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Basketball is played with [[Five-Man Band|five people]] on each team: the [[The Smart Guy|Point]] [[Fragile Speedster|Guard]], the [[Glass Cannon|Shooting Guard]], [[The Big Guy|the]] [[Stone Wall|Center]], the [[Jack of All Stats|Small]] [[Lightning Bruiser|Forward]], and the [[Mighty Glacier|Power Forward]].
There is also another code that has gained prominence during the 2010s - 3x3, which is essentially 21 (as in the streetball game) but with formalized rules, ways of fouling and a time limit and shot clock.
Basketball is also frequently played solo, and many people do enjoy shooting hoops. A lot of homes, even middle-class, have their own basketball hoops for exactly this reason. It helps that the sport is very aerobic - throwing a 700 gram (by far the heaviest ball for a professional ball sport) ball into a tiny hoop from a distance of 6.75 meters is definitely something easier said than done. Add jumping and a bit of running and most (even pros) practically turn to sweat from how much energy gets sapped. Still, hearing the ball [[Most Wonderful Sound|gently kiss the net with a swoosh]] makes it worth it.
There's a lot more to this than can be gone into depth - [[The Other Wiki]] has a long, detailed article on basketball's history.
As for media depictions, the stereotypical basketball player is bound to have muscle. Loads and loads of muscle. Men are usually beefy jocks for whom every single girl swoons, while the girls are fit [[Hot Amazon]]s. Next, there's the height. Basketball actively favors height and while men are usually pretty tall irrespective of sports, the females who play basketball are actively stereotyped as [[Huge Schoolgirl]]s/[[Statuesque Stunner]]s (depending on age) - which may or may not cause [[Angst]] regarding it. Lastly, due to the fact basketball is a cornerstone of street culture worldwide, expect tattoos - on men ''and'' women alike.
Competitively, basketball is played worldwide. In the US, the National Basketball Association oversees the professional game. They've been around in some fashion since 1946. Seasons are usually 82 games in length, with some rare exceptions <ref>Besides the lock-out seasons in (1998-)99 and 2011-12, the NBA didn't really have a consistent amount of games played until the 1967-68 season, where they permanently made the NBA have 82 games per season</ref>.
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* The '''Indiana Pacers''' are best known as the team of Reggie Miller, who joined them in 1987 and played with them for 18 years. Made it to the Finals in 2000, but weren't able to beat the Lakers to win it all. Most of their players (apart from Miller) were either traded or retired soon afterward. And then the [[Cloudcuckoolander|somewhat mentally unstable]] (but [[Crazy Awesome|defensively brilliant]]) Ron Artest (now known as "[[Odd Name Out|Metta World Peace]]") came, making the Pacers one of the league's elite teams for about a year or two before the infamous Pacers-Pistons-fans brawl that alarmed even people that don't care about basketball and forever changed environment and atmosphere at American professional sports. Reggie retired after the Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs, the fans turned on the team, forcing the Pacers to trade/release pretty much EVERYONE involved in the brawl, and the team has never been the same. Also one of four ABA teams (the others being the New Jersey Nets, the Denver Nuggets, and the San Antonio Spurs) to move to the NBA, although they weren't the original team ''planned'' to move to the NBA ([[What Could Have Been|the original was former ABA rival Kentucky Colonels]]). Used to be very regular playoff contenders who could never seal the deal, but spent most of the late 00s mired in mediocrity.
** They've rebounded since then, acquiring Danny Granger, David West, Roy Hibbert, George Hill and Paul George, along with an impressive and effective bench in Dahntay Jones, Leandro Barbosa, Darren Collison, Louis Amundson and Tyler Hansbrough. In 2011, they returned to the playoffs and challenged the #1-seeded Bulls with a few surprisingly competitive games, before losing in five. Going into 2012, they almost knocked the Heat out of the second round, capitalizing on the fact that Miami lost Chris Bosh to injury. Coached by Frank Vogel and managed by Larry Bird, these Pacers possess a confident and fearless (no matter the opponent) trash-talking swagger (Granger in particular is rather confrontational). Viewed as a liter version of the San Antonio Spurs or the Boston Celtics, the Pacers provide a [[Foil]] to more star-focused teams like the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls. With a bright future and renewed playoff-level skill, people are looking to the Pacers as the most likely team to replace the void left by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference.
