8 questions answered
30 teams: 15 in the Eastern Conference and 15 in the Western Conference. Each conference has 3 divisions of 5 teams.
Four 12-minute quarters = 48 minutes of game time. With timeouts, halftime (20 min), fouls, and reviews, a typical game takes 2-2.5 hours. Overtime periods are 5 minutes each.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are tied with 17 championships each. The Chicago Bulls have 6 (all with Michael Jordan in the 1990s).
For 2025-26, the salary cap is approximately $141 million. The luxury tax threshold is about $171 million. Teams can exceed the cap using various exceptions (Bird rights, mid-level, etc.).
The draft has 2 rounds with 30 picks each (60 total). The draft lottery determines the order for the 14 non-playoff teams. The team with the worst record has the best odds for the #1 pick but it's not guaranteed.
Each team plays 82 regular-season games (October to April). Playoff teams can play up to 28 more games in the postseason. The maximum possible games in a season is 110.
For 2025-26, the highest-paid players earn approximately $50-55 million annually. Supermax contracts can reach $60M+/year. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis are among the highest earners.
A double-double is reaching double digits (10+) in two statistical categories in one game (e.g., 20 points and 10 rebounds). A triple-double is 10+ in three categories (e.g., 15 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds).