How Many Basketball Teams Are There? NBA & Global Leagues

By Sarah Miller · July 17, 2038

There are 30 teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the premier professional basketball league in the United States and globally recognized as the top-tier men's basketball competition. This total has remained consistent since the 2004 expansion when the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) joined.

NBA Team Structure and League Overview

The NBA is divided into two conferences, each containing 15 teams, which are further grouped into three divisions of five teams each. This structure supports balanced scheduling, playoff qualification, and regional rivalries.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division

Western Conference

Pacific Division
Southwest Division
Northwest Division

Each team plays an 82-game regular season schedule, with postseason playoffs culminating in the NBA Finals to determine the champion.

Current NBA Teams by Conference and Division

Conference	Division	Team Name	City	Founded	Arena
Eastern	Atlantic	Boston Celtics	Boston, MA	1946	TD Garden
Eastern	Atlantic	Brooklyn Nets	Brooklyn, NY	1967	Barclays Center
Eastern	Atlantic	New York Knicks	New York, NY	1946	Madison Square Garden
Eastern	Atlantic	Philadelphia 76ers	Philadelphia, PA	1946	Wells Fargo Center
Eastern	Atlantic	Toronto Raptors	Toronto, ON	1995	Scotiabank Arena
Eastern	Central	Chicago Bulls	Chicago, IL	1966	United Center
Eastern	Central	Cleveland Cavaliers	Cleveland, OH	1970	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Eastern	Central	Detroit Pistons	Detroit, MI	1948	Little Caesars Arena
Eastern	Central	Indiana Pacers	Indianapolis, IN	1967	Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Eastern	Central	Milwaukee Bucks	Milwaukee, WI	1968	Fiserv Forum
Eastern	Southeast	Atlanta Hawks	Atlanta, GA	1946	State Farm Arena
Eastern	Southeast	Charlotte Hornets	Charlotte, NC	1988	Spectrum Center
Eastern	Southeast	Miami Heat	Miami, FL	1988	Kaseya Center
Eastern	Southeast	Orlando Magic	Orlando, FL	1989	Amway Center
Eastern	Southeast	Washington Wizards	Washington, D.C.	1961	Capital One Arena
Western	Pacific	Golden State Warriors	San Francisco, CA	1946	Chase Center
Western	Pacific	LA Clippers	Inglewood, CA	1970	Intuit Dome (2024)
Western	Pacific	Los Angeles Lakers	Los Angeles, CA	1947	Crypto.com Arena
Western	Pacific	Phoenix Suns	Phoenix, AZ	1968	Footprint Center
Western	Pacific	Sacramento Kings	Sacramento, CA	1945	Golden 1 Center
Western	Southwest	Dallas Mavericks	Dallas, TX	1980	American Airlines Center
Western	Southwest	Houston Rockets	Houston, TX	1967	Toyota Center
Western	Southwest	Memphis Grizzlies	Memphis, TN	1995	FedExForum
Western	Southwest	New Orleans Pelicans	New Orleans, LA	2002	Smothering Center
Western	Southwest	San Antonio Spurs	San Antonio, TX	1967	Frost Bank Center
Western	Northwest	Denver Nuggets	Denver, CO	1967	Ball Arena
Western	Northwest	Minnesota Timberwolves	Minneapolis, MN	1989	Target Center
Western	Northwest	Oklahoma City Thunder	Oklahoma City, OK	1967	Paycom Center
Western	Northwest	Portland Trail Blazers	Portland, OR	1970	Moda Center
Western	Northwest	Utah Jazz	Salt Lake City, UT	1974	Vivint Arena

Table data source:1, 2

The table above provides a comprehensive list of all 30 NBA teams, organized by conference and division, including founding year and home arena. The Eastern and Western Conferences are evenly split, maintaining competitive balance. The league's geographic diversity spans from Boston to Los Angeles, with one Canadian team (Toronto Raptors) expanding its international presence.

Historical Changes in NBA Team Count

The NBA has evolved significantly since its inception in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Merging with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 formed the modern NBA, initially with 17 teams—though early years saw frequent franchise shifts and contractions.

1946–1949: Began as BAA with 11 teams; merged with NBL to form NBA.
1950s–1960s: Fluctuated between 8–14 teams due to financial instability.
1976: ABA merger added four teams: Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs.
1988–1995: Expansion phase—added Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Vancouver Grizzlies, and others.
2004: Charlotte Bobcats became the 30th team, marking current size.
2002: Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, reducing Canadian teams to one.

No new franchises have been added since 2004, though discussions about future expansion to cities like Seattle or Las Vegas continue.

Other Professional Basketball Leagues Worldwide

While the NBA is the most prominent, numerous other professional leagues operate globally, each with varying numbers of teams.

FIBA Basketball Champions League (Europe)

Features top clubs from domestic European leagues. The 2023–24 season included 32 teams in the regular season, qualifying via national league performance.

NBA G League

The official minor league of the NBA, comprising 31 teams as of 2024—each affiliated with an NBA franchise, except for the independent Mexico City Capitanes.

Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)

China’s top-tier league had 20 teams in the 2023–24 season, including clubs like Guangdong Southern Tigers and Liaoning Flying Leopards.

EuroLeague

Considered Europe’s premier club competition, it includes 18 teams annually, selected through wildcards and domestic league success.

Common Questions About Basketball Teams

How many NBA teams are there in 2025?

As of 2025, there are 30 NBA teams. This number has remained unchanged since the 2004 addition of the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets).

Which city has two NBA teams?

Los Angeles is the only city with two NBA teams: the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. New York City also hosts two teams—the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets—though they represent different boroughs.

Are there any NBA teams outside the United States?

Yes, the Toronto Raptors are based in Canada and are the only NBA team located outside the United States.

Has the NBA ever had more than 30 teams?

No, the NBA has never exceeded 30 teams. The league reached this number in 2004 with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats and has maintained it since, despite relocation and rebranding.

Will the NBA expand to 32 teams?

Expansion talks are ongoing, with potential candidates including Seattle and Las Vegas. While no official decision has been made as of 2025, league officials have expressed interest in growing to 32 teams in the future.

What was the last team added to the NBA?

The Charlotte Bobcats were the last team added in 2004. After a rebranding in 2014, they became the Charlotte Hornets, reclaiming the name of the original Hornets team that moved to New Orleans in 2002.