* The '''Miami Heat''', started in 1988, are one of the more stable teams in the NBA, gaining traction as a championship caliber team back at 2003/2004, and winning the 2006 finals on the backs of Dwyane Wade and [[The Big Guy|Shaquille O'Neal]]. While hyped by a great amount, especially when [[Magnificent Bastard|Pat Riley]] was their coach, they were a mid-level team throughout their run at best, and it wasn't until [[The Ace|LeBron James and Chris Bosh]] were drafted that the team ''really'' [[Took a Level
** Despite bearing the label of [[Jerkass|unpleasant]], [[Smug Snake|cocky]] [[Combat Pragmatist|cheaters]] by their critics, the Heat has made several notable [[Pet the Dog]] moments in the 2012 series: Bosh risking a missed game in favor of seeing the birth of his son; James appearing in a commercial ad advocating for students not to drop out; James taking the time to personally meet an eight-year old fan of his; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-YGIttP9IQ the entire team paying tribute to a murdered teen]; Haslem buying tickets for the aforementioned kids' parents to a game; everyone grimacing over Knicks' Baron Davis dislocating his patella; and James seeing the Granger Pacers as a [[Worthy Opponent]].
* The '''Milwaukee Bucks''' are basketball's version of [[So Okay It's Average]]. Owned by the state's older US Senator (and retail magnate) Herb Kohl they're not a particuarly bad team, as they do make the playoffs every so often, but they really haven't done anything of note since they had a little player by the name of Lew Alcindor (who you may know better as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Their first and only championship was in 1971, their third season of existence. Soon after, Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar left because he considered Milwaukee culturally backwards. The team's been mediocre since then, with some good teams in the mid-80s. Two notes: they were originally a part of the Eastern Division for two years before moving to the Western Conference until 1980, where they permanently became an Eastern Conference team, and when they drafted Glenn Robinson in the 90s, his contract was so ludicrous that the league instigated a salary cap for rookies the very next year.
** Since his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar has more/less admitted that much of what he said about Milwaukee had less to do with his actual feelings and more to do with [[City Mouse|his desire to play in Los Angeles or New York]] and putting pressure on the team management to trade him to one of those cities. He now speaks well of Milwaukee and its fans, which is probably helped by Milwaukee being much different now than it was in his day. Although it [[Never Live It Down|still hasn't saved the city]] from being a [[Butt Monkey]] to many current NBA players.
* The '''New Jersey Nets''' were formerly known as the New Jersey Americans and the New York Nets and will soon be called the ''Brooklyn Nets''. They were the league's running joke until the Jason Kidd era of the 2000s, when they reached the finals (and lost) two years in a row. In the 2009-10 season, they narrowly avoided becoming the worst team of all time. In the second-biggest trade of the 2010-11 season, they gained superstar point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz, which helps their hopes for a future comeback. Unfortunately more in the spotlight lately for utility player Kris Humphries being [[Fourth Date Marriage|married for 72 days]] to reality star [[Kim Kardashian]]. Also, like the Indiana Pacers, they're one of the four surviving ABA teams (back when they were still the New York Nets), and were also ''the team'' of Dr. J before the merger. Famous rapper [[Jay
* The '''New York Knicks''' are the former team of Patrick Ewing. Ever since his retirement, the Knickerbockers have been in something of a downward spiral, mainly involving cable magnate/part-time blues rocker James Dolan's bumbling ownership of the team and former "Bad Boy Piston" Isiah Thomas' awful run as a coach and GM, both whom managed to field squads which would lose horribly to a team from a Rucker Park pick-up game. In Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, Willis Reed [[Game-Breaking Injury|hobbled out on an injured leg]], scored four points, and supposedly inspired his team to win the game and the Championship. On another note, this is the preferred team of famed director Spike Lee, who wears the jersey of the current fan-favorite player of the team - right now, it is Landry Fields' number 6, but John Starks' 3 was the most famous. The shame of an otherwise proud sports city. Also, on one last note, they're one of only two franchises to start in the NBA in its beginnings back in the 1946-47 season and stay in their home city and were one of two teams to play the first ''ever'' NBA game (the other team was the '''Toronto Huskies''', who lasted only that one season -- the Knicks won the November 1st, 1946 game 68-66 at the [[NHL|Maple Leaf Gardens]] and anyone who was taller than 6'8" C George Nostrand (the tallest NBA player at the time) would enter for free <ref>!!