History UsefulNotes / NationalBasketballAssociation

* '''[=LeBron=] James''' is a forward for the Miami Heat. In many ways, his life reads like that of a RealLife ByronicHero (we are not kidding). He first received ''tons'' of media attention for his prowess as a basketball player, even though he was still in ''high school''. He had appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and had a pending shoe deal, again, while ''still in high school''. Embraced by Cleveland as "King James," he was drafted 1st overall by the Cavaliers during the 2003 NBA Draft, almost immediately transforming them into a serious contender. During his stint as a Cavalier, Cleveland garnered two 50-win season, two ''60''-win seasons, one conference title (2007), two division titles ('09 and 2010) and a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals (though they were swept), almost entirely because of [=LeBron=]. During his time as a Cavalier, he was the Rookie of the Year, the leading scorer for 2008, a two-time MVP and a 6-time All-Star, achieving a combined ''28 triple-doubles'' as a Cavalier and reaching ''many'' "Youngest-to-ever" records. However, his frequent postseason defeats, most notably by the Boston Celtics, prompted [=LeBron=] to leave the Cavaliers, where he announced his decision to join the Miami Heat via a live television special. It was [[{{Understatement}} not received well by fans and the media]], leading ''many'' to openly, heavily criticize, even actively root against [=LeBron=] for his supposed FaceHeelTurn. In all fairness, [=LeBron=] embraced the role of a villain for the 2011 season, and he was noticeably cockier during his first year with Miami. He even admits that he was playing out of hatred, trying to prove everyone wrong. He ran roughshod with Wade and Bosh through the 2011 Playoffs, including closing out Chicago and ''finally'' defeating Boston, before meeting Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. His lackluster performance against the Mavericks, due to their defense taking him out of his comfort zone, quickly etched his image as a choker in the minds of NBA viewers; ''internet memes'' were made to emphasize how he's an individual example of EveryYearTheyFizzleOut. As a result of losing in the 2011 Finals, James went through [[VillainousBreakdown a state of depression]]. Once he got over it, he [[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/magazine/04/24/lebron.james/index.html underwent a rather convincing case]] of CharacterDevelopment. It paid off - he [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome finally achieved his first championship]] in June 21, 2012, earning the Finals MVP on top of that. In his own words, "It's about damn time." And then as icing on the cake: won an [[OlympicGames Olympic]] gold medal: the first player to win a championship, the Finals MVP, and Olympic gold in one year since ''MichaelJordan''.

* The '''Brooklyn Nets''' were formerly known as the New Jersey Americans, the New York Nets, and the New Jersey Nets. They were the league's running joke until the Jason Kidd era of the 2000s, when they reached the finals (and lost) two years in a row. In the 2009-10 season, they narrowly avoided becoming the worst team of all time. In the second-biggest trade of the 2010-11 season, they gained superstar point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz, which helps their hopes for a future comeback. Unfortunately more in the spotlight lately for utility player Kris Humphries being [[FourthDateMarriage married for 72 days]] to reality star KimKardashian. Back when they were the New York Nets, they were one of four ABA teams (the others being the Indiana Pacers, the Denver Nuggets, and the San Antonio Spurs) to move to the NBA, and were also ''the team'' of Dr. J before the merger. Famous rapper {{Jay-Z}} is also a partial owner of the team. Recently they were bought by an eccentric Russian billionare who finally moved the team to Brooklyn. This undoubtedly put an end to the question, "If the Nets (somehow) won a championship, where would they hold the parade?" (The Nets' New Jersey home was located in the middle of a mess of suburbs and decayed cities that lacks a natural center.)
** As of July 3, 2012, Deron has agreed to stay with the Nets, and the Nets have also agreed to trade some of their junk to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Joe Johnson, who currently holds the largest contract in the NBA.
* The '''Charlotte Bobcats''' are the league's newest team (by terms of founding - Oklahoma City is newer, but they moved from Seattle). They are [[IncrediblyLamePun named for initial owner]], Bob Johnson, who was the founder of {{BET}}. They are currently owned by Michael Jordan. They started play in 2004 and haven't done too much except for setting record in 2011-12 (a season shortened to 66 games from the normal 82 by a labor dispute) for the worst winning percentage of all-time with ''7-59'' (.106; The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers lost more games in a regular-length season)! Alternative names for the team besides the Bobcats [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would've included the Dragons and the Flight.]] As a result of a planned rename of the New Orleans Hornets (as seen below), the Charlotte Bobcats may hold interest in renaming the team to the first NBA team Charlotte held: the Hornets.

