The NBA Finals

By Dee Dee Smith

The National Basketball Association is the organizing body of professional basketball in the United States.  As with many major sports leagues, the NBA is a merger of three former leagues - the Basketball Association of America (BAA), National Basketball League (NBL) and the American Basketball Association (ABA). 

Since its inception in the late 1940s, many teams have come and gone, and others have gone through ownership, venue and other changes.  Nonetheless, the NBA continues on.  Today the league is comprised of 30 teams organized into two conferences - the East and the West.  These conferences are further arranged into divisions - the East includes Central, Southeast and Atlantic divisions, and the West breaks down into the Northwest, Southwest and Pacific divisions.

In the regular season, each team will play every other team in the league at least once.  This can make for a very hectic and grueling travel schedule. Nonetheless, it’s part of what makes the season so exciting.  The regular season begins in November and continues on through mid-April. 

At the completion of the regular season, teams will face off in the playoffs.  Participants qualify based upon their record during the regular season; the top eight teams from each conference make it to the post season.  In the playoffs, teams play only opponents from their conference.  Teams play a total of seven games with the first team to win four games progressing on to another round.  In the end only two teams will remain, one representing each conference. 

The final is a best of seven series, with the first team to win four games being crowned the NBA Champions.  At times there have been what is considered a sweep (one team wins four games straight as with the Detroit Pistons vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in 1990) and some of the most exciting finals have gone to the seventh game (i.e. the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1962, 1966 and 1969). 

NBA champion teams are awarded the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy (named for former NBA Commissioner Larry O‘Brien).  New trophies are made each year allowing for the winning team to take ownership and possession of the trophy. Teams also hang championship banners in their home arena. 

Individual gifts and trophies are awarded to both players and coaches.  First off, every winning player, general manager and coach are given the coveted Championship Ring.  An award is also given to the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.  Past winners of this award include Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Willis Reed. 

To date the Boston Celtics have won the NBA Finals more than any other team, with the Los Angeles Lakers running a close second.