</ref>). In the biggest trade of the 2010-11 season, they acquired Carmelo Anthony and [[The Heart|Chauncey Billups]] from the Nuggets, and New York figured that they'd have enough help by adding Tyson Chandler and removing Chauncey Billups. The team got off to a rough start, but found itself unexpectedly galvanized by the previously unknown Jeremy Lin, the first Asian-American to start in the league. Their old rivalry with the Heat has been rekindled in 2011-12 as well, largely due to the hype surrounding Lin [[Took a Level
* The '''Orlando Magic''' are one of the better teams playing today; they've had names like Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard. With Stan Van Gundy as their coach and Dwight Howard as their star player, the Magic quickly proved to be a playoff-level team that gave trouble to their divisional rival in the Miami Heat. They came within a few games of winning the 2009 Finals, but they lost to the Lakers. They were Shaquille O'Neal's original team, and it was with the Magic that Shaq became known for [[Game Breaker|destroying some backboards]]. Infamously known for bad blood between Dwight Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy. It got bad enough that Van Gundy and Otis Smith (the general manager) were fired, but rumor has it that Howard ''still'' wants to leave Orlando. Things may change, but as it stands, it appears that the Magic is dead in the water as far as championship or even playoff aspirations go.
* The '''Philadelphia 76ers''' were formerly known as the Syracuse Nationals, and are also known more just as the Sixers. They're honestly ''the'' oldest team to be made in the NBA, having independent years going back as far as '''''1939''''' with the Nationals (or "Nats") having a nickname as the "Reds", before being in the NBL in 1946 and merging with the NBA in 1949. In the 1972-73 season, they had a 9-win season. Yes, 9 wins out of 82. On some more positive notes, they were the team of prolific scorer [[Wilt Chamberlain]], dunking genius Julius "Doctor J" Erving, and later Allen Iverson, who led the team to the Finals in 2001. They were also Charles Barkley's team in the 80s and early 90s, though both parties today don't care for each other very much. Also, they won one championship back in Syracuse and two in Philadelphia.
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* The '''Los Angeles Lakers''' are easily the [[Arch Enemy]] of the Boston Celtics and the West's designated love-or-hate team. They've got 16 championships to their name, just one away from tying it with the Celtics, and they're the first team to win 3,000 regular-season games. Their historical rosters read like a [[Criterion Collection]] of NBA history - Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, [[Wilt Chamberlain]], Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant have all at some point called this place home - all six have between them 12 MVP awards (Chamberlain alone has four!). They almost gained former New Orleans Hornets player Chris Paul as well, but the NBA actually interfered with their trade due to "basketball reasons". Now Lakers fans are hoping that Dwight Howard will be traded to the Lakers. Jerry West's image forms the iconic NBA logo. Also the team of George Mikan, who we blame for the fact that you need a pituitary disorder to play basketball today. Currently the only team to achieve a three-peat after the Jordan years, they're led by Kobe Bryant (the heir to Jordan), Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest (or Metta World Peace), Steve Blake and Jordan Hill. This generation faced the Paul Pierce Celtics twice - losing in 2008 and winning in 2010. Criticized for having a lousy bench and inconsistent performances by Gasol/Bynum, their era with Kobe is slowly coming to an end, symbolized by their performances against the Thunder in the 2012 playoffs.
** Here's two fun facts for you: they were originally called the Detroit Gems for one season and the Lakers are the ''only'' team to win a championship from the NBL, the BAA, and the NBA. The name is [[The Artifact|an artifact]] from their early days in Minneapolis. Minnesota has ten thousand lakes; Los Angeles has five. This began the tradition of NBA teams keeping their name on changing cities, no matter how incongruous. Speaking of which...
