganized as the National Basketball League in 1937.

The NBL combined industrial teams, established independent clubs and locally sponsored franchises. Early members included organizations connected with Goodyear, Firestone and other Midwestern companies.

Important NBL teams included the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, Akron Firestone Non-Skids, Oshkosh All-Stars, Sheboygan Red Skins, Indianapolis Kautskys and Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons.

Oshkosh, Fort Wayne and the Early NBL Stars

The Oshkosh All-Stars became one of the league's first great powers behind center Leroy "Cowboy" Edwards.

Later, the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons emerged as a dominant organization behind guard Bobby McDermott and owner Fred Zollner.

By the mid-1940s, the NBL featured many of the best professional basketball players in the United States.

George Mikan Changes Professional Basketball

The league's biggest star eventually became George Mikan.

Mikan starred for the Chicago American Gears before joining the Minneapolis Lakers after the collapse of Maurice White's Professional Basketball League of America.

The 6-foot-10 Mikan became professional basketball's first dominant superstar center and helped transform the Minneapolis Lakers into one of the sport's premier franchises.

Integration in Professional Basketball

The NBL was also important in the integration of professional basketball. During World War II, teams including the Chicago Studebaker Flyers and Toledo Jim White Chevrolets employed African-American players.

The New York Renaissance, one of the greatest Black basketball teams in history, also joined the NBL during the league's final season and finished the year as the Dayton Rens.

The World Professional Basketball Tournament

Beginning in 1939, many of the best professional teams in the country competed in the World Professional Basketball Tournament in Chicago.

The tournament brought together clubs from the NBL, ABL and other regional leagues along with famous barnstorming teams such as the Harlem Globetrotters and New York Rens.

NBL teams generally performed extremely well in the tournament, helping establish the league's reputation for having some of the best basketball talent in the country.

The Basketball Association of America

The professional basketball landscape changed dramatically in 1946 with the creation of the Basketball Association of America.

Unlike the NBL, which was concentrated primarily in smaller and medium-sized Midwestern cities, the BAA attempted to use major arenas in large metropolitan markets such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago.

The BAA had access to major venues and significant financial backing, while the NBL initially possessed many of the better-established players and teams.

The First BAA Game

The BAA played its first game on November 1, 1946, when the New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Huskies, 68-66, at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Ossie Schectman of New York scored the first basket of the game.

Read more about the first game in NBA history.

Christmas Day Basketball

The BAA began playing games on Christmas Day in 1947. The New York Knicks hosted the Providence Steamrollers at Madison Square Garden on December 25, helping establish what eventually became one of the NBA's most recognizable regular-season traditions.

The NBL and BAA Battle for Professional Basketball

By the late 1940s, the NBL and BAA were competing directly for franchises, players and control of professional basketball.

The balance shifted dramatically in 1948 when the Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons and Indianapolis Kautskys left the NBL for the BAA.

The move gave the BAA several elite franchises and, most importantly, George Mikan.

The Formation of the NBA

By 1949, competition between the NBL and BAA had become financially difficult for both leagues.

On August 3, 1949, the remaining major NBL organizations and BAA agreed to combine operations under the name National Basketball Association.

The new NBA began the 1949-50 season with 17 teams.

Several small-market franchises disappeared over the following seasons as the league contracted and attempted to establish financial stability.

By the middle of the 1950s, the NBA had been reduced to eight franchises: the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors, Syracuse Nationals, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons and St. Louis Hawks.

Integration of the NBA

The NBA officially integrated in 1950.

Chuck Cooper became the first African-American player drafted by an NBA team when Boston selected him. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton became one of the first Black players to sign an NBA contract, while Earl Lloyd became the first African-American player to appear in an NBA regular-season game.

Three years earlier, Wat Misaka, an American of Japanese ancestry, had played three games for the New York Knicks, becoming the first non-white player in BAA/NBA history.

The Lowest-Scoring Game and Basketball's Biggest Problem

The early NBA had a serious problem: teams could simply hold the ball when they gained a lead.

The most famous example came on November 22, 1950, when the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18.

Fort Wayne deliberately slowed the game to prevent George Mikan and the Lakers from dominating. The result was one of the lowest-scoring and least entertaining games in professional basketball history.

The 24-Second Shot Clock

The solution arrived for the 1954-55 season when the NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock.

The concept is most closely associated with Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone, who calculated that 24 seconds would create roughly 120 possessions in a regulation game and produce a more exciting pace.

The shot clock transformed professional basketball almost immediately. Scoring increased, deliberate stalling largely disappeared and the game began developing into the faster sport modern fans recognize.

Read more about the history of the NBA shot clock.

Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and the 1960s

The 1960s produced two of basketball's greatest stars and one of its greatest rivalries: Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

Russell's Boston Celtics became the dominant dynasty in professional basketball. Boston won 11 championships in 13 seasons from 1957 through 1969, including eight consecutive titles from 1959 through 1966.

Chamberlain produced scoring and rebounding numbers that remain almost impossible to comprehend today.

On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain scored an NBA-record 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

During the 1961-62 season he averaged 50.4 points and 48.5 minutes per game.

Read more about Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game.

The NBA Expands Across America

The NBA began expanding aggressively during the 1960s and 1970s.

Chicago received the Packers in 1961. The franchise became the Zephyrs before relocating to Baltimore as the Bullets.

The NBA returned to Chicago with the Bulls in 1966. Seattle and San Diego joined in 1967, Milwaukee and Phoenix in 1968, Buffalo, Cleveland and Portland in 1970, and New Orleans in 1974.

At the same time, several established franchises moved west. The Minneapolis Lakers relocated to Los Angeles in 1960, while the Philadelphia Warriors moved to San Francisco in 1962.

The American Basketball Association Challenges the NBA

The NBA received its most serious rival in 1967 with the creation of the American Basketball Association.

The ABA placed teams in markets such as Indianapolis, Louisville, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh and New Orleans while also challenging the NBA in major metropolitan areas.

The league developed a distinctive identity built around a red, white and blue basketball, a faster style of play and the three-point field goal.

The ABA's Stars

The ABA attracted major stars including Connie Hawkins, Rick Barry, Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, George Gervin, David Thompson, George McGinnis and Moses Malone.

The competition between the ABA and NBA increased salaries and gave professional players greater leverage.

The ABA-NBA Agreement

Financial problems eventually overwhelmed the ABA.

By 1976, only a handful of viable franchises remained. Four ABA teams were admitted to the NBA: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs.

The Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis ceased operations under separate financial agreements.

The arrival of ABA players, coaches and ideas immediately influenced the NBA. The NBA eventually adopted the three-point field goal in 1979.

Basketball and Social Change

Basketball increasingly reflected the social and political changes taking place in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.

Bill Russell became one of the country's most prominent athlete-activists during the Civil Rights era. Other professional and college players also used their platforms to address racial inequality, war and social justice.

Player rights became a major legal issue as well. Cases involving Connie Hawkins, Spencer Haywood and other athletes challenged restrictions imposed by professional leagues and helped reshape the relationship between players and team owners.

The NBA's Difficult 1970s

The 1970s produced tremendous basketball but also presented the NBA with serious image and financial problems.

The decade featured greater championship parity than the Celtics-dominated 1960s, but television ratings and league popularity were inconsistent.

Several highly publicized incidents hurt the NBA's image, including the 1977 altercation in which Kermit Washington punched Rudy Tomjanovich.

At the same time, basketball continued to expand nationally and internationally.

The 1979 NCAA Championship Changes Basketball

One of the most important games in basketball history took place in Salt Lake City in 1979 when Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans defeated Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA championship game.

The matchup generated enormous national attention and helped accelerate the growth of March Madness.

More importantly for the NBA, Bird and Johnson soon joined its two most famous franchises.

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and the NBA's 1980s Revival

The arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird helped begin a new era for professional basketball.

Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers developed the fast-paced "Showtime" style, while Bird's Boston Celtics became their primary Eastern rival.

Boston and Los Angeles met in the NBA Finals three times during the decade: 1984, 1985 and 1987.

Although they met only three times, at least one of the two franchises appeared in every NBA Finals from 1980 through 1989.

The Lakers won five championships during the decade and Boston won three.

The 1984 NBA Draft

The 1984 NBA Draft became one of the most famous drafts in league history.

Houston selected Hakeem Olajuwon first overall. Portland selected Sam Bowie second, and Chicago selected North Carolina guard Michael Jordan third.

Charles Barkley went fifth to Philadelphia, while Utah selected John Stockton with the 16th pick.

Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley and Stockton all became Hall of Fame players and helped define professional basketball for the next two decades.

The NBA Draft Lottery

The NBA introduced the draft lottery in 1985 in an effort to discourage teams from intentionally losing games to improve their draft position.

The New York Knicks won the first lottery and selected Georgetown center Patrick Ewing with the first overall pick.

The lottery format has been altered repeatedly since then as the league has continued trying to balance competitive fairness with incentives to rebuild.

The Bad Boy Pistons

As Boston's dynasty declined, the Detroit Pistons emerged as one of the league's most intimidating teams.

Led by Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Vinnie Johnson, Rick Mahorn and John Salley, Detroit became known as the "Bad Boys."

The Pistons reached three consecutive NBA Finals from 1988 through 1990 and won championships in 1989 and 1990.

