The WNBA and other women’s basketball leagues around the world use a smaller ball because women have smaller hands on average than men.

a b c Eisenberg, Jeff (December 24, 2009). "Christmas Tradition". The Riverside (Ca.) Press-Enterprise. p.B1. The ball shall be an officially approved NBA ball between 7 ½ and 8 ½ pounds pressure. (2) A minimum of nine balls must be made available to each team for pre-game warmup. The circumference of an NBA basketball is slightly smaller than that of a women’s basketball, which is typically 30 inches. a b "This Date in the NBA: June". National Basketball Association . Retrieved March 4, 2022. June 6, 1946–The National Basketball Association was founded at the Commodore Hotel in New York. Maurice Podoloff was the league's first president, a title later changed to commissioner.

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the most NBA championships with 17 each. The reigning league champions are the Denver Nuggets, who defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. According to the official rulebook, an NBA basketball must be inflated between 7.5 and 8.5 PSI to be used in games. Here is the actual quote ( Rule No.1, Section II, point f): Whitaker, Lang (July 18, 2017). "NBA, Nike unveil new uniforms for 2017–18 season". National Basketball Association . Retrieved December 18, 2017.

Following pioneers like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia) who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. Below is a short list of foreign players who have won NBA awards or have been otherwise recognized for their contributions to basketball, either currently or formerly active in the league: Further complicating the job of an official is the proximity to the crowds. Unlike football or baseball, the crowd is nearly always located within a few feet of the official, as are coaches and other players on the bench. To combat this, officials are able to remove a fan from the arena with an ejection. Mahoney, Brian (April 15, 2016). "NBA to begin selling jersey sponsorships in 2017–18". National Basketball Association. Associated Press . Retrieved April 15, 2016.After the 2012–13 season, the New Orleans Hornets were renamed the Pelicans. [81] During the 2013–14 season, Stern retired as commissioner after 30 years, and deputy commissioner Adam Silver ascended to the position of commissioner. During that season's playoffs, the Bobcats officially reclaimed the Hornets name, and by agreement with the league and the Pelicans, also received sole ownership of all history, records, and statistics from the Pelicans' time in Charlotte. As a result, the Hornets are now officially considered to have been founded in 1988, suspended operations in 2002, and resumed in 2004 as the Bobcats, while the Pelicans are officially treated as a 2002 expansion team. [82] (This is somewhat similar to the relationship between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.) Concerns that a smaller ball may be harder for NBA big men to handle and control given their size. A FIBA-size ball would represent a more significant size decrease for centers. a b "How the NBA's rift with China laid bare the cost of free speech". The Guardian. October 12, 2019 . Retrieved December 2, 2020. Leandro Barbosa, Brazil – NBA champion with Golden State Warriors (2015), [113] 2007 Sixth Man Award winner. Let’s take a moment to put things in perspective. If you are playing for the sake of enjoying the game, there’s nothing wrong with using any size of a ball with your pals. If you plan to play basketball more seriously, you will want the ball that is best suited to you. It might not look like it but basketball is a sport that requires precision, and even the smallest margin can make a difference in your game.

Rosen, Charley (2009). The First Tip-Off: The Incredible Story of the Birth of the NBA. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-148785-6. There have also been some players who have expressed a preference for the old leather balls over the newer synthetic balls, citing differences in feel and grip. The 2019–20 season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. [57] [58] On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors voted to resume the season in a 22-team format with 8 seeding games per team and a regular playoffs format, with all games played in a " bubble" in Walt Disney World without any fans present. [59] [60] [61] Daly dies at 78; led Pistons to titles, U.S. to gold". ESPN. May 9, 2009 . Retrieved April 9, 2019.

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The circumference of an NBA basketball size is slightly larger than that of a college basketball, which is 29 inches. Reynolds, Tim (March 11, 2020). "NBA suspends season after Utah Jazz player tests positive for COVID-19". CTVNews . Retrieved March 12, 2020. Following the summer break, teams begin training camps in late September. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA G League. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBA cities, both in the United States and overseas. The NBA regular season begins in the last week of October. Araton, Harvey (May 13, 2016). "As W.N.B.A. Opens Its 20th Season, Key Figures Recall the First Game". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016 . Retrieved April 9, 2019. Cacciola, Scott; Deb, Sopan (March 11, 2020). "N.B.A. Suspends Season After Player Tests Positive for Coronavirus". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 12, 2020 . Retrieved March 12, 2020.

In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors. [40] [41] In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). [42] Lakers' and Spurs' dynasties (1998–2014) Find sources: "National Basketball Association"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( August 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Sheridan, Chris (October 26, 2009). "NBA refs to return for regular season". ESPN . Retrieved August 5, 2010. According to the FIBA equipment rules, a size 7 ball should be between 750mm – 770mm (29.5” – 30.3”) in circumference. Its weight should be between 580 – 620 grams (approx 20.46 – 21.87oz). Dator, James (June 26, 2017). "The Hornets will be the only NBA team to have jerseys licensed by Jumpman". SB Nation . Retrieved July 6, 2017.