It’s finally here. The NBA has come back for the 2023-2024 season. Over the past couple of years, the NBA has changed from style of play, money, and more viewers in the sport. Throughout the years, the most significant one that is known can be the change in viewership, particularly after the Michael Jordan ERA. Now if you don’t know Michael Jordan, he is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, while recording six championships won in the span of eight seasons. Once that ERA was around, the fan popularity rate of watching the NBA was certainly high, with an estimated population of 3.1 million people in America who watched the sport. But since that Michael Jordan ERA in those 20 plus years, the NBA viewership in America has dropped down to a stunning estimated population of 1.59 million. This has been seen as jaw dropping and many people seem to be thinking of why the NBA keeps decreasing its viewership levels in America. Therefore, the NBA has certainly changed over the years significantly. In this article, what will be talked about will be the history of the NBA, stats that are memorable, and lastly, and game winning shots.
History
The National Basketball Association (NBA), is a professional basketball league in North America that is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is one of the major professional sports in the United States of America and in Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league around the world. The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946. Known as the Basketball Association of America, or (BBA), But in the year 1949 on the day of August 3rd, the BBA was changed to the National Basketball Association, (NBA), after merging with the NBL which was the National Basketball League. The NBA’s regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league’s playoff tournament extends into June. The NBA has a rich tradition of game-changing plays and storied rivalries, personal sagas and team dynasties. Players and fans alike share the excitement of reliving key moments in basketball history, and admiring the excellence of former players, coaches and teams who helped shape the game. The league is home to living legends, and we honor their achievements while also looking to the future.
Today, the NBA is the most innovative league in sports, helping drive the growth of the game around the globe. We’re pioneers in using technology to deliver content to fans over all forms of media, and a leader in social responsibility and community development.
Stats
Being in the NBA is certainly challenging by itself. But players playing the game they love for around twenty years is special, for not only them but for the whole world. Maybe their goal is to be in the league for a certain amount of time or maybe it’s a complete milestone. But people certainly look up to them as true inspirational heroes around the world. Some milestones that are the most recent and will be memorable for a long time, is Lebron James passing Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the all time leading scorer in the NBA with 39,078 which will keep being continued as Lebron plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and is still a true leader at the age of 38 while he has been playing for a span of 21 seasons. Another milestone could be the most rebounds recorded in a game. This goes to Wilt Chamberlain with 100 rebounds recorded in one game.
Game winners
Since the NBA started, there have been many shots made in the final seconds which are called buzzer beaters, as known as game winners. In the basketball world a buzzer beater/game winner is when you shoot the ball and it goes in to win the game for your team. Over the course of the NBA, there have been many of them. But here are the three most iconic ones.
- Derek Fisher, (Los Angeles Lakers) in the 2004 season. Derek Fisher provided even more theatrics during Game 5 of this 2004 second-round clash between the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs took a 73-72 lead on Duncan’s miraculous jumper, but Fisher somehow managed to nail a game-winner despite having only 0.4 seconds to get a shot off. This certainly could be considered as top 3 in NBA History.
- Gar Heard, (Phoenix Suns), 1976. As considered to be one of the greatest NBA games ever played, Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals between the Suns and Celtics packed enormous drama into a three-overtime classic. In the finishing moments of the second overtime, John Havlicek tossed in a leaning 15-footer that pushed the Celtics in front 111-110 and set off a court-storming at the Boston Garden. However, one second remained on the clock. Because of the since-changed NBA rules, the Suns called a timeout to advance the ball to half court, even though it meant they gave up a technical free throw. After clearing fans from the court, Phoenix had one shot. Gar Heard didn’t waste this opportunity. As he cashed in a 20-foot jumper hit nothing but net, forcing a third overtime. This is certainly argued to be ranked very high in the buzzer beater rankings.
- Michael Jordan, (Chicago Bulls), 1989. As no surprise here, the arguably greatest player of all time did something unreal to eliminate the Cleveland Cavaliers from the postseason. Shortly after Jordan gave the Chicago Bulls a 99-98 lead, a layup by Craig Ehlo put the Cavaliers back in front with only three ticks remaining on the clock. That’s when MJ provided one of the most iconic moments in NBA history. Jordan escaped Larry Nance, double-clutching to let Ehlo fly past him and rattled home the key shot for a 101-100 victory. As the Bulls legend unleashed a jumping fist-pump, Ehlo collapsed to the floor in disappointment. Knowing that at this moment the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eliminated from the 1989 postseason.
Chicago had upset the third-seeded Cavaliers, and Jordan moved one step closer to becoming the greatest player in league history.
It is clear that throughout the NBA over the years, there have been many iconic moments that have occurred. Throughout the span, some players went from rookies to legends. While others didn’t. But it is clear that over the course of time things have certainly changed and will always continue its legacy. From the History, to the stats and milestones, to even the game winners. This has certainly evolved the NBA to this day and these moments will always be cherished for generations. Now that you know about the NBA, it is clear to understand what the main premise of the game is. But now this leaves us with the question of, who do you think is the real GOAT?
Works Cited
The official site of the NBA for the latest NBA Scores, Stats & News. | NBA.com, https://www.nba.com/. Accessed 12 December 2023.
Kenyon, David. “Ranking the Top 10 Buzzer-Beaters in NBA Playoff History.” Bleacher Report, 18 April 2018, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769798-ranking-the-top-10-buzzer-beaters-in-nba-playoff-history. Accessed 12 December 2023.
“National Basketball Association (NBA) | History & Facts.” Britannica, 4 December 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Basketball-Association . Accessed 12 December 2023.
