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The National Basketball Association of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the NBA, is the premier professional basketball league in North America. Many of the world's best players play in the NBA, and the overall standard of the competition is considerably higher than any other professional competition.
The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America. It adopted the name National Basketball Association in the fall of 1949 after adding several teams from the rival National Basketball League.
The NBA currently is devised in this format:
| Eastern Conference: | ||||||||
| Atlantic Division | Boston Celtics | New Jersey Nets | New York Knicks | Philadelphia 76ers | Toronto Raptors | |||
| Central Division | Chicago Bulls | Cleveland Cavaliers | Detroit Pistons | Indiana Pacers | Milwaukee Bucks | |||
| Southeast Division | Atlanta Hawks | Charlotte Bobcats | Miami Heat | Orlando Magic | Washington Wizards | |||
| Western Conference: | ||||||||
| Northwest Division | Denver Nuggets | Minnesota Timberwolves | Portland Trail Blazers | Utah Jazz | Seattle SuperSonics | |||
| Pacific Division | Golden State Warriors | Los Angeles Clippers | Los Angeles Lakers | Phoenix Suns | Sacramento Kings | |||
| Southwest Division | Dallas Mavericks | Houston Rockets | Memphis Grizzlies | New Orleans Hornets | San Antonio Spurs | |||