1. Celtics (7-1)
2. Lakers (6-1)
3. Suns (6-1)
4. Nuggets (5-2)
5. Magic (5-2)
6. Hawks (5-2)
7. Cavaliers (4-3)
8. Mavericks (4-2)
9. Heat (5-1)
10. Trail Blazers (4-3)
11. Bulls (4-2)
12. Spurs (2-3)
13. Rockets (4-2)
14. Raptors (3-3)
15. Pistons (3-4)
16. 76ers (3-3)
17. Jazz (2-4)
18. Thunder (3-3)
19. Wizard (2-5)
20. Bobcats (3-3)
21. Bucks (3-2)
22. Kings (3-4)
23. Clippers (3-4)
24. Hornets (2-5)
25. Pacers (2-3)
26. Warriors (1-4)
27. Grizzlies (1-6)
28. Knicks (1-6)
29. Timberwolves (1-6)
30. Nets (0-7)

When James Naismith invented the game of basketball at the Springfield, Mass. YMCA in 1891, he was simply looking for a distraction for his rowdy young charges, who were often stuck indoors due to the harshly cold Massachusetts winters. Little did he know that his creation would one day evolve into a globalized, multi-billion-dollar sensation known as the National Basketball Association.

What follows is a brief history of the NBA, from its inception just after World War II to its gold medal winning Redeem Team, which recently won the gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

It was 1946. WWII was over and America was still basking in the glow of victory. Americans once again had entertainment dollars to spend, and in June, a group of sports arena owners got together with an idea on how to get people to spend some of that money on sports. A professional basketball league, with ten teams, comprising an East division and a West division. By June 6, the Basketball Association of America, or the BAA, was born.

The first game in BAA history was played on November 1, 1946, in Toronto, between the Toronto Huskies and the visiting New York Knickerbockers. The Knickerbockers won that game, 68-66.
The BAA owners had a distinct advantage over the competing National Basketball League, or NBL. They owned large arenas in the nation’s major cities and could command large crowds, thereby making more money. Though the NBL was probably the BAA’s equal when it came to quality of play, in the end the BAA had the superior dollars. In August 1949, the BAA and the NBL merged together, forming the National Basketball Association, or the NBA.

With the merger, the league now had seventeen teams, in cities large and small, across the United States. The league trimmed this number down to a record-low eight teams in 1954. The Kings, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Hawks, 76ers, Pistons, and the Knickerbockers are all still part of today’s NBA.

The quality of basketball back then was, understandably, not quite like what we see today. One of the reasons for this discrepancy was that, in the 1940s, African-American players were not allowed to compete in the NBA. That changed in 1950, when the NBA broke the color barrier by introducing several black players, including Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton. Clifton was the first black player to sign an NBA contract, while Lloyd was the first to play in an NBA game.

Another change that positively affected the league was the advent of the 24-second shot clock in 1954. Before then, teams could use stall tactics against superior opponents to keep the score down. It was a tactically sound strategy, but it made for boring basketball. With the shot clock, a team had 24 seconds to attempt a shot. If no shot was taken (or if the ball hadn’t touched the rim) before time expired, the team lost possession.

The 1960s saw an expansion of the league from nine teams to fourteen. The decade also saw the inception of the NBA’s most formidable competitor, the American Basketball Association, or ABA.

The two leagues competed fiercely for spectators as well as top players. The NBA had the advantage of being in most major cities, while the ABA allowed undergraduates to join. That’s how Julius Erving, known as Dr. J., ended up in the upstart ABA. Rick Barry, the NBA’s leading scorer, also left for the ABA.

The NBA continued to expand and finally won the bidding war with the ABA. The two leagues agreed to a limited merger in 1976. This increased the number of NBA teams to 22.

In 1979, in an effort to further increase scoring and excitement, the NBA added the three-point shot, which was actually an ABA innovation.

The 1980s was arguably the most important decade in league history. This decade saw the epic rivalry between Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics and Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson and the Lakers won five titles; Bird won three with the Celtics.

The 1980s also introduced the world to Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player in the history of the NBA. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984. Together with Scottie Pippen, Jordan’s Bulls won six NBA championships in the 1990s.

