About the history, evolution, development, and important events of the NBA

A hundred years after the emergence of basketball, Michael Jordan dominated the basketball world with his difficult aerial moves. In the past few decades, stars such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal have established NBA dynasties one after another. In recent years, professional players' contracts and endorsement income have reached millions of dollars. However, the origins of basketball are very humble.

The establishment of the National Basketball League (NBA) was not an easy process. The game of basketball and the original idea for the NBA began in a school in Massachusetts. The sport was originally created to keep students at this college in good health during the long winter.

In 1891, the athletic director of the International YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) asked Dr. James Naismith to invent an easy-to-learn method. Play indoor sports. Naismith combined several popular sports such as baseball, lacrosse, American football, rugby and football with the games of his childhood, and finally compiled 13 simple rules, and the game of basketball was born

When the first competition was organized, the players were not shooting at all - they were just trying their best to put the ball into the peach basket, which was nailed to the lower railing of the stadium stand in advance. After the janitor nailed the basket, Naismith waited for the students to arrive and began physical education class. The long and cold winter makes students very lazy and unwilling to participate in sports activities.

“There were 18 students in the class,” Naismith recalled. “I picked two captains and let them choose the field. I arranged their positions on the field. Each team had three forwards. , three centers and three guards. I chose two centers to prepare for the jump ball, and then threw the ball between them. From then on, the students were never late for physical education class.

In the first basketball game held on December 21, 1891, 18 students were divided into two teams of nine players each. It was not until 1897 that the standard of five players per team was established.

The first game was a great success. The students played basketball for a whole class and the game ended with a score of 1-0. This score is a far cry from the scores in today's NBA games.

The technology of "dribbling" did not exist at that time. According to one of Naismith's original 13 rules, players may only pass the ball to teammates, and teammates may not move after receiving the ball. The initial dribbling on the court is achieved by passing the ball back and forth between players.

Part of the reason for adopting such a rule is that the earliest basketball was a brown, irregularly shaped ball that was often used in football games at that time. It wasn't until more than 50 years later that the orange-red basketball we know appeared.

However, despite basketball's humble beginnings and relatively simple rules, it quickly spread on campuses, throughout the United States through YMCA branches, and eventually by YMCA missionaries spread throughout the world.

Naismith, who is humble and never ostentatious, is known as the "Father of Basketball." The game he invented to keep his refractory students occupied during the long, cold winters eventually became one of the most popular sports in the world.

However, it took more than 40 years, until the end of World War II, for the American Basketball League to begin to take shape, which was later known as the NBA.

The time soon came to 1946. At that time, many high schools and colleges in the United States had already formed basketball teams and participated in leagues, but a nationwide professional basketball league had yet to be created.

During this period, basketball began to develop rapidly. The center does not have to return to midfield to jump the ball again after each goal is scored.

The fast-paced games sell out, and basketball games make a lot of money in college. Team owners in other professional sports took notice and were eager to generate higher profits by promoting basketball across the country. However, this process is lengthy.

On June 6, 1946, the owners of the Boston Bruins and the New York City Madison Square Garden team in the National Hockey League, as well as others, formed a minor league, the American Basketball Association (American Basketball Association). Basketball Association America (BAA). The new 11-team league faces numerous obstacles.

It was very difficult at the beginning, the attendance was pitifully low, the BAA team lacked the reputation and the appeal of the stars. At that time, the college basketball league received the most attention, while the best professional players mostly played in the 10-year-old National Basketball League (NBL) or other smaller leagues.

The BAA has financial backing and a competitive venue, while the NBL has the most popular players, one of which is particularly eye-catching is George Mikan, who is 2.08 meters tall. He came out of DePaul University in 1946 and went on to become one of the players who dominated that era.

The NBL club team is strong and has provided strong support for the professional league that has begun to take shape over the years. Several of these clubs later developed into famous teams in today's NBA. Examples include Fort Wayne (now the Detroit Pistons), Syracuse (now the Philadelphia 76ers), and Minneapolis (now the Los Angeles Lakers).

