User:Irkentier/sandbox3
BAA years (1946–1949)[edit]
1946: Founding of the BAA[edit]
The Basketball Association of America is formed with 11 teams, and divided into East and West divisions. Four of these teams fold after the season.
| Team folded after this season † |
1947[edit]
The BAA plays with eight teams, with the Baltimore Bullets joining the league from the ABL.
| First season in BAA * |
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Baltimore Bullets* |
| New York Knicks | Chicago Stags |
| Philadelphia Warriors | St. Louis Bombers |
| Providence Steamrollers | Washington Capitols |
1948[edit]
Four teams from the NBL, the Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Jets, Minneapolis Lakers and the Rochester Royals, join the BAA. Both the Jets and the Providence Steamrollers fold after the season.
| First season in BAA * | Only season in the league § | Folded after this season † |
BAA–NBL merger (1949–1966)[edit]
1949: BAA–NBL merger[edit]
The ten surviving BAA teams merge with the six remaining teams from the NBL to form the NBA. The Indianapolis Olympians also join the merged league as an expansion team. The merged NBA realigns into three divisions.
| Team merged from NBL ^ | Expansion team * | Folded after this season † |
| Team merged from the NBL, but then jump to the NPBL after this season § | ||
| Team merged from the NBL, but then fold after this season ^† | ||
1950 contraction[edit]
The NBA contracts to 11 teams, and realigns back to East and West divisions, after three clubs fold and three other teams jump to the NPBL. The Washington Capitols then also fold midway through the season.
| Folded midway through this season † |
1951: Hawks relocation to Milwaukee[edit]
The Tri-Cities Blackhawks move to Milwaukee to become the Milwaukee Hawks.
| Folded after the 1952–53 season † |
1953 and 1954 contraction[edit]
The league contracts to nine teams for the 1953–54 season after the Indianapolis Olympians fold. The Baltimore Bullets then fold 14 games into the 1954–55 season.
| Folded midway through the 1954–55 season † |
1955: Hawks relocation to St. Louis[edit]
The Milwaukee Hawks move to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Hawks.
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| New York Knicks | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Philadelphia Warriors | Rochester Royals |
| Syracuse Nationals | St. Louis Hawks |
1957: Pistons and Royals relocation[edit]
- The Fort Wayne Pistons move to Detroit to become the Detroit Pistons.
- The Rochester Royals move to Cincinnati to become the Cincinnati Royals.
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Cincinnati Royals |
| New York Knicks | Detroit Pistons |
| Philadelphia Warriors | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Syracuse Nationals | St. Louis Hawks |
1960: Lakers relocation to Los Angeles[edit]
The Minneapolis Lakers move to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Lakers.
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Cincinnati Royals |
| New York Knicks | Detroit Pistons |
| Philadelphia Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Syracuse Nationals | St. Louis Hawks |
1961 expansion[edit]
The Chicago Packers are enfranchised and are placed in the West Division, bringing the league back to nine teams.
| First season in NBA * |
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Chicago Packers* |
| New York Knicks | Cincinnati Royals |
| Philadelphia Warriors | Detroit Pistons |
| Syracuse Nationals | Los Angeles Lakers |
| St. Louis Hawks |
1962: Warriors relocation and Chicago renaming[edit]
- The Philadelphia Warriors relocate to San Francisco to become the San Francisco Warriors. This results in the Warriors moving to the West Division, and the Cincinnati Royals moving to the East Division.
- The Chicago Packers are renamed the Chicago Zephyrs.
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Chicago Zephyrs |
| Cincinnati Royals | Detroit Pistons |
| New York Knicks | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Syracuse Nationals | San Francisco Warriors |
| St. Louis Hawks |
1963 relocations[edit]
- The Chicago Zephyrs move to Baltimore to become the new Baltimore Bullets.
- The Syracuse Nationals move to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers.
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Baltimore Bullets |
| Cincinnati Royals | Detroit Pistons |
| New York Knicks | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Philadelphia 76ers | San Francisco Warriors |
| St. Louis Hawks |
Expansion era (1966–1976)[edit]
1966 expansion[edit]
The Chicago Bulls are enfranchised and are placed in the West Division, while the Baltimore Bullets move to the East Division.
| First season in NBA * |
1967 expansion[edit]
The San Diego Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics are enfranchised, bringing the league to 12 teams. Both expansion teams are placed in the West Division while the Detroit Pistons move to the East Division.
| First season in NBA * |
1968 expansion and relocation[edit]
- The Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns are enfranchised, bringing the league to 14 teams. The Bucks are placed in the East Division and the Suns in the West Division.
