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Basketball is a popular sport with leagues all over the world. The NBA is the most well-known league, with 30 teams, most of which are based in the US. However, there are many other leagues, such as the WNBA, the premier women's basketball league, and the National Basketball League of Canada. In Europe, there are several leagues, including the Basketball Champions League, the Adriatic League, and the Baltic Basketball League. There are also leagues in individual European countries, such as Italy, Russia, and Turkey, which feature a mix of domestic and international players.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of professional sports leagues | 5 |
| Leagues | NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, Basketball Africa League |
| Number of countries and territories with games and programming available | 214 |
| Number of countries and territories with merchandise available | More than 200 |
| Number of international players at the start of the 2024-25 season | 125 |
| Number of countries represented by international players | 43 |
| Number of teams in the NBA G League | 31 |
| Number of NBA G League teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises for 2023-24 | 29 |
| Percentage of players on end-of-season 2022-23 NBA rosters with NBA G League experience | 55% |
| Number of teams in the NBA 2K League | 25 |
| Basketball league in Canada | National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) |
| Defunct basketball leagues | U Sports, Ladies Professional Basketball Association (LPBA), Women's American Basketball Association (WABA), National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA), etc. |
| Basketball leagues in Europe | Basketball Champions League (BCL), Alpe Adria Cup (AAC), Adriatic League (ABA), Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL), Baltic Basketball League (BBL), etc. |
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What You'll Learn
Women's basketball leagues
Women's basketball has seen the formation of several leagues over the years. The first-ever women's professional basketball league was the Women's Pro Basketball League, now defunct, which was formed in the 1970s. Donna Orender, who played for several teams in this league, later became the commissioner of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The WNBA is the most prominent women's basketball league in the world and was founded on April 24, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season runs from May to September, with each team playing 44 games. The creation of the WNBA was officially approved by the NBA Board of Governors, and the league play began in 1997. The WNBA has grown over the years, adding four more teams for the 2000 season (the Indiana Fever, the Seattle Storm, the Miami Sol, and the Portland Fire), bringing the league to 16 teams.
The National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) was launched in 1997 and played host to several WNBA stars such as Sheryl Swoopes, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, and Becky Hammon. The league folded in 2007, and since then, the WNBA and WABA have been the only women's professional leagues in the United States.
There have been several other attempts at forming women's basketball leagues, including the Ladies Professional Basketball Association (LPBA) in 1980-81, the Women's American Basketball Association (WABA) in 1984, and the National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA) in 1986. However, these leagues were short-lived due to various reasons, such as financial problems and organizational issues.
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Basketball leagues in North America
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in North America, both as a spectator sport and as an activity. The top professional league is the National Basketball Association (NBA), which is among the "Big 4" of North American sports leagues in terms of popularity and revenue. The NBA attracts the best talent from around the world and features some of the highest-rated games during the season. The league has 30 teams, which are divided into five-team groups, with each group featuring teams from the same conference. The NBA is the only league that regularly schedules games on Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and it also features an All-Star Game in February.
The NBA was formed in 1949 through a merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The new league initially consisted of 17 franchises, which were located in a mix of large and small cities and arenas. Over time, the NBA consolidated its franchises, and by 1954-55, the league had shrunk to its smallest size of eight franchises, including the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Minneapolis Lakers. These teams still remain in the league today, although their locations have changed.
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is the top women's league in the world in terms of competition level. It is operated by the NBA and is often called "the W". The WNBA season is played during the Northern Hemisphere summer, which allows many of the league's top players to play overseas during the traditional basketball season and earn higher salaries.
Other basketball leagues in North America include the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC), which operated from 2011 to 2023, and The Basketball League (TBL), which features teams such as the Outlaws and the Flying Cows.
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Basketball leagues in Europe
Basketball is a popular sport in Europe, with several leagues operating across the continent. The EuroLeague is widely regarded as the top-tier and most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. It is a semi-closed league consisting of 20 teams, 16 of which are given long-term licenses and wild cards. The league is organised by Euroleague Basketball and has been sponsored by Turkish Airlines since 2010. The competition was first introduced in 1958 as the FIBA European Champions Cup and has since been rebranded several times.
