The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the USA’s premier professional men’s basketball league, comprised of 30 teams. It is an active member of USA Basketball, which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which also includes the NHL, the NFL and MLB.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeast and Midwest United States. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers which the NBA now regards as the first game played in the league’s history.

Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities.