National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men's professional basketball league in North America, particularly the United States and Canada. It is one of the four major professional leagues. It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America; it was renamed the NBA after merging with the National Basketball League.
The Association consists of 30 teams, which are divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences based on geographical characteristics. Each of these conferences is divided into three divisions of five teams each. During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, according to the results of which the 8 best teams in each conference enter the playoffs. In the playoffs, teams play according to the Olympic system, in each round the struggle continues until one of the teams wins 4 games. The conference champions meet each other in the main finals, and in a series of up to four wins, the NBA champion is determined.