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan's rise transformed both the Chicago Bulls and the NBA.

Jordan became one of the most recognizable athletes in the world through his combination of spectacular play, championships, endorsements and global marketing.

The Bulls finally defeated Detroit in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals and then beat Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers to win Chicago's first NBA championship.

The Bulls won three consecutive championships from 1991 through 1993.

Magic Johnson and HIV

In November 1991, Magic Johnson shocked the sports world by announcing that he had tested positive for HIV and was retiring from the NBA.

Public understanding of HIV and AIDS was still limited, and Johnson's announcement became one of the most significant moments in the history of sports and public health awareness.

Johnson returned for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game and then participated in the Olympics that summer.

The 1992 Dream Team and Basketball Goes Global

The 1992 United States Olympic team became one of the most famous teams in sports history.

The roster featured Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler and college star Christian Laettner.

The United States dominated the Barcelona Olympics and won the gold medal.

More importantly, the worldwide attention generated by the Dream Team accelerated basketball's international popularity and inspired generations of players outside the United States.

Jordan Retires and the Houston Rockets Rise

Michael Jordan unexpectedly retired in 1993 and pursued a professional baseball career.

With Jordan absent, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets won consecutive championships in 1994 and 1995.

The 1995 Rockets entered the playoffs as the sixth seed and became the lowest-seeded team ever to win the NBA championship.

Jordan Returns and the Bulls Win 72 Games

Jordan returned to the NBA in March 1995.

The following season, Chicago produced one of the greatest seasons in basketball history. The 1995-96 Bulls finished 72-10 and became the first NBA team to win 70 games in a season.

Chicago won championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998, giving Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson six titles in eight seasons.

The Rise of Modern Women's Basketball

Women's basketball underwent enormous growth during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Women's basketball became an Olympic medal sport in 1976, and college programs expanded rapidly following changes in educational opportunities for female athletes.

In 1977, the New Orleans Jazz selected Lusia Harris in the NBA Draft, making her the first and only woman officially selected by an NBA team.

The 1996 Olympic Team and the WNBA

The United States women's basketball team won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics behind a roster that included Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Edwards and other stars.

The success and popularity of that team helped build momentum for a new professional league.

The WNBA began play in 1997 with eight franchises.

The 1998 NBA Lockout

The NBA entered a difficult transition after Chicago's sixth championship.

A labor dispute resulted in the 1998-99 lockout, delaying the start of the season and reducing the schedule to 50 games.

Michael Jordan retired again, Phil Jackson left Chicago and Scottie Pippen was traded to Houston.

The San Antonio Spurs eventually won the 1999 championship behind Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers Dynasty

The Los Angeles Lakers emerged as the next dominant team under coach Phil Jackson.

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles to championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The Lakers became the first NBA team since Michael Jordan's Bulls to win three consecutive championships.

The Malice at the Palace

On November 19, 2004, a game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons descended into one of the most infamous fights in professional sports history.

After Ben Wallace shoved Ron Artest following a hard foul, a confrontation developed between players. A spectator then threw a drink at Artest, who entered the stands.

Players and spectators became involved in a prolonged brawl that became known as the Malice at the Palace.

The NBA issued unprecedented suspensions and later strengthened arena security and rules governing player-fan interaction.

The Tim Donaghy Scandal

The NBA suffered another major credibility crisis in 2007 when referee Tim Donaghy became the subject of a federal investigation involving gambling on NBA games.

Donaghy later pleaded guilty to federal charges. The scandal raised significant questions about officiating, gambling and the integrity of professional basketball.

LeBron James Emerges

The 2003 NBA Draft brought a new generation of stars into the league.

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James first overall. Carmelo Anthony went to Denver, Chris Bosh to Toronto and Dwyane Wade to Miami.

James quickly developed into the most prominent player of his generation and led Cleveland to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2007.

The Celtics-Lakers Rivalry Returns

Boston rebuilt around Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and returned to the NBA Finals in 2008.

The Celtics defeated Kobe Bryant's Lakers for the championship, renewing a rivalry that had defined earlier eras of NBA history.

Los Angeles won championships in 2009 and 2010, defeating Boston in a seven-game Finals series in 2010.

LeBron James and the Miami Heat

In 2010, LeBron James announced that he would leave Cleveland and sign with the Miami Heat.

Chris Bosh joined James and Dwyane Wade, creating one of the most highly publicized superstar combinations in league history.

Miami reached four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 through 2014 and won championships in 2012 and 2013.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated Miami in 2011, while the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Heat in 2014.

The Internationalization of the NBA

The influence of international basketball increased enormously from the 1990s onward.

Players such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Steve Nash helped establish the NBA as a genuinely international league.

