Within two years RotoNews had become one of the top ten most trafficked sports sites on the web, according to Media Metrix, ranking higher than such sites as NBA. com.

Kansas City used to have an NBA team, which had originated in 1945 in Rochester, New York ( as the Rochester Royals ), before becoming the Cincinnati Royals.

Before the start of the 2010 – 11 season the NBA had an exciting summer with one of the most anticipated free agent classes of all time.

The Players ' Association had filed a suit in behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball.

He had been chosen in the drafts during the year before by both the Padres and the San Diego Clippers pro basketball team in the NBA Draft.

* Professional basketball players Steve Nash ( who was an award winning player " MP3 " according to Ali G and unable to speak proper English due to being Canadian ), Ben Wallace ( who he accuses of " playa-hating "), Shaquille O ' Neal ( who he argued with about the meaning of the NBA, Ali thinking it stood for Nationwide Basketball Society ), Tim Duncan ( from whom tried to get a pair of free sneakers ), Robert Horry, Dwyane Wade ( who he didn't realise was an NBA player, claiming he had snuck in to " hang with mah man Shaquille O ' Neal "), Richard Jefferson ( whom he called Thomas Jefferson his son ), Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller

At the start of the 1997 season, the WNBA had television deals in place with NBC ( NBA rights holder ), and the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation joint venture channels, ESPN and Lifetime Television Network, respectively.

On February 15, 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that Donna Orender, who had been serving as the Senior Vice President of the PGA Tour and who had played for several teams in the now-defunct Women's Pro Basketball League, would be Ackerman's successor as of April 2005.

The Islanders were still far behind on the $ 10 million they had paid in startup costs, and the expenses associated with moving the Nets to the NBA threw Boe's finances into a tailspin.

In the wake of Rothstein's resignation prior to the 1991 – 92 season, the Heat hired Kevin Loughery, who had 29 years of experience in the NBA both as a coach and a player, to be their new head coach.

The Knicks had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NBA history, becoming just the second # 8 seed to knock off a # 1 seed in the playoffs.

Although they finished January with 10 wins and 5 losses, they had already lost to the defending Champions San Antonio Spurs twice, twice to the Phoenix Suns, and in a nationally televised broadcast lost by 36 points to their eventual opponent in the 2006 NBA Finals the Dallas Mavericks.

The championship proved all the more poignant for Miami's veteran superstars Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Jason Williams, and Antoine Walker who had never before won an NBA championship.

Entering the 2010-2011 season with nearly $ 48 million in salary cap space, the Heat caused a major power shift during the blockbuster 2010 NBA Free Agency, adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James with local superstar Dwyane Wade, whom they had re-signed to a six-year, $ 107. 59 million contract.

The franchise was founded in 1989 as an expansion franchise and has had such notable NBA stars such as Shaquille O ' Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Rashard Lewis throughout its young history.

The 76ers have had a rich history, with many of the greatest players in NBA history having played for the organization, including Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson.

The NBA thus returned to Philadelphia one year after the Warriors had left for San Francisco.

"— a symbol that the Celts ' eight-year reign as NBA champion had ended.

Only six seasons earlier, the 76ers had set the NBA record for most wins in a season.

The 76ers went on to win their third NBA championship ( and second in Philadelphia ) with a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, who had defeated them the season before.

On June 16, 1986, Katz made two of the most controversial and highly criticized personnel moves in franchise history, trading Moses Malone to Washington and the first overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft ( which had been obtained from the San Diego Clippers in a 1979 trade for Joe Bryant ) to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In fact, Wright would only play four seasons in the NBA while Temple product Eddie Jones — drafted 4 slots below Wright in 1994 by the L. A. Lakers — had 16 productive seasons as an NBA player.

The deal was granted by NBA in June and also included The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre.

Due to a great number of injuries, the Warriors were granted an injury exception and signed Reggie Williams from the Sioux Skyforce to a 10-day contract on March 2, 2010, making it their fifth D-League call up that season, tying an NBA record.

When the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002, the NBA promised Charlotte leaders that the city would be granted an NBA expansion team for the 2004 – 05 season.

Under NBA rules, if a team is granted salary-cap relief for a career-ending injury to a player who thereafter participates in at least ten games the next season, the salary cap relief is terminated and the amount is added back to the team's salary cap ceiling.

In December 2000, MLSE was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ( CRTC ) for a category 2 digital specialty channel license tentatively known as Raptors Basketball Channel, a channel described as being devoted primarily to the Toronto Raptors basketball club and the National Basketball Association ( NBA ), with additional programming related to other aspects of basketball.

He was successfully signed after the NBA granted permission to Rockets management to add to their depleted roster due to an overflow of injuries.

Bryant Reeves impressed early in his career but a season after being granted a six-year, $ 61. 8 million contract extension, his numbers went down due to weight and back problems and he retired after only playing six NBA seasons.

On March 4, 2008, the NBA and NBA Players Association granted Andersen's request to be reinstated as an NBA player.

The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues.

The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up the most viable cities.

Also in the early ' 80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing the total to 23 teams.

Today, the anthem is performed before the beginning of all MLS, NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games ( when at least one American team is playing ), as well as in a pre-race ceremony portion of every NASCAR and AMA motocross race.

* American basketball player Michael Jordan bursts onto the scene in the NBA during the 1980s, bringing a surge in popularity for the sport and becoming one of the most beloved sports icons in the United States.

This independent ownership is important to the WNBA's growth ; at one time, all teams in the league were owned by the NBA.

Along with the Orlando Magic, the Heat are one of the two NBA franchises that represent the state of Florida.

The rough playing led to fierce competition throughout the series, sparking the beginning of one of the most vicious rivalries in NBA history.

With Pat Riley famously declaring " One suit, one shirt, one tie ," the team went on to win Game 6 in Dallas, winning their first NBA championship.

The team is one of two NBA franchises that play home games in New York City ; the other is the Knicks.

It won two ABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA – NBA merger in 1976.

The Magic were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Initially, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams, with one franchise going to Florida ; however, when both Miami, and Orlando ownership groups made successful pitches, the expansion committee decided to expand by four teams, allowing both to have a franchise.

Despite barely missing the playoffs and receiving the least chance of gaining the top draft pick with only one ball in the lottery, the Magic won the first pick in the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery.

Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA.

In 1949, the Nationals were one of seven NBL teams that merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA.

That led to the 1977 – 78 motto of " We owe you one ", which would ultimately backfire when they lost in the playoffs that season to the Washington Bullets, who went on to win the NBA championship.

This was only the fifth time in NBA history that an eight seed has beaten a one seed.

Some critics doubted that Charlotte could support an NBA team ; one Sacramento Bee columnist joked, " The only franchise Charlotte is going to get is one with golden arches.