* The '''Memphis Grizzlies''' started play in 1995. They've done very little of note. And by that, we mean ''very,'' '''very''' little. They've shown some improvement in recent years{{when}}, but remain far from contenders. Grizzly bears are notoriously hard to find around swampy, humid Memphis; the team was originally based in Vancouver, Canada. Basically, the only things that are known about them was the very one-sided trade to the L.A. Lakers that made the Grizzlies lose their best player (Pau Gasol) and recently becoming the second [[Underdogs Never Lose|8-seeded team]] in the NBA playoffs to defeat a 1-seed in a 7-game series (and the fourth to do so overall), beating the San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 playoffs, and taking the Thunder to 7 games in the next round, ''without their best player on the court for either''.
* The '''Minnesota Timberwolves''' can also be called the Minnesota Wolves or the T-Wolves. The former team of Kevin Garnett, who was known as a great player without a ring - and who was subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics where he immediately won a ring. They're now the team of surprise star player Kevin Love and Spanish superstar Ricky Rubio. Fun fact: they got their name as a result of a "name that team" contest.
* The '''New Orleans Hornets''' were formerly the Charlotte Hornets<ref>This name's another relic; during the [[American Revolution]] the British described Charlotte as "a hornet's nest"</ref>. They've been fairly consistent in their 20 years - occasionally very bad, occasionally very good, but mostly in the middle of the pack. Point Guard Chris Paul led the team to their first divisional title in 2008, but they've slipped back into mediocrity since then, and they'll be stuck there due to them trading Chris Paul. However, they did gain a new owner recently due to the current owner of the New Orleans Saints gaining interest, and he does plan on making some changes around town, starting with their name! Due to Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans in 2005, the Hornets played home games in Oklahoma City for two years, where they became the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Seattle (Super)Sonics' owner took note of the team's strong reception there, leading us to...
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* '''Kareem Abdul-Jabbar''' is another one of the players in serious contention for "best ever". He has six MVP awards, six championships, and is currently the league's all-time leading scorer. He was born Lew Alcindor, but changed his name when he converted to Islam. Best known for the [[Signature Move|"sky hook" shot]] and being [[The Juggernaut|nigh-unto-unstoppable]].
* '''Julius "Dr. J" Erving''' was ''the'' dominant player in the ABA before the merger (giving the league much of its legitimacy) and went on to become one of the most dominant players in the NBA during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Erving averaged 24.2 points per game throughout his career, and had nine 40-point or better games. Famous for the 'Rock That Baby' dunk over the head of Laker Michael Cooper in 1983 (one of the greatest dunks of all time) and the Baseline Move, a behind-the-board reverse layup executed against Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the 1980 NBA Finals. Remained active in basketball after retirement, joining the front office of the Orlando Magic in 1997. Notably, Erving (a longtime NASCAR fan) held an ownership stake in the first all-minority-owned [[NASCAR]] racing team.
* '''Bill Russell''' is perhaps the greatest [[Stone Wall|defensive player]] ever and another major contender in the "best ever" debates. He led the Boston Celtics to eleven world champions and his on-court wars with [[Wilt Chamberlain]] were legendary. He also became the first black coach in NBA history, succeeding Red Auerbach after Auerbach retired from active coaching and moved up to the Celtics front office. After his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey.
* '''Larry Bird''' is one of the more popular figures in Boston sports history. He has 3 MVP trophies and 3 championships to his credit. He was [[The Rival]] to Magic Johnson when the two matched up. Also a current owner of the Indiana Pacers.
* '''Magic Johnson''' was [[The Rival]] and a [[Friendly Enemy]] to Larry Bird. Played for the Lakers - it's largely his rivalry with Bird that caused them to be notched as rivals with the Celtics. He has 3 MVP awards and 5 championships. He's also the only person to win the Rookie of the Year award and the NBA Finals MVP in the same year! He retired in the early '90s when he revealed he was HIV positive at a time when many thought such a diagnosis was a death sentence. After his retirement, he played on the 1992 All Star Game and the famed Dream Team, as well as coach for the Lakers for a few games back in 1994 and play one more year for the Lakers in 1996 before officially calling it quits.
