Since entering the league, Miami has fielded squads that have made the playoffs 16 out of 24 seasons, capturing nine division titles, three Eastern Conference Championships, and two NBA Championships, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4 – 2 in the 2006 NBA Finals and the Oklahoma City Thunder 4 – 1 in the 2012 NBA Finals.

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.

O ' Neal also proclaimed during the Championship parade that they would win the NBA repeat, later clarifying this promise applied only if Wade were present and healthy for the ride through the playoffs.

" Bill Walton said at the time that Nets-Celtics was the " beginning of the next great NBA rivalry " during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 with the Nets advancing to the NBA Finals, though New Jersey would go on to sweep Boston in the 2003 playoffs.

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.

In the playoffs, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, Bulls, and the Indiana Pacers, advancing to the NBA Finals.

Anderson, combined with newly acquired free agent Bo Outlaw, led the team to a 41 – 41 record, just out of reach of the NBA playoffs.

But they were ousted in six games by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the first time head coach Stan Van Gundy was eliminated early in the playoffs.

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.

Philadelphia earned the eighth seed in the 2012 NBA playoffs, facing off against the 1st seeded Chicago Bulls.

In the playoffs the Hawks started to show improvement, pushing the eventual NBA Champions, Boston Celtics, to a Game 7 before losing in a blowout in Boston.

Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved a deal for the team to move to New Orleans following the season.

Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved the deal.

Coached by Chicagoan and former NBA star Johnny " Red " Kerr, and led by former NBA assist leader Guy Rodgers and forward Bob Boozer, the Bulls qualified for the playoffs.

The Bulls, who were 0 – 9 to start the season, finished the regular season 47 – 35, with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference and advanced to the NBA playoffs for the first time since Jordan's departure.

Hampered by injuries, particularly to Jim Chones, the Cavs proceeded to lose to the Boston Celtics in Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs.

The Cavs entered the playoffs as the # 1 seed in the NBA with home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The team won 63 games, shattering the old franchise record, and steamrolled through the playoffs and into a NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers.

The Pacers missed the playoffs in 1987 – 88, drafted Rik Smits in the 1988 NBA Draft, and suffered through a disastrous 1988 – 89 season in which coach Jack Ramsay stepped down following an 0 – 7 start.

Artest was suspended for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, a total of 73 games — the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history.

There are only a few professional cheerleading leagues around the world ; some professional leagues include the NBA Cheerleading League, the NFL Cheerleading League, the CFL Cheerleading League, the MLS Cheerleading League, the MLB Cheerleading League, and the NHL Ice Dancers.

Unlike in basketball, where players are allowed to commit only 5 fouls in a game ( 6 in the NBA ), handball players are allowed an unlimited number of faults, which are considered good defense and disruptive to the attacking team's rhythm.

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ).

NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.

NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1953 – 54, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league ( the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Royals / Kings, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Nationals / 76ers ).

As of 2006, the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Adidas, which purchased the previous supplier, Reebok.

Since their last Cup win in 1983, they are currently the only team of the four major North American sports leagues ( NHL, NFL, NBA, & MLB ) to win 4 consecutive championships, and hold the NHL record for most consecutive playoff series ' wins at 19 ( 1980 Playoffs-1984 Playoffs ).

Among the graduates from this campus are two former U. S. Vice Presidents, Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, former NAACP president Roy Wilkins, several Nobel prize winners, several athletes such as Ric Flair, Kevin McHale, Dave Winfield, Patty Berg, Brock Lesnar, Curt Hennig, Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Jackson of the NBA, and composer Yanni.

The Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm, and Tulsa Shock are the only current teams to play without sharing the market with an NBA team ( although the Storm shared a market with the Seattle SuperSonics before that team's relocation ).

There is also a Major League Soccer team called the Chicago Fire, and there are / were also NBA teams called the Memphis Grizzlies ( 2001 – present ) and Charlotte Hornets ( 1988 – 2002 ) ( although the nickname " Hornets " for minor league baseball teams in Charlotte long precedes the WFL entry, and the " Grizzlies " name for the Memphis NBA team was selected when the franchise was still in Vancouver ).

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

They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ).

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

They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ).

The Chicago Bulls are a professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ).

The Chicago Bulls were founded in 1966 and are well known for having one of the greatest dynasties in NBA and sports history during the 1990s, winning six championships in eight years with two three-peats.

The Bulls won an NBA record-72 games during the 1995 – 96 NBA season and are the only team in NBA history to win 70 games or more in a single season.

The Bulls ' six NBA Championships are third most in NBA history, after the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

In 2005, Albert officially became the lead play-by-play man for the New Jersey Nets franchise and started calling their games in the 2005 – 2006 basketball season on the YES Network, often teaming with Brooklyn native and NBA veteran, Mark Jackson.

The word " percentage " is often a misnomer in the context of sports statistics, when the referenced number is expressed as a decimal proportion, not a percentage: " The Phoenix Suns ' Shaquille O ' Neal led the NBA with a. 609 field goal percentage ( FG %) during the 2008-09 season.

During the 1980s, the Nuggets would often score in excess of 115 points a game, and during the 1981 – 82 season, they scored at least 100 points in every game — 136 consecutive games ( NBA record ).

From 1999 to 2004 the clubs ' rivalry was often considered the premier rivalry in the NBA, and each time the clubs faced each other in the playoffs the winner advanced to the NBA Finals.

This often meant that the NBA and the NYSAC crowned different world champions in the same division, leading to confusion about who was the real champion.

The between-the-legs dunk was popularized by Isiah Rider in the 1994 NBA slam dunk contest, so much so that the dunk is often colloquially referred to as a ' Ryder ' dunk.

1954 – 55: With the NBA struggling financially and down to just 8 teams Nationals owner Danny Biasone suggested the league limit the amount of time taken for a shot thus speeding up a game that often ended with long periods of teams just holding the ball and playing keep away.

Shooting often for the beleaguered team, Twyman was the second NBA player to average 30 points per game for an NBA season.

Furthermore, having acquired a reputation as a fierce competitor, he often got into verbal altercations with officials, receiving more fines and getting ejected more often than any other coach in NBA history.

For his fiery temper, he was ejected more often and received more fines than any other coach in NBA history.

While Rice's defense is often singled out as the reason for his departure, Rice actually ranks 145th among all-time NBA players in career steals ( 958 ).

His NBA coaching experience often demonstrated a deep frustration with the dynamics of the league, especially in Boston, where he amassed a 102 – 146 record from 1997 to 2001.

* His players were often successful in the NBA.

Walt Frazier and Gary Payton are often considered among the greatest defensive point guards in NBA history.

Dawkins averaged double figures in scoring nine times in his 14 years in the NBA, often ranking among the league leaders in field-goal percentage.

While the WADA code has been accepted by numerous sport organizations, leagues, and federations around the world, the overwhelming majority of U. S. professional sport leagues ( NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS ); state athletic federations ( boxing, UFC ); as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) are not signatories of the WADA Code and are often criticized for having less-effective anti-doping programs in comparison to the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan-American movements, as well as those professional sport programs in other countries that have become signatories of the WADA Code.

It mainly relies on the elite NCAA to produce NBA players, and thus the latter was often known as the " feeders ".

Each of those is often referred to as one of, if not the, best NBA Draft ever, though the 2003 Draft was too recent to accurately compare.

Also in the United States, the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) also saw some big gains in attendance in markets in which have both NHL and NBA teams, this is in part because the NHL and NBA season run in a similar time frame within the year and often play in the same venue.