Club bosses understand that the fragmented leagues must merge. On the eve of the 1948-1949 season, BAA president Maurice Podoloff successfully made the NBL's Fort Wayne and Indianapolis teams switch to the BAA. The Rochester team, the best team in the NBL at the time, also moved to the BAA.

The young BAA has since had 12 teams, playing 60 games per season. By 1950, the BAA had expanded to Denver in the west, with 17 teams divided into three divisions. However, because it has been suffering losses, the BAA alliance has re-reformed.

The reorganized league made its debut in the 1950-1951 season, with 11 teams participating in 66 games. The team that most attracted fans at that time was the Minneapolis Lakers led by superstar McCann. At the same time, the pre-game performances of the "Harlem Globetrotters" were also very exciting. The games with their performances were always full of seats. .

In fact, as early as the 1947-1948 season, Japanese-American Wataru Misaka joined the New York Knicks, but it is generally believed that the NBA only truly broke the color barrier in 1950. limit. The protagonists of the NBA at that time were African-American players, such as Chuck Cooper of the Boston Celtics, Nat Clifton of the New York Knicks and the Washington Capitols ) of Earl Lloyd.

In order to speed up the pace of the game and prevent teams from stalling for time, the NBA began to use the 24-second shot clock rule, which is still one of the main rules of the league to this day.

In 1954, the number of NBA teams dropped to the lowest level in history, only 8 teams, namely: Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Kings, Pistons, Hawks and 76ers. In the following decades, the NBA gradually expanded with these teams as the core. At that time, the Lakers led by McCann were the top team. This team won 5 championships and established one of the earliest dynasties in the NBA.

However, in 1957, Bill Russell, who had just finished participating in the Olympics, joined the Celtics in the middle of the season through the draft. From then on, a more powerful Celtic dynasty was gradually established. The effect of Russell joining was immediate, and he helped the Celtics win their first championship in his first season. He played in the league for 13 years. Russell was a player, captain and player-coach during his time with the Celtics, and he won more championship rings than he has on his fingers.

By the late 1950s and early 1960s, the NBA was larger and stronger. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors came to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals chose Philadelphia to relocate. In 1961, the Chicago Packers, now the Washington Wizards, became the ninth team to join the NBA. From 1966 to 1968, five more teams joined the NBA, namely: Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, San Diego Rockets (moved to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.

In 1959, basketball superstar Wilt Chamberlain stepped onto the NBA stage as a rookie. It can be said that Chamberlain was the most dazzling star at the time. Like Michael Jordan, he was extremely popular with fans and attracted many people to pay attention to the NBA.

In 1959, the Philadelphia Warriors selected Chamberlain in the draft. Chamberlain is strong and strong. When he debuted in the rookie game, he was 2.16 meters tall and weighed 113 kilograms. He averaged 37 points and 27 rebounds per game. Later, Chamberlain even set a record of scoring 100 points in a single game. In 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. So far, this is the closest score to Chamberlain's record.

Although Chamberlain showed great star power, the 1960s belonged to Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics. Beginning in 1959, under the guidance of coach Auerbach, Russell and his teammates guard Bob Cousy and forward Tommy Heinsohn led the Celtics The Celtics won an unprecedented eight consecutive championships and established the Celtics dynasty. This has also become a record that no one can break in the history of American professional sports. Chamberlain later moved to the Los Angeles Lakers, igniting the legendary rivalry between the two teams. Media figures such as sports columnists and commentators paid keen attention to Russell and Chamberlain, and even called the duel between them a "super collision" and a "battle of giants."

In 1967, the Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, ending their eight-game winning streak. Although Russell's team was already aging, he still won two more championship rings in 1968 and 1969 before retiring.

By 1970, in addition to Chamberlain and Russell, there was another rookie in the league, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969. . From 1966 to 1974, the number of NBA franchises expanded from 9 to 18.