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* '''Yao Ming''' was drafted first in the 2002 Draft due to his championship winning performance with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks, and he played rather well for a few years until various leg injuries sidelined him for the second half of his career, ultimately causing his retirement in 2011 due to a [[Game-Breaking Injury|game-breaking]], [[Wound That Will Not Heal|career-ending]] foot injury. However, his mere ''presence'' in the NBA dramatically increased basketball's popularity in his native China dramatically (with many Chinese people being fans of the Houston Rockets [[Follow the Leader|for obvious reasons]]), and has done massive amounts of charity work after major Chinese disasters. Most star centers in the league have been 6'9" to 7'1" - the 7'6" Yao might have actually been ''too'' tall to be truly great at basketball, as despite being much more mobile and less awkward than any previous players in his height range, his feet and leg joints just didn't seem to be able to take all the stress resulting from his size. These physical problems have been used to criticizes China's sport-academy system (for more, see below). He retired in 2011; because of his extensive humanitarian work, he may qualify for entry into the NBA Hall of Fame before the usual 5-years-after-retirement cutoff date.
'''Current Players''' (as of the early 2010s):
* '''Dwyane Wade''', easily [[The Hero]] to the Miami Heat, was an all-star rookie in the early 2000s, selected as fifth overall (behind LeBron James, Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh) in the 2003 NBA draft and propelling his own team into the playoffs, but he was overshadowed by Anthony and James. ''Unlike'' James and Anthony, however, Wade brought his team to the NBA finals and took a championship in 2006. Since then, he's one of their best scorers and players, due to his [[Lightning Bruiser]] demeanor. Recognized as one of the premier veterans of the NBA, Wade is often seen as the leader to the Heat (being its official captain certainly doesn't hurt), despite currently qualifying as [[The Lancer]] to James. His tendency to receive injuries is a constant concern, however, and the looming threat of old age (he's 30 right now) is creeping along his way, but he's ''still'' one of the best players currently in the NBA. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2CQsqDoLdA&feature=related He's also one of the few sports players that detailed] his [[Dark and Troubled Past]]. One particular [[Fatal Flaw]] of his, which is also his greatest strength, is his status as [[The Determinator]]. Sometimes, he pulls through, and in others, he doesn't, which leads to him having a [[Hair-Trigger Temper|pretty chippy shoulder as frustration boils over]].
* '''Paul Pierce''' is the captain of the Boston Celtics, noted for his late-game heroics and versatile [[Lightning Bruiser]] credentials. He took the Celtics to a championship against Kobe's Lakers in 2008; a rematch was made in 2010, where Kobe won instead. He's also rather cocky - after winning in a 2012 playoff game against the Hawks, Pierce briefly celebrated by [[American Football|Tebow]][[Shout-Out|ing]] on the court. Moreover, he once said "[[Badass Boast|I'm the best player]]. There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. [[Suspiciously Specific Denial|I don't cross that line]], but [[No Except Yes|I have a lot of confidence in myself]]". At a late night dance club in Boston's theatre district, Pierce was [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill|stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and back, and had a bottle smashed over his head]]; eyewitnesses claim that he was attempting to separate the fighters when he was stabbed. Tony Battie, Pierce's teammate at the time, along with Battie’s brother, saved him by rushing him to a nearby hospital after the near-fatal stabbing. He had to undergo lung surgery to repair the damage. Nevertheless, Pierce was [[Handicapped Badass|the only Celtic to start all 82 games in the 2000–01 season]]. One particular [[Crowning Moment of Funny]] involves [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QbpV-K4PU0&lc=Ht26n5qwe8l7h8-6zi-y2W3XrexiVnz88lMk35lxk6o&feature=inbox a teammate trying to hug him as he runs along the court like a fairy].