The NBA also began staging regular-season games outside the United States and Canada, including games in Japan, Mexico, Europe and other international markets.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors

The next major transformation of basketball came through Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Under coach Steve Kerr, Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green developed a style built around spacing, ball movement and three-point shooting.

Golden State won the 2015 NBA championship and then finished the 2015-16 regular season 73-9, breaking Chicago's record for regular-season victories.

The Warriors lost the 2016 NBA Finals to Cleveland after leading the series 3-1.

Cleveland Wins Its First NBA Championship

LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014 and led the Cavaliers to four consecutive Finals appearances.

In 2016, Cleveland defeated Golden State in seven games to win the first NBA championship in franchise history.

James' chase-down block late in Game 7 became one of the defining plays of the era.

Kevin Durant Joins Golden State

Golden State responded to its 2016 Finals loss by signing former NBA MVP Kevin Durant.

The combination of Durant, Curry, Thompson and Green produced one of the most talented teams in basketball history.

Golden State won championships in 2017 and 2018 and returned to the Finals again in 2019.

Toronto Makes Basketball History

The Toronto Raptors reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 2019.

Led by Kawhi Leonard, Toronto defeated Golden State in six games and became the first NBA franchise based outside the United States to win the championship.

COVID-19 Stops the Basketball World

The 2019-20 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 11, 2020, a scheduled game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was abruptly postponed shortly before tipoff after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

The NBA suspended its season that night. Within days, the NCAA Tournament and nearly every other major sporting competition in North America had also been cancelled or postponed.

The NBA Bubble

The NBA resumed its season in July 2020 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Teams lived and played in a controlled environment that became known as the NBA Bubble.

The unusual postseason culminated with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Basketball After the Pandemic

Fans gradually returned to arenas during the 2020-21 season.

The Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 championship, Golden State returned to the top in 2022 and Denver captured its first NBA championship in 2023.

Boston won the 2024 championship, continuing an era in which several different franchises reached the top of the league.

The International MVP Era

International players became increasingly dominant during the late 2010s and 2020s.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined to win consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player awards during a period in which the league's elite talent became more internationally diverse than at any previous point in its history.

Jokic also became one of the most unusual offensive centers in basketball history, combining elite scoring and rebounding with point-guard-level passing.

Basketball's Modern Scoring Revolution

Modern basketball has increasingly emphasized three-point shooting, spacing, pace and offensive efficiency.

The influence of Stephen Curry and the Warriors helped accelerate a league-wide shift toward long-range shooting.

At the same time, rule changes, analytics and changes in offensive strategy helped produce some of the highest-scoring seasons since the early decades of the NBA.

The NBA Cup

The NBA introduced an In-Season Tournament during the 2023-24 season as an attempt to create additional significance during the early portion of the regular season.

All 30 teams participated in group play followed by knockout rounds, with the championship held in Las Vegas.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural tournament in 2023, and the competition was subsequently branded as the NBA Cup.

The Milwaukee Bucks won the 2024 NBA Cup.

The 2025 Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis Trade

One of the most shocking transactions in NBA history occurred in February 2025 when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a multi-team deal centered around Anthony Davis.

The move stunned players, fans and executives throughout the league because Doncic was still in his prime and had led Dallas to the NBA Finals only months earlier.

Oklahoma City and the New Generation

The Oklahoma City Thunder emerged as one of the defining young teams of the mid-2020s behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a deep roster built largely through the draft.

Oklahoma City reached the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers and won the championship in seven games.

The series represented another chapter in an era in which smaller-market teams became increasingly capable of competing for championships.

The Lasting Evolution of Basketball

Basketball today bears little resemblance to the game James Naismith introduced in 1891.

Peach baskets became metal rims and nets. Caged courts disappeared. The center jump after every basket was eliminated. The shot clock transformed offensive strategy. The three-point line stretched defenses. Players became larger, faster and more skilled, while analytics changed the way teams evaluate almost every possession.

The sport also expanded far beyond its American roots. Professional leagues exist throughout the world, international players populate NBA and WNBA rosters, and Olympic basketball is among the most recognizable global sporting competitions.

Yet the basic objective remains remarkably similar to Naismith's original idea: put the ball through an elevated basket more often than the opponent.

Explore More Basketball History

Sources and Historical References

NBA Hoops Online uses contemporary newspaper reports, league records, team records, statistical databases and historical research to document the development of basketball. Important institutional resources for the early history of the sport include Springfield College, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA, NCAA, USA Basketball, FIBA and the International Olympic Committee.

Because basketball developed through hundreds of professional, amateur, industrial, collegiate and independent teams, early records can occasionally conflict. NBA Hoops Online continues to update this history as additional records and contemporary sources become available.