* The '''San Antonio Spurs''' are the former team of George Gervin and David Robinson. They're one of the more dominant teams of the 2000s; they've won 18 division titles, they've always made the playoffs since drafting Tim Duncan, and they've won four championships, including three in six years. Perpetually low-key, but exceptionally well-managed, the Spurs are one of the most stable teams in the league; they're perennial favorites each year, even though they tend to run under the radar compared to the flashier teams. You can thank [[BlueOni Tim Duncan]] for that, by the way, who was their first draft pick in 1997. Like the Indiana Pacers, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Denver Nuggets, they're one of four ABA teams to move to the NBA. Started out in the ABA as the Dallas Chaparrals and in one season, the Texas Chaparrals. The George Gervin and [[DoggedNiceGuy David Robinson]] eras were both sans-championship, until Duncan and Robinson were paired together as the "Twin Towers". Known for their numerous "steals" [[note]]picking a good or very good player waaaay below where someone who turned out that good should have been drafted in hindsight[[/note]] during the annual drafts: George Gervin at 40th pick, Tony Parker at 28th, and even Manu Ginobili at 57th[[note]](!!)[[/note]]. Notably, EIGHT (out of 30 other) coaches (Utah's Corbin, Brooklyn's Johnson, Clippers' Del Negro, Lakers' Brown, Orlando's Vaughn, New Orleans' Williams, Phoenix's Gentry, and Boston's Rivers) have all either played for or became an assistant coach for the Spurs.

* The '''Philadelphia 76ers''' are the former team of famous power-duo Julius Erving and Moses Malone, who took the team to a ''12-1 run'' in the playoffs, swept the Lakers in the Finals and won their second overall championship in 1983. WiltChamberlain (before he went to LA) won their first title in 1967. Charles Barkley (who left for Phoenix) and Allen Iverson were also on their roster, but only Iverson brought them to the Finals, and neither won a ring. They're honestly ''the'' oldest team to be made in the NBA, having independent years going back as far as '''''1939''''' with the Nationals (or "Nats") having a nickname as the "Reds", before being in the NBL in 1946 and merging with the NBA in 1949. In the 1972-73 season, they had a 9-win season. Yes, 9 wins out of 82.

** After Jordan swept the Pistons, Detroit went into a period of mediocrity, until Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince came to town. With that core, Detroit made it to the Eastern Conference Finals ''six times in a row'' (2003 - 2008), even winning it all in 2004 (which led to ''huge'' celebrations in the city of Detroit itself, which desperately needed to celebrate ''something''). They made it back to the Finals the following year, but lost in a seven-game series to the San Antonio Spurs. Following that, including three straight losses in the Conference Finals, as well as some questionable management decisions[[note]]the front office stagnated in the wake of owner Bill Davidson's [[AuthorExistenceFailure death]], while waiting for his widow to sell the team[[/note]], the team has shown continuing decline, ending seasons towards the middle of the conference. They're hoping to find success with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Prince (current captain).

* The '''Charlotte Bobcats''' are the league's newest team (by terms of founding - Oklahoma City is newer, but they moved from Seattle). They are [[IncrediblyLamePun named for initial owner]], [[EverythingsBetterWithBob Bob Johnson]], who was the founder of {{BET}}. They are currently owned by Michael Jordan. They started play in 2004 and haven't done too much except for setting record in 2011-12 (a season shortened to 66 games from the normal 82 by a labor dispute) for the worst winning percentage of all-time with ''7-59'' (.106; The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers lost more games in a regular-length season)! Alternative names for the team besides the Bobcats [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would've included the Dragons and the Flight.]] As a result of a planned rename of the New Orleans Hornets (as seen below), the Charlotte Bobcats may hold interest in renaming the team to the first NBA team Charlotte held: the Hornets.

** After Jordan swept the Pistons, Detroit went into a period of mediocrity, until Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince came to town. With that core, Detroit made it to the Eastern Conference Finals ''six times in a row'' (2003 - 2008), even winning it all in 2004 (which led to ''huge'' celebrations in the city of Detroit itself, which desperately needed to celebrate ''something''). They made it back to the Finals the following year, but lost in a seven-game series to the San Antonio Spurs. Following that, including three straight losses in the Conference Finals, as well as some questionable management decisions[[note]]the front office stagnated in the wake of owner Bill Davidson's [[AuthorExistanceFailure death]], while waiting for his widow to sell the team[[/note]], the team has shown continuing decline, ending seasons towards the middle of the conference. They're hoping to find success with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Prince (current captain).

** After Jordan swept the Pistons, Detroit went into a period of mediocrity, until Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince came to town. With that core, Detroit made it to the Eastern Conference Finals ''six times in a row'' (2003 - 2008), even winning it all in 2004 (which led to ''huge'' celebrations in the city of Detroit itself, which desperately needed to celebrate ''something''). They made it back to the Finals the following year, but lost in a seven-game series to the San Antonio Spurs. Following that, including three straight losses in the Conference Finals, as well as some questionable management decisions, the team has shown continuing decline, ending seasons towards the middle of the conference. They're hoping to find success with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Prince (current captain).