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* '''Rajon Rondo''' is a point guard for the Celtics, seen as one of the best of this generation. While Pierce, Allen and Garnett were touted as Boston's Big 3, it was Rondo that regularly coordinated their plays during games. His first major drive into stardom, media coverage and fan recognition was when he kept playing Game 3 against the Heat in 2011 (which was ultimately won by the Celtics), even when his arm was ''dislocated''. As Pierce, Allen (one of the best three-point and free throw shooters) and Garnett (a trash-talking power forward famous for a huge contract in his younger years) reach their twilight years as NBA players, Rondo's quickly become their trump card and [[The Lancer]] for Pierce. On a more personal note, Rondo is noted for his [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1163528-rajon-rondo-does-weird-things-after-tip-off-stays-awesome weird on-court antics] and his relative [[Hair-Trigger Temper]].
* '''Kobe Bryant''' is a very skilled guard playing for the Lakers. He has five rings, all with the Lakers. When he was a rookie, Kobe had a very strained relationship with Shaq, but they [[Teeth-Clenched Teamwork|managed to achieve three consecutive championships]], the first in modern years since Michael Jordan. During the short time where he had to lead the team on his own, he ended up scoring the second-largest amount of points for an NBA player with 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. Now, [[Red Baron|nicknamed the Black Mamba]], Kobe's become the leader and the face of the Lakers, with Andrew Bynum (a ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaJr6_XF1Og very]'' dirty player) and Pau Gasol splitting the role of [[The Lancer]] to him. Kobe owned a lot of the league's "youngest-to" records, until a young man came to town. Speaking of that...
* '''LeBron James''' was one of the most heavily-sought players in the year he was drafted. OK, so a lot of guys can make that claim. What sets LeBron apart is that he was still in ''high school'' when he was getting this press. He had appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and had a pending shoe deal while still a student (you may recall your high school experience and begin weeping now). Went first overall to his hometown Cleveland in 2003 and almost immediately turned the team from a has-been into a serious contender. As for his clout as a player, he won Rookie of the Year his first year, has
** In 2018, LeBron signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he became the league's all-time leader in points in 2023.
** In 2021, LeBron starred in ''[[Space Jam: A New Legacy]]'', the sequel to the 1996 film ''[[Space Jam]]''.
* '''Carmelo Anthony''' is largely seen as [[The Rival]] to LeBron James, and not just for their frequent, physical [http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/422/314/143966544_crop_650x440.jpg?1336428971 on-court duels] during game. They parallel one another rather eerily - both were drafted (among the top three) in the same year; both were the go-to All-Star rookies of their time; both garnered controversy regarding trade deals; and both propelled their rookie-year mediocre teams into playoff contenders, short of actually winning championships. However, Melo's far from a carbon copy of LeBron - they differ in their style of play, the time of their inception to the NBA, the fallout of their trades (Denver just wanted him to make a decision already; LeBron was portrayed as the proponent of a [[Face Heel Turn]]), and the overall perception of their characters by the NBA, with Melo as basically a more rambunctious LeBron off the court.
** His habit of not winning an NBA championship is especially notable. After taking the 2003 college basketball championship in 2003 (and leaving for the draft after that), Carmelo consistently brought the otherwise-mediocre Nuggets into the playoffs, only to get knocked off in the first round for five consecutive years ('04 - '08), along with a sixth in 2010. Denver ''finally'' managed to make it to the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers in 2009, but [[Yank the Dog's Chain|they were eliminated once again]], [[Kick Them While They Are Down|on his birthday, no less]]. Eventually, Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks, serving as their current top scorer and player, but he's in danger of getting knocked out of the first round ''again''.
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* '''Steve Nash''' is an extremely skilled veteran point guard out of Canada <ref>Although he was really born in Johannesburg, South Africa and is often listed from Santa Clara, California due to his time at Santa Clara University</ref> best known for his astounding "no look" passes, his [[Improbable Aiming Skills|50-40-90 status]] (has made 50% of his shooting, 40% from the three-point line, and 90% from the free throw line more times than ''Larry Bird'', the former leader) and ability to carry the entirety of the Phoenix Suns through matches, as shown by his 2 MVP awards. Although drafted by and has played the majority of his career with the Suns, it was at Dallas where his ball handling skills were discovered - he was paired with Dirk Nowitzki in a Malone-Stockton fashion. Is sometimes critized for a lack of talent on the defensive end of the floor, but has remained one half perhaps of the top scoring+passing duo threats in the league (with Nowitzki; with Amar'e Stoudemire ([[And Zoidberg|and Shaq]])) even at the age when most players would be showing strong signs of decline, which places him as a legit comparison to John Stockton. Hell, he doesn't even ''need'' the other half to win an assist title! (Although the same probably can't be said for success in the playoffs...)