However, the league organized by the emerging American Basketball Association (ABA) has a gorgeous and open style of play, which has challenged the NBA. In particular, an ABA player known as Dr. J fundamentally changed the game of basketball, and many subsequent stars were influenced by him.

ABA was founded in 1967 by sports promoter Dennis Murphy and some investors. The ABA became a direct competitor of the NBA. In addition to the different shot clock rules (30 seconds in the ABA and 24 seconds in the NBA), many features of the newly emerged ABA league can be seen in the modern NBA, such as: the three-point line and full-field shooting in the game. Dunk Contest in Star Game.

The most obvious difference between the two major leagues is the game ball. The ABA league uses red, white, and blue basketballs. When superstar Julius Erving of the ABA New York Nets (later the New Jersey Nets) soared into the air, the ball was like a shining light in his hands. Irving, known as Dr. J, was one of the first players in the league to perform aerial performances. His gorgeous flying movements, pleasing slam dunks, unique style of play and outstanding competitive ability influenced many subsequent NBA stars, including the Flying Man. Jordan. In addition to Dr. J, the ABA also has many stars such as Moses Malone, Artis Gilmore, Connie Hawkins and George Gervin. While these stars played passionate games, the ABA had no national television contracts and struggled financially. After nine seasons, the remaining ABA teams were merged or absorbed into the NBA.

In 1974, the New Orleans Jazz (later the Utah Jazz) joined the NBA. In 1976, four teams, the Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, entered the NBA. At this point, the total number of NBA teams has expanded to 22.

Dr. J’s outstanding basketball ability and exciting style of play may be one of the main reasons why the NBA began to pay attention to the ABA and strive to absorb its teams. Although it was impossible to predict future development prospects at the time, the move to absorb ABA teams laid the foundation for today's fast-paced NBA style.

Every dunk, alley-oop, no-look pass or buzzer-beating three-pointer in a modern NBA game is more or less ABA style. It was generally believed that the NBA's style of play before the merger was conservative and boring.

"The NBA games I watch every night are the same as the previous ABA games," said Irving, the current executive vice president of the Orlando Magic, in an interview with the NBA's official website. "We watch in NBA games The fast-paced offensive and defensive transitions, three-point long shots and many tactics come from ABA games. There is no doubt that the talent, innovation and entertainment displayed by NBA players come from the ABA league. ”

By the time the merger of the two major leagues was completed in 1976, the NBA had reached an unprecedented scale. Many of the league's stars went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. These stars include Dr. J, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Walt Frazier and Pete? Pete Maravich.

After the merger, the NBA has become very powerful. Its next goal is to go out of the United States and let the world know about the NBA. The globalization of the NBA began in 1979. It was in this year that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the NBA. Larry Bird calls himself "a redneck from French Lick, Indiana," and Johnson's performance dazzles. The two players were rivals in college, and now they are competing against each other in the NBA.

While two basketball giants, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, competed, another player who had a huge impact on the NBA— —Michael Jordan stepped onto the NBA stage. Jordan's powerful impact on the basket quickly attracted the attention of fans during the game. During this period, the three basketball superstars became the pillars of the NBA. They led the trend of NBA globalization and became idols in the hearts of many fans.

Bird and Magic Johnson have completely different styles of play. Bird Bird is by no means the fastest player in the NBA, but he can deeply understand the essence of the basketball game, and his jump shot is very accurate.

Magic, with his superb ball-handling skills and elusive passing skills, led the Lakers to play a highly entertaining fast break and created the Lakers' basketball style known as "Showtime basketball."

Bird and Johnson have always been rivals on the basketball court. The rivalry between them started long before they entered the NBA. In 1979, in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball finals, the Indiana University Figs led by Bird competed with the University of Michigan Spartans led by Johnson. In the end, the Spartans won, but the showdown between the two superstars continued in the NBA.

