noun

NBA

en-bee-AY

NBA (noun) means the National Basketball Association: the main professional men's basketball league in North America, made up of thirty teams from the United States and Canada. Example: “He was drafted into the NBA straight out of college.”

noun

The National Basketball Association: the main professional men's basketball league in North America, made up of thirty teams from the United States and Canada.

"He was drafted into the NBA straight out of college."

"The NBA season runs from October to April, followed by the play-offs."

Used attributively of anything belonging to that league — its players, standards or competitions.

"She is dating an NBA player."

"He has NBA-level athleticism but no jump shot."

How to Use NBA

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe top professional basketball league in America.

When to use it

Standard in sport and general use. Always capitalised, and normally takes 'the'.

Memory tip

The women's equivalent is the WNBA. College basketball, a separate competition, is run by the NCAA.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

WNBA NCAA NFL NHL

Common pairings

NBA Finals NBA draft NBA player the NBA season

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Fill the Gap

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He was drafted into the _____ straight out of college.

Etymology

An initialism of National Basketball Association.

Origin: English

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the NBA and the NCAA?

The NBA is the professional league where players are paid employees of a franchise. The NCAA governs college sport in the United States, so its basketball players are university students, and most NBA players are drafted out of NCAA teams.

How many teams are in the NBA?

Thirty — fifteen in the Eastern Conference and fifteen in the Western Conference. All but one, the Toronto Raptors, are based in the United States.