* '''Jason Kidd''' is a veteran point guard who played for four different teams throughout his career. Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks on 1994, he was given Rookie of the Year honors along with then-Detroit Piston Grant Hill and played there for three seasons until he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where his point guard skills was widely acknowledged (with Steve Nash, another brilliant point guard, as his backup). But it was with the New Jersey Nets where Kidd established himself as a future NBA legend, turning the once woeful Nets to playoff contenders every season, even reaching the Finals twice in a row, only to lose to the Lakers and Spurs respectively. He returned to the Mavs in 2008 and won his first ring with them in 2011 after 17 years of trying.
* '''Tim Duncan''' is a veteran for the San Antonio Spurs: many-time All-Star, two-time MVP, four-time champion and three-time Finals MVP. Although perhaps now past his prime, Duncan has been said by many to be the greatest power forward in NBA history and is a shoo-in for the NBA Hall of Fame. He was drafted by the Spurs in 1997, a season in which Duncan not only won the Rookie of the Year award, but also teamed up with Hall-of-Famer David Robinson to create a legendary basketball duo - the so-called 'twin towers.' Duncan currently leads the Spurs in pursuit of his fifth ring; he has carved his niche into NBA history by lifting his team into one of the Western elites. Because of his calm and unassuming style of basketball - even in his younger years when he was quicker and stronger than most other players, he was as likely to dominate with footwork and intelligence as with his natural talent and he rarely showboated or let his emotions show while playing - Shaquille O'Neal nicknamed Duncan "[[Awesome but Practical|The Big Fundamental]]." Also because his personality off the court is also [[The Stoic|quiet and unassuming]], he's a frequent target of [[The Onion]]. Wanted to be a pro swimmer as a child, but the hurricane Hugo destoyed the only Olympic-sized swimming pool of the Virgin Islands. He could have continued to swim in the sea, but was [[Everything
* '''Kevin Durant''' is the heir apparent to LeBron and Kobe. Playing for the then-Seattle SuperSonics-now-Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant is the youngest PPG leader in a season in the NBA's history. He's one of the main reasons that the Thunder [[Took a Level
* '''Russell Westbrook''' is [[The Lancer]] to Durant, with a cockier flair. While Durant and Westbrook are very close friends, Westbrook's reportedly not happy considering himself as the second best in the Thunder, leading to Westbrook becoming a ball-hog. In fact, when Durant ''let'' him try to lead the scoring, they ended up losing to the Mavericks in the 2011 playoffs, leading to heated arguments between Durant, Westbrook and the rest of the team. However, he's started [[Character Development|growing out of both traits by the time of the 2012 playoffs]].
* '''Kevin Love''' is a power forward from the Minnesota Timberwolves that gained big notice when he ended up getting 30 points and 30 rebounds in a single game, which hasn't occured (in the NBA) ever since [[The Eighties]]. This kind of play resulted in Love being the shining beacon of hope in an otherwise gloom and doom team. With Love riding off the momentum of the 2010-11 season (where he won the Most Improved Player award), it'll be hard to envision any negatives coming off on him in time.
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* Greece: Another major country. Two major teams (Panathinaikos and Olympiakos) fight every year for the conquest of the local title. Greek supporters really are [[Hot-Blooded|hot]]. Treated former Atlanta Hawks and current Phoenix Suns player Josh Childress [[A God I Am|as a God]] when he went to Greece to play for the Olympiakos.
* Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia: Formerly known altogether as Yugoslavia. Always have a tough national team, are able to beat almost anybody, even after the collapse of the original country. Home to players like Darko Milicic and Peja Stojakovic, known for their tenacity and accuracy beyond the three point line.