* The '''Detroit Pistons''' are the former team of Isiah Thomas, who brought them to the Finals three consecutive years, and won back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, with help from Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Rick Mahorn. Infamous for their ''brutal'' defense, the Pistons were often called the "Bad Boy" Pistons. In those days, they defeated MichaelJordan himself ''three years in a row''; their defeat in 1991 kick-started his rise to super-stardom. They were originally known as the Fort Wayne (Zollner[[note]]Had that during their NBL days.[[/note]]) Pistons, they moved to Detroit early in their history when it became clear that they would need money to survive.[[note]]They got their name from the company owned by founder Fred Zollner, which made pistons in Fort Wayne, IN for several industries; fortunately for them, the association between pistons and cars is very obvious.[[/note]] TheNineties saw a massive DorkAge known as the "teal era" (after the color of the jerseys and logos), in which despite the presence of Grant Hill, the Pistons could never seem to get anywhere. Traditionally, they are known for strong, gritty defense [[note]]in 2004, they once held five straight teams to under 70 points; average scores are normally in the 90s-100s[[/note]] and good-enough offense. Also, they are the ''second-oldest'' NBA franchise around, with their roots going back to the '''1941-42''' season in the NBL, which was quite literally organized in team founder Fred Zollner's Fort Wayne kitchen. Amazing with how teams ''way'' back in the day formed, huh?

* The '''Sacramento Kings''' last won a championship in 1951. Bounced around from the NBL to the NBA from Rochester (as the Royals) to Cincinnati (also as the Royals) to Kansas City-Omaha to ''just'' Kansas City before settling in Sacramento in 1985. Sacramento's only major league sports team, their fanbase has been among the strongest in the league even during the franchise's lean years. This franchise is the ''third-oldest'' franchise in the NBA, behind only the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers, respectively. Their roots began in the ''1945-46'' season -- one year after the BAA/NBA began. During the early 2000s, the team was a perennial contender thanks to a strong starting five of Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Doug Christie, Peja Stojakovic, and Jason Williams, with energetic bench-player Bobby Jackson and the home-court advantage of its raucous crowd being just as vital. The team lost a heartbreaking seven-game Western Conference Finals to the Lakers in 2002, a series that was revealed to be corrupted by referee Tim Donaghy for gambling purposes, who swung the pivotal Game 6 in favor of Los Angeles via phantom foul calls that allowed the Lakers to win with a MiracleRally and eventually win the series. After the core of that team ended, the team has fallen into the bottom tier of the league. There's been recent concerns of the Kings being moved to Las Vegas, Anaheim, Seattle, Kansas City, or even Virginia Beach. The mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson (a former NBA player) rallyed supporters and there is now an agreement by the city to build a new stadium that's keeping the Kings in Sacramento for over 30 years! However, thanks to the Maloof Brothers (the owners of the team), the home of the Kings is not only in jeopardy, but also in question altogether.

* '''Serge Ibaka''', arguably the fourth wheel for the Thunder, is a Congolese/Spanish power forward, famous for his frequent shot blocks (of which he's the ''all-time league leader''). In the first round of the 2010 playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, he became youngest player to have 7 blocks in playoff game. Ibaka is often used for his energy in the paint, whether on defense or rebounding. While his offense tends to be rather lackluster, he's shown that he ''can'' improve on that; he scored 14 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and snatched a career-high 11 blocks against the Denver Nuggets in February 2012, recording his first career ''triple-double''. Furthermore, in the 2012 Western Conference Finals, Ibaka scored a ''perfect 11 for 11 shots'' against the San Antonio Spurs. With the great Hakeem Olajuwon taking interest in training him, Ibaka has the potential to become as well-rounded (offensively and defensively) as any other great power forward. They even signed him to a four-year, 48 million contract, to make sure that he develops further.

* '''Manu Ginobili''' is known as one of the greatest draft day steals in the history of the league, being picked 57th overall (I.e. ''second-to-last'') in the 1999 draft. Breaking into the league in 2002, Ginobili quickly earned a reputation of being one of the best sixth-man in the league. He also has an accomplished international record, leading Argentina to victories over the USA's dream team in the FIBA championships in 2002, and again in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 on the way to a gold medal. Also known negatively for his use of flopping in order to try to draw a foul.