Bird's style of play suited the style of the Boston Celtics in the 1980s - his down-to-earth, blue-collar style endeared him to Boston fans. On the West Coast, Johnson's "showtime" blended perfectly with the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles.

Through drafts and trades, both teams have equipped their respective stars with excellent teammates. Bird ended up playing alongside center Robert Parish, forward Kevin McHale and guards Danny Ainge and Dennis Johnson. Magic paired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Lakers later added James Worthy, Byron Scott and A.C. Green to the starting lineup. A.C. Green).

Back then, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain dominated the league. More than two decades later, the powerful lineups of the two teams reignited the war between the Celtics and Lakers. In the 1980s, the showdown between the two teams attracted the attention of fans around the world.

In 1984, Bird and Magic Johnson each led their teams to the Finals, and the two sides launched a championship battle. Five years ago, the two superstars met in the NCAA finals, and now they have a peak showdown in the NBA finals. The media coverage came in waves, and the game between the two sides was epic and magnificent. In the end, the Celtics won the championship. In 1985, the two teams reached the Finals again, but this time Magic and his Lakers emerged victorious.

In the 1980s, the Celtics led by Bird won three championships, while the Lakers led by Magic won five championships, including consecutive championships in 1987 and 1988. Won the championship and became the first team to successfully defend the championship after the Celtics led by Bill Russell.

In the 1980s, the NBA expanded by four more teams: the Dallas Mavericks, the Charlotte Hornets (later the New Orleans Hornets), the Orlando Magic and the Minnesota Timberwolves. At this point, the total number of NBA teams has reached 27.

In 1984, the NBA borrowed ideas from the ABA and added a slam dunk contest to the All-Star Weekend activities, and two years later a three-point contest.

Bird and Magic were the kings of the league at that time, but in 1984, Michael Jordan stepped onto the NBA stage and gradually became the new ruler of the NBA. In the minds of many, Jordan lit up the NBA courts and was the greatest basketball player of all time. After being selected by the Chicago Bulls, Jordan, as a rookie, was good at individual performances on the court. People saw his super scoring ability and brilliant dunks. Early in his career, he once scored 63 points against Bird and his Celtics. About 10 years later, the Bulls front office built a championship team around Jordan. In order to grow into a more comprehensive player, Jordan trained hard even during the interseason. At this point, a new dynasty in the NBA was born.

From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the Celtics and Lakers gradually lost their former glory. The Bulls led by Jordan dominated the entire league, winning the championship again and again. champion.

However, there is one big obstacle on the Bulls' path to championship glory: the Detroit Pistons, led by point guard Isaiah Thomas. The players of the Detroit Pistons were young, energetic, tenacious, and full of desire to win. They were later called the "Bad Boys."

In addition to Isiah Thomas, the stars of this team include Joe Dumars, Mark Aguirre, and Bill Laimbeer. With Rick Mahorn and a very young Dennis Rodman. In 1989 and 1990, the Pistons won two consecutive championships, becoming the first team to win two consecutive championships since the Lakers ten years ago. However, the Pistons' championship run ended in 1991.

The Chicago Bulls finally formed a strong team. With the integration of young and promising players and experienced veterans, the Bulls began their glorious journey in the NBA.

Michael Jordan is the most successful and market-influential star of his era. He has endorsed sports drinks, sneakers and fast-food restaurants. His No. 23 jersey was the best-selling jersey at the time. Not only was he a dominant player on the basketball court, his image could be seen on television, on magazine covers and on promotional posters.

His opponents are very cautious, lest they become the characters on the posters. Once it is on a poster or magazine cover, the picture must be unable to stop Jordan from scoring a layup or being dunked on the head by Jordan.

In 1991, the Chicago Bulls won the championship for the first time. Since then, Jordan has followed the path paved by his predecessors and written his own legend in NBA history.

