The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in North America, along with the NHL, MLB, MLS and NFL.
The Association consists of 30 teams divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference is divided into 3 divisions of 5 teams each. The championship season consists of several stages:
- Regular season. It lasts 6 months;
- The Playoffs. It involves the leaders determined as a result of the regular season.
The Playoffs consist of First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Each stage's winner advances to the next. In the final stage, the winning teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences meet to compete for the NBA title.
The most important stage of the NBA is the NBA Draft. It gives clubs the opportunity to select and sign new players and future basketball stars.
NBA 2026/27 Season
The 2026/27 NBA season will be the 81st season in the history of the National Basketball Association. As usual, 30 teams will take part in the championship, with each team playing 82 games in the regular season. After the regular season, the best teams will continue their fight in the playoffs for the league's main prize — the NBA championship title.
The new season will begin in October 2026. Throughout the regular season, fans can look forward to hundreds of games, battles between the strongest teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences, as well as the NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament.
Dates and Venue
The 2026/27 NBA regular season will begin on October 20, 2026. Each team will play 82 games before the regular season ends and the playoff race begins.
Regular-season games will be held at the home arenas of all 30 NBA teams across the United States and Canada.
Key events of the season include:
- Regular-season start: October 20, 2026;
- NBA Cup: November–December 2026;
- NBA All-Star Game: February 2027;
- Regular-season finish: April 2027;
- Playoffs: April–May 2027;
- NBA Finals: June 2027.
Main Favorites and Participants
The 2026/27 NBA season will feature 30 teams. Among the main contenders for the championship title will be the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and other top teams in the league.
Particular attention will be focused on the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will begin the season as the defending champions. The team has a young roster and, after a successful season, will remain one of the leading contenders to win the title again.
The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers could provide serious competition in the Western Conference. In the East, the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers are among the potential favorites.
History of the NBA
The National Basketball Association was founded in 1946 under the name Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL), creating the modern NBA.
Over the decades, the league has become the world's leading professional basketball competition. The NBA has been home to many of the greatest players in basketball history and has had a huge influence on the development of the sport around the world.
Over the years, the league has featured legends such as Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
Outstanding NBA Players
The NBA has seen many outstanding basketball players throughout its history. Some of the most famous include:
1st place — Michael Jordan;
2nd place — LeBron James;
3rd place — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar;
4th place — Kobe Bryant;
5th place — Magic Johnson.
These players became symbols of different eras of the NBA and made an enormous contribution to the global popularity of basketball.
Tournament Features
One of the NBA's main features is its long regular season, during which each team plays 82 games. After the regular season, teams compete for playoff spots.
Before the main playoffs, the Play-In Tournament is held, giving teams finishing lower in the standings a chance to compete for the final playoff spots.
The playoffs are played in best-of-seven series. In the NBA Finals, the strongest team from the Eastern Conference faces the strongest team from the Western Conference. The winner of the series becomes the NBA champion and receives the league's main trophy — the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.
The NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament, also has a special place in the calendar and is held alongside the regular season.
Results of the Previous Seasons
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2024/25 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2023/24 | Boston Celtics |
In the 2025/26 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder became NBA champions and successfully defended their title. The team won the championship for the second consecutive year, confirming its status as one of the strongest teams in the league.
In the 2024/25 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder also won the NBA Finals, while the Boston Celtics claimed the championship a year earlier.
2027/28 NBA Season
The NBA season following the 2026/27 campaign will continue under the league's current format. Teams are expected to once again play 82 regular-season games, followed by the Play-In Tournament and playoffs.
The exact start and end dates for the 2027/28 season, as well as the full game schedule, will be announced at a later date.
Keep an eye on the dates of basketball championships and other events on our Sporting Events Calendar.