** While they were still Yugoslavia, their team was dominated by close friends Vlade Divac (a Serb) and Dražen Petrović (a Croat) who were later both signed to the NBA, but after the split of
* Italy & France: Countries with ups and downs. Italy was the silver medal winner in the 2004 Olympics, losing to Argentina in the Gold Medal game. France is currently the second nationality represented in NBA (after the U.S.A. itself). Tony Parker is also famous for his <s>wife</s> [[Desperate Housewives|ex-wife]].
* Russia/Soviet Union: As often in sport. The most famous Russian player, Andrei Kirilenko, plays in the Utah Jazz, and loves [[Incredibly Lame Pun|puns]]: he chooses number 47 because of his initials.
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The WNBA started up in 1997. There were leagues before, but none of them lasted long (the longest was the WBL, which had three seasons in the late '70s/early '80s).
Differences to note: the ball is striped oatmeal and orange (and is size 6 rather than 7), the three-point arc is closer, quarters are ten minutes each as in international basketball.
[[Theme Naming|Many teams]] have names similar to their NBA counterparts, as the league started with all teams owned by NBA franchises. There have been exceptions, and teams not owned by NBA owners have more independent names, even if they're in NBA cities.
Frequently stereotyped as being all [[Futurama|about the good fundamentals and not dunking]] and also being very lesbian. The latter has some weight as [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/feb/21/candace-wiggins-stanford-university-basketball Candice Wiggins, a former star player spoke out about a particularly unhealthy lesbian clique that has permeated the league].
'''Eastern Conference'''
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''Indiana Fever'': Founded in 2000, named for Indiana's basketball obsession. Saved from potential folding with a run to the 2009 Finals.
''New York Liberty'': The last inaugural franchise left in the East, founded in 1997 and named for the big green statue in the harbor. This is the team that has gone the longest without a WNBA title. Currently exiled to Newark while Madison Square Garden is renovated. All the stuff above about the Knicks' ownership? Yeah, it applies here too. Dubbed the Libs, and in recent years{{when}} the Libbies, as well as the Libkids for their young roster. The team's popularity swelled upon the accquisition of Cappie Pondexter, though it waned again after the news of said exile, and, to a lesser extent, the suspension of Janel McCarville.
''Washington Mystics'': Founded in 1998, named for the Washington Wizards. The [[Fan Nickname]] Mystakes has come up for their incredible knack for screwing things up. Despite this, they have a pretty strong attendance record (several "Attendance Championship" banners were once raised on their arena's rafters). Home of a very [[Broken Base]].
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''Brazil'': The gender dynamic of basketball and soccer is, for the most part, reversed between Brazil and the US, which has resulted in Brazil being a world power in women's basketball for a looooong time. Like other Brazilian athletes, they are best known by their first names or their apellidos. Their legends include Magic Paula, Hortência, and Janeth; current stars include Érika and Damiris.
''The USSR/Russia'': The Unified Team brought back Olympic gold in 1992, spurring the development of the US national team. Russia is still a power on the world stage, though they haven't developed their young talent in recent years{{when}}.
''Former Yugoslavia'': Like with the male game, female basketball has always been one of the stronger sports in the former Balkan country, with Serbia (again) having the strongest presence, with two European championships under the belt. This is all helped by a favorable climate that never pushed women out of the sport or stereotyped it as "too boyish" like in the Americas; in fact, basketball consistently ranks at #1 as the most played ball sport among women, with only volleyball being on par. As for the players, the Dabovic sisters (Jelica, Milica and Ana) have become synonymous with women's basketball in the region, Ana even playing for and winning a title with the LA Sparks in 2015; Milica, on the other hand, while also being a great player (and winner of quite a few European titles) has generally become (in)famous in the recent years{{when}} for being a [[Shameless Fanservice Girl]] and a female [[Lovable Sex Maniac]]/[[Depraved Bisexual]] (depending on who you ask) who'll quite literally hit on [[Anything That Moves]], male or female.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Sporting Event]]
[[Category:The Forties]]
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