Jordan, Bird and Johnson helped form the 1992 Olympic basketball team, popularly known as the Dream Team. It was the first U.S. Olympic team to use NBA All-Stars. The team cruised to an easy gold medal. Since then, the NBA has been closely associated with USA Basketball.

The Chicago Bulls dynasty was broken up in 1998. Since then, the Western Conference has won the majority of the league championships. The San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, have won four titles in that time span, while the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, won three. O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat after the 2004 season, and after promising to deliver a championship to Florida, he and Dwyane Wade did exactly that in 2006, when they beat the Dallas Mavericks, four games to two, in the NBA Finals.

The most recent NBA champions are the Boston Celtics, who beat the resurgent Los Angeles Lakers four games to two. It was the Celtics’ first championship since 1986 and the Lakers’ first Finals’ appearance since Bryant and O’Neal fell to the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

After a subpar showing in the 2004 Olympics that resulted in a bronze medal, the NBA’s best players fielded a different team for the 2008 Games. Known popularity as the “Redeem Team,” the U.S. men’s basketball team was designed to bring the Olympic gold back to the country where the game was invented. Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski led a team made up of the following players: Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, and Deron Williams.

The “Redeem Team” accomplished its mission in the Beijing Games, beating Spain in the gold medal game, 118-107.

During the tenure of the current NBA commissioner, David Stern, the league has begun to expand its reach beyond the United States. Several players from foreign countries have become prominent players in the NBA (including Yao Ming, Manu Ginobili and 2007 league MYP Dirk Nowitzki), and the league’s games are currently televised in more than 200 countries.

Due in large part to the stellar play of point guard Chris Paul, the New Orleans Hornets are considered one of the fastest-rising teams in the NBA. Paul (considered by many to be the NBA’s best point guard) anchors a young, energetic nucleus that turned a lot of heads before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinal. With many of the league’s stars either in or approaching their 30s, expectations – and hopes – are high in the Big Easy.

Early Years

The Hornets were born in Charlotte, N.C., in 1987 when the NBA granted Charlotte one of four proposed expansion teams. The team began play in 1988. Led by Kelly Tripucka, Rex Chapman, and Muggsy Bogues (at 5’3” the shortest player in NBA history), the team went 20-62 in their first season.

In 1989-90, instead of improving, the Hornets finished one game worse, at 19-63. They picked up Kendall Gill, a highly-regarded guard out of Illinois, in 1990, and drafted power forward Larry Johnson out of UNLV in 1991. Led by these young players, the team appeared to contend for a playoff spot in the 1991-92 season, but faded in the spring.

The Hornets drafted Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning in 1992. Mourning, Johnson and Gill led the team to its first-ever winning record and playoff berth. They surprised the favored Celtics in the first round before losing to the New York Knicks in the second round.

Injuries to Mourning and Johnson derailed the Hornets over the next few years. They made the playoffs in the 1994-95 season, but couldn’t get past the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

After that season, the Hornets traded Alonzo Mourning to the Miami Heat for three players, including shooting guard Glen Rice. This split up the Hornets’ promising young trio.

The Move to New Orleans

The Hornets moved to New Orleans, La., in 2002, due to decreased attendance and owner George Shinn’s disillusionment with the Charlotte arena. The team made the playoffs in the 2002-2003 season, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers.

They made the playoffs again in 2003-04, losing to the Miami Heat in seven games.

Hurricane Katrina

The entire city of New Orleans was affected by the cataclysmic destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The Hornets were no different; they were forced to relocate to Oklahoma City for 2005-06 and 2006-07. The Hornets missed the playoffs both seasons.

2007-08 Season

The Hornets returned to the Big Easy for the 2007-08 campaign. Led by 2005 draftee Chris Paul, the team finished at 56-26 and won its first-ever division title. The upstarts from New Orleans beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and took the San Antonio Spurs to seven games in the conference semifinals.

2008-09 Outlook

The Western Conference is wide open in 2008-09. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Jazz, Mavericks and even the Houston Rockets all believe they have a legitimate chance to win the West. But it would be a mistake to count out the New Orleans Hornets. All-Stars Paul and forward David West have shown they aren’t afraid of anyone. On the other hand, teams would be wise to be afraid – or at least respectful – of the Hornets.