* '''Atlanta Hawks'''

* '''Brooklyn Nets'''

* '''Charlotte Bobcats'''

* The '''New York Knicks''' are the former team of Patrick Ewing, who brought them to the Finals twice (1994 and 1999); and Willis Reed, who gave them two titles in three years (along with Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Phil Jackson). Ever since Ewing's retirement, the Knickerbockers have been in a serious state of mediocrity and relative infamy, mainly involving cable magnate/part-time blues rocker James Dolan's bumbling ownership and former Piston Isiah Thomas' awful run as a coach and GM. Both managed to field squads which would lose horribly to a team from a Rucker Park pick-up game, and both had players that were ridiculously overpaid (such as Stephon Marbury). On another note, this is the preferred team of famed director Spike Lee, who wears the jersey of the current fan-favorite player of the team - right now, it's unknown considering Landry Fields left for Toronto, but John Starks' 3 was the most famous. The shame of an otherwise proud sports city. Also, on one last note, they're one of only two franchises to start in the NBA in its beginnings back in the 1946-47 season and stay in their home city and were one of two teams to play the first ''ever'' NBA game (the other team was the '''Toronto Huskies''', who lasted only that one season -- the Knicks won the November 1st, 1946 game 68-66 at the [[{{NHL}} Maple Leaf Gardens]] and anyone who was taller than 6'8" C George Nostrand (the tallest NBA player at the time) would enter for free [[note]]!![[/note]]).

* '''Reggie Miller''' was the face of the Indiana Pacers during the nineties, one of the greatest [[LongRangeFighter three-point scorers]] in the history of the league. Famous for his perimeter sharpshooting; he even earned the nickname "Knick Killer" for his classic game-winners against New York. Hell, he even posted game-winners over ''Michael Jordan'', took the Bulls to the full seven games, appeared in six Conference Finals and made it to the 2000 Finals, but Reggie's Pacers never won a championship. Noted for his frequent taunting of Spike Lee, a Knick fan and owner, most notably by flashing him the choke sign. A five-time All-Star, the former league leader in three-pointers, and a Hall of Famer, he spent his entire 18-year career with the Pacers; his #31 jersey was retired by the Pacers. Also notable for being right in the middle of the Basketbrawl between the Pacers and the Pistons; he was suspsnded for one game. With major suspensions to Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest, Miller averaged nearly 20 points per game for stretches of the season, including 39 points at the ''age'' of 39 against the Lakers. His final game ever was on Indiana, where he scored 27 points, making 11 out of 16 field goals including four of eight three-pointers. When he was taken out with 15.7 seconds to play, Reggie was given a stading ovation, even by the referees, and more poignantly, ''the opposing players'' (namely, the Pistons - yeah, the same "Basketbrawl" team earlier that year).

* The '''Washington Wizards''' were formerly known by many names like the Chicago Packers, the Chicago Zephyrs, the Baltimore Bullets ([[NamesTheSame who should not be confused with the Baltimore Bullets team who won the BAA/NBA Finals Championship in the 1947-48 season]]), the Capital Bullets (who actually played in the small D.C. suburb of Landover, Maryland for one year), and the Washington Bullets. Their name was changed from "Bullets" to "Wizards" because of the UnfortunateImplications of glorifying bullets in a city with an astronomical crime rate. Formerly the team of [[CloudCuckooLander Gilbert "Agent Zero" Arenas]], who decided which team to sign with by flipping a coin, sponsors professional video game teams, and is constantly in trouble with the league administration. However, Arenas' move to Orlando has paved the way for 2011 rookie John Wall to take the leadership role instead, which hasn't worked out so far. Also, Michael Jordan played for them very briefly while trying to groom #1 draft pick (and eventual bust) Kwame Brown.

* The '''Toronto Raptors''' are the former team of Chris Bosh. Started playing in 1995. They haven't made it past the conference championship yet, but they ''have'' won their division a few times. Market their status as the only Canadian team heavily (they started along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, which has since moved to Memphis), including changing their primary color from purple to red. Their choice of team name (announced when ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' was popular) caused a bit of consternation because their ''original'' NBA team that was around for only one season was the Toronto Huskies. Currently have the only roster with ''seven'' different countries represented (U.S.A., Spain, Italy, Brazil, France, Lithuania, and Nigeria).

* '''"Sir" Charles Barkley''' was a power forward noted for his StoutStrength. Nicknamed "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley was noticeably chubbier than most basketball players, but his strength and aggressiveness made him one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders (hence the nickname). A prolific scorer, Barkley had the ability to score from the perimeter and the post, using an array of spin moves and fadeaways, or finishing a fast break with a powerful dunk. A masterful rebounder, Barkley averaged 11 boards in the regular season and 12 boards for the playoffs, totaling 12,546 rebounds for his career and leading in offensive boards for three straight years. One of his {{Signature Move}}s was to grab a defensive rebound, dribble the length of the court and finish at the rim with a powerful dunk. His aggressive, fast-break defensive prowess led to Barkley finishing his career as one of the all-time leaders in blocks and steals. Furthermore, his surprisingly impressive court vision led to Barkley becoming a playmaker who could racket up several assists per night. An eleven-time All-Star, he started off with Philadelphia, but went to Phoenix, where he became the MVP in the