- The St. Louis Hawks move to Atlanta to become the Atlanta Hawks, but still stay in the West Division.
| 1968–69 is first season in NBA * |
1970 expansion and realignment[edit]
The NBA expands to 17 teams with the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigns into four divisions and two conferences.
| First season in NBA * |
1971: Rockets and Warriors relocation[edit]
- The San Diego Rockets relocate to Houston to become the Houston Rockets. The Rockets move to the Midwest Division, with the Phoenix Suns moving to the Pacific Division.
- The San Francisco Warriors become the Golden State Warriors after the team moves across San Francisco Bay to Oakland.
1973: Bullets relocation[edit]
The Baltimore Bullets become the Capital Bullets after they move to the Washington, D.C. suburb of Landover, Maryland.
1974 expansion[edit]
- The New Orleans Jazz are enfranchised as the league's 18th team and are placed in the Central Division
- The Capital Bullets are renamed the Washington Bullets.
| First season in NBA * |
ABA–NBA merger (1976–1977)[edit]
The ABA–NBA merger. Six American Basketball Association franchises join the NBA: the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, the Kentucky Colonels, the New York Nets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Utah Rockies.
| Team merged from ABA ^ |
Post merger (1977–1988)[edit]
1977: Nets relocation to New Jersey[edit]
The New York Nets move to Piscataway, New Jersey to become the New Jersey Nets.
1978: Braves relocation to San Diego[edit]
The Buffalo Braves relocate to San Diego to become the San Diego Clippers. This results in the Clippers moving to the Pacific Division, the Utah Rockies moving to the Midwest, and the Cleveland Cavaliers moving to the Atlantic.
1980 expansion and realignment[edit]
The Dallas Mavericks are enfranchised as the league's 25th team, and are placed in the Midwest Division. The NBA's two other Texas teams, the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs, as well as the New Orleans Jazz, move to the Midwest Division to join the Mavericks, while the Chicago Bulls. Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and the Milwaukee Bucks move to the Central Division.
| 1980–81 is first season in NBA * |
1984: Clippers relocation to Los Angeles[edit]
The San Diego Clippers move to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Clippers.
1985: Royals relocation to Sacramento[edit]
The Cincinnati Royals move to Sacramento, California to become the Sacramento Royals, moving to the Pacific Division.
Modern expansion era (1988–2004)[edit]
1988 expansion[edit]
The Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat are enfranchised to bring the league to 27 teams. The Hornets and Heat are both placed in the Atlantic Division, and the Cleveland Cavaliers move to the Central Division.
| First season in NBA * |
1989 expansion[edit]
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic are enfranchised as the league's 28th and 29th teams. The Timberwolves are placed in the Midwest Division, and the Magic in the Atlantic Division.
| First season in NBA * |
1995 expansion[edit]
The NBA expands into Canada as the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies are enfranchised as the league's 30th and 31st teams. The Raptors are placed in the Central Division and the Grizzlies are placed in the Pacific Division.
| 1995–96 is first season in NBA * |
1997: Washington renaming[edit]
The Washington Bullets are renamed the Washington Wizards.
2001: Grizzlies relocation to Memphis[edit]
The Vancouver Grizzlies move to Memphis, Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies, moving from the Pacific Division to the Midwest division.
Realignment (2004–present)[edit]
2004 expansion and realignment[edit]
The Oklahoma City Thunder are enfranchised as the league's 32nd team. The NBA realigns to create three divisions in both conferences.
| First season in NBA * |
2005: Hurricane Katrina impacts Jazz[edit]
Due to the damages caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Jazz split their home games between New Orleans and Kansas City for two seasons, and thus officially play as the New Orleans/Kansas City Jazz.
2007: Jazz return to New Orleans full-time[edit]
With damages caused by Hurricane Katrina fully repaired, the Hornets return to New Orleans full-time.
2012: Nets relocation[edit]
The New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn to become the Brooklyn Nets.