Creation of the NBA
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was created in 1946. It originally had 11 teams divided into an Eastern and Western Division. The teams either played 60 or 61 games. The BAA competed with the the National Basketball League (NBL) and absorbed some of its more successful teams, such as the 1947-48 NBL champion, Minneapolis Lakers. Following the 1948-49 season, the BAA and the NBL merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).