In the 1992 and 1993 Finals, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns respectively, achieving a brilliant record of "three consecutive championships". Previously, only Bill had won the championship. ?The Boston Celtics led by Russell have only achieved such results.

At that time, the Bulls were at their peak, Jordan's popularity was soaring, and the NBA was also booming. However, before the start of the 1993-1994 regular season, Jordan announced a very shocking decision. He said that he had lost his He loves basketball, so he plans to retire.

In order to realize his dream of playing in Major League Baseball, Jordan joined the Chicago White Sox and switched to baseball. About two years later, Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls. At the press conference, he simply said, "I'm back."

This time he put on the No. 45 jersey - this is his number in baseball games. The opponent in the first game after coming back was the Knicks. After Jordan left the Bulls, the team's performance was mediocre; and although Jordan himself was gradually recovering, his level was not as good as before. The Bulls eventually lost to the Orlando Magic 2-4 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The failure inspired Jordan to train tirelessly after the season. When the 1995-1996 season began, the Bulls of the past were back. The Bulls won consecutive games in the regular season, recording a 72-10 record, and defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the finals to win their fourth championship. In the 1997 and 1998 Finals, the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz twice, thereby winning their second "three consecutive championships."

After winning 6 championship titles, 5 MVP trophies and 6 Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, Jordan announced his retirement again on January 13, 1999. After that, from 2001 to 2003, he returned to the NBA as a player and played for the Washington Wizards. He was already one of the team's owners at the time. Although he could never regain the form he had during his early career and consecutive championships, in NBA arenas across the United States, whenever Jordan appeared, the audience would hold up countless placards to pay tribute to him for his role in the NBA. A tribute to his contributions and his superb skills.

As Jordan announced his retirement for the third time, he finally left the basketball court. In addition, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had already retired from basketball, and there was a star vacuum in the NBA. A group of well-known young stars and countless newcomers are ready to fill the gaps and prove themselves.

After Jordan retired, the NBA witnessed the rebirth of an old dynasty and the establishment of a new dynasty. With the addition of the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies (later the Memphis Grizzlies), the total number of NBA teams reached 29.

In the 1990s, the Western Conference has always been dominated by the Chicago Bulls, but now the balance of strength is beginning to tilt toward the Western Conference.

At the end of the 1996-1997 season, Shaquille O'Neal transferred from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is considered one of Jordan's successors. Phil Jackson, who had coached Jordan and led the Bulls to two "three consecutive championships", became the coach of the Lakers. He successfully united O'Neal and Bryant, who had strong personalities. In the end, the Lakers dynasty re-emerged and won three consecutive championships.

At that time, if the Lakers did not come out on top, the San Antonio Spurs would win the championship. In 1999, the Spurs led by David Robinson and Tim Duncan won the championship for the first time. This season due to labor disputes, the 82 regular season games were shortened to 50 games. Since then, the Spurs have won three more championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Although the Western Conference has the advantage, the teams in the Eastern Conference are not to be outdone. In 2004 and 2006, the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat won the championship respectively.

On today's NBA stage, a large number of young talents have emerged, and some even joined the NBA right after finishing high school. But fans are still not sure whether rising stars such as Kobe, Wade and LeBron James can inherit Jordan's legacy. In addition, now the NBA has also seen a phenomenon that has existed in baseball and football for many years, that is, the development trend of internationalization. Many international players have joined the NBA.

The globalization and diversity of the NBA can be seen from the names of superstars, such as Yao Ming of the Rockets (China), Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks (Germany), and Manu Ginobili of the Spurs. (Argentina) and Parker (France) and the Lakers’ Gasol (Spain) to name a few.

Now the NBA has expanded to the international market, but the 2008 Finals reminded people of a legendary showdown in the past.

In the 2008 Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, faced off against the Boston Celtics, led by the "Big Three" (Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen). In the end, the Celtics won 4-2 and won the championship for the 17th time. In this way, the war between the Celtics and the Lakers, the old enemies, has rekindled.