NBA - 2023

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Introduction 

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is a professional basketball league in North America. It is the highest level of basketball league in the USA and Canada. NBA is recognized by FIBA (International Basketball Federation) and is a member of USA Basketball (USAB). The USAB is the national governing body within the United States. Currently, 30 teams take part in this league (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada).

The teams are divided into Eastern and Western conferences based on time zones. Most teams (13) are in the Eastern Time Zone, 9 are in the Central time zone, 3 in the Mountain zone, and 5 in the Pacific zone. A regular season runs from October to April. Each team plays 82 games. After the end of the regular season, the playoff tournament starts in April and extends into June.

Since 2020, NBA players have been some of the highest-paid athletes in the world by average annual salary per player. The NBA is the fourth wealthiest professional sports league in the world. In North America, NBA is the third wealthiest after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB). The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers (commonly known as the LA Lakers) have the most NBA championship wins. Both teams have won the league, a record, 17 times.

The Golden State Warriors are the defending league champions. They defeated the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the 2022 NBA Finals’ best-of-seven round. This brought their win total to 7, which is the second-highest in the league. The Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs have 6 and 5 league wins respectively.

Table Of Contents

• Details

• History

• 2022-2023 Season

• Where To Watch NBA In India

• Famous Players

• Controversy

• Game Schedule 2023

• Conclusion

Details

History

The NBA was formed in 1949, through a merger between two previously existing leagues – BAA (Basketball Association of America) and NBL (National Basketball League). Since the existing BAA was initiated in 1946, the NBA has always claimed BAA’s history as its own. The NBA initially had 17 franchises participating in a mix of small and big cities. In the 1950s, the 17 franchises consolidated to 11 franchises and then to 8 franchises.

During this period, the smaller-city franchises had shifted their base to bigger cities. These 8 franchises included: the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons, Milwaukee Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals. Although the NBA had started out with only white players, the colour barrier was broken in the 1947-48 season. Japanese born Wataru Misaka was the first non-white and Asian player in the league, playing for the New York Knicks. By the 1950s, a number of African-American players had joined various teams.

The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions. In 2022’s best-of-seven playoff series, they defeated Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics. The Warriors had a home court advantage thanks to their better regular season record. They took the series 4-2 on June 16, winning the last game 103-90. Golden State’s Stephen Curry was named the Finals MVP. This is the first time in his career that he won this accolade.

2022-2023 Season

PlayThe 2022-23 season is the 77th season and is currently underway. It started in October 2022 and will end in April 2023. The playoffs and the NBA finals in June 2023 will follow this. The Boston Celtics are currently leading the Eastern Conference with 42 wins and .712 Pct (Percentile). Milwaukee Bucks closely follow them at 40 wins and .702 Pct. The Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers hold the third and fourth positions.

The Western Conference is lead by the Denver Nuggets at 41 wins and .695 Pct. Followed by Memphis Grizzlies at 35 wins and .614 Pct. On the third, fourth and fifth positions are Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively, with 32 wins each. Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks has the highest PPG (points per game) in the league at 33.3. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers closely follows him at 33.1.

In terms of rebounds, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Domantas Sabonis are leading with 12.3 RPG (rebounds per game). On the defensive side, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies has almost a 3.3 BLKPG (blocks per game) rating, and OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors has a 2.1 STPG (steals per game) rating. A number of experts predict that the Boston Celtics could end the season on top of the Eastern Conference table. While the LA Clippers could win the Western Conference. Both teams have great players and odds in their favour.

Where To Watch NBA In India

There are a number of ways to view NBA games in India. One can watch it on TV channels like MTV, VH1, and some sports channels. The games can also be streamed on Voot Select and Jio TV apps. The official streaming takes place on www.nba.com through a League Pass. Due to the time difference, most matches start early, from 6 am onwards.

Famous Players

Luka Dončić

Luka has been a favourite for the MVP for a few years now, and this could be his year. He even broke the Dallas ‘first-round-exit playoff curse’ last season. As he currently leads the points table, he could take the league by storm and win the MVP award.

Joel Embiid

Joel had the best figures of his career last season as he finished second in the MVP race. As his teammates James Harden and Tyrese Maxey find their own groove, Joel will get more attacking opportunities. His dominance in all games cannot be denied.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis has a special combination of offensive and defensive skills that he brings into play for the Bucks. He even has the highest number of rebounds per game. Giannis is definitely a player to look out for in this season.

Keegan Murray

Keegan Murray seemed like an odd pick by the Sacramento Kings. But, he has stunned th naysayers through his performance. He has a good chance of being in the Rookie of the Year race.

Bennedict Mathurin

This Canadian rookie has become a household name with his preseason 27 points against the New York Knicks. He is bound to get many more chances with the Indiana Pacers. His skill, size and confidence make him stand out among his peers and a good Rookie of the Year contender.

Paolo Banchero

Paolo is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Rookie of the Year award. At 6’10” he is an incredible playmaker and shooter for the Orlando Magic. Although the Magic have the second lowest win total in the Eastern Conference, Paolo can still work wonders in the team.

Controversies

NBA has had a myriad of controversies over the years. From racial and cultural bias, to team relocations, to altercations between players, NBA has seen it all. Various sports publications, fans, and players have criticized the NBA for various decisions on its part.

Game Schedule 2023

This is the schedule for the first two days of March. The second team mentioned in the matchup is the home team. All match timings are in local IST. To view the schedule for the remaining season, one can visit the official NBA website or any basketball or sports news provider.

Conclusion

NBA is one of the most exciting and riveting basketball leagues in the world. It has a large following and viewership in many countries aside from the United States.

It has also been considered the sports equivalent of a boiling pot of cultures.

A foreign player (Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo) has won the MVP award for the last four seasons of the league. Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are well known across the world.

As NBA becomes more common across the world, it becomes more than just a sports league. It is a part of their fans’ lives and identities.

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