Founded on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America, the National Basketball Association name was not adapted until 1949, when the BAA merged with the rival National Basketball League. In 1953, the Boston Celtics beat the Syracuse Nationals in a quadruple overtime game.

The following season, the addition of the 24-second shot clock helped moved play along and built more excitement among basketball fans. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game in 1962, a record that still stands in the NBA today.

In 1967, the American Basketball Association posed a threat to the NBA when both leagues began battling for talent. Eventually, the ABA joined with the NBA in 1976. Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns is considered by many to be the best NBA game ever played.

In 1979, the NBA added the ABA’s innovative three-point field goal line. In the 80s the NBA adapted a three referee system and added four expansion teams to bring the NBA to 27 teams. When the Phoenix Suns played the Utah Jazz in Tokyo in 1990, it marked the first time any of the major professional sports teams had played each other outside of the United States.

The Olympic Dream Team of 1992 was the first Olympic basketball team to use NBA stars. In the 90s, the NBA expanded to Canada with the Toronto Raptors, and featured the first women to referee a professional sport. The Vancouver Grizzlies also represented Canada for a short time before relocating to Memphis. Also, a number of players from other countries began coming to the NBA, such as Houston Rockets star Yao Ming.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1996, the NBA put together a list of The 50 Greatest Players in NBA history. Both past and present NBA players were included. For the first time in the NBA, the 1998-99 season was shortened to 50 games due to a lockout. The NBA expanded back to Charlotte in 2003 to bring the NBA up to 30 teams, to fill the void created when the Charlotte Hornets franchise moved to New Orleans. A bargaining agreement was reached in June of 2005 shortly before the collective bargaining agreement ran out, preventing a second lockout. Currently televised in 212 nations and in 42 languages, the NBA continues to evolve as one of the premier sports leagues in the world.

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