In addition to the EuroLeague, there are other notable basketball leagues in Europe. These include the Turkish Basketball League, which features 16 teams and has included future and former NBA players. Spain's Liga ACB is also a highly competitive league that has featured several NBA-level players, including Kristaps Porzingis and Nikola Mirotic. Italy's league includes 16 teams and blends Italian talent with foreign players, while Russia's United League features 13 teams from Russia and former Soviet states. Germany's BBL has 18 teams and is rising in status within Europe.
The Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB) in France is another one of Europe's most competitive and prestigious basketball leagues, with a long history of producing excellent players. The ABA League, also known as the Adriatic Basketball Association, is a diverse league uniting clubs from the former Yugoslavia and other countries in the region. The Polish Basketball League (PLK) showcases a mix of domestic and international talent and is considered a symbol of basketball excitement in Poland.
There are also multi-national leagues in Europe, such as the Balkan International Basketball League, the VTB United League, and the Baltic Basketball League, which include clubs from several countries and contribute to the rich and competitive tradition of European basketball.
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Basketball leagues in Asia
Asia is home to dozens of professional basketball leagues. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is perhaps the most well-known, with several former NBA stars having played in the league, including Gilbert Arenas, Stephon Marbury, and Tracy McGrady. The CBA has also exported players to the NBA, the most famous example being Yao Ming. The CBA's inaugural season took place in 1995-96, but professional basketball has been played in China since the 1950s.
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is another prominent league in Asia, considered the second oldest basketball competition in the world after the NBA. The PBA's opening season was in 1975, and it has since become Southeast Asia's biggest professional basketball league, with 12 teams competing in a unique format of three conferences, each functioning as a separate tournament.
The B.League in Japan also has a strong following, with the league featuring 22 teams in the first division and 14 in the second. The Korean Basketball League (KBL) is another notable competition in Asia, with 10 teams known for their focus on perimeter shooting and frequent passing. The quality among teams in the KBL is well-balanced, with four different champions in the past four seasons.
Other notable basketball leagues in Asia include the ASEAN Basketball League, the Iranian Basketball Super League, the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship, the Lebanese Basketball League, the Nepal Basketball League, the Syrian Basketball League, and the Vietnam Basketball Association. Basketball is a popular sport in the region, and there are many more leagues and competitions beyond those mentioned here.
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Defunct basketball leagues
There have been several defunct basketball leagues over the years, with some of the earliest recorded leagues no longer existing today. The first professional basketball league was founded in 1898, with six teams participating in the National Basketball League (NBL). The first champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers, and the Camden Electrics. However, this league was abandoned in 1904.
In the 1920s and 1930s, three leagues emerged as the most prominent: the Eastern Basket Ball League (founded in 1909), the Metropolitan Basketball League (founded in 1921), and the American Basketball League (founded in 1925). The NBL was re-founded in 1935 and later merged with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) to become the National Basketball Association (NBA), which still exists today.
Other now-defunct basketball leagues include the Global Basketball Association (1991-1992), which folded midway through the 1992-1993 season, and the International Basketball Association (1995-2001). The Midwest Basketball Conference (MBC), which operated from 1935 to 1937, transitioned into the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 1937-1938 season. The National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) operated from 2011 to 2023.
Several women's basketball leagues have also come and gone. The Ladies Professional Basketball Association (LPBA) formed in 1980 as a rival to the WBL but only played a handful of games before disbanding. The Women's American Basketball Association (WABA) formed in 1984, and the National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA) was set to begin its first season in 1986 but folded right before the season started.
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Frequently asked questions
Some basketball leagues in Europe include the Basketball Champions League (BCL), the Alpe Adria Cup (AAC), and the Adriatic League (ABA).
Some basketball leagues outside of Europe include the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL), and the National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA).
Some basketball leagues for students include the Colleges and Universities Sports Association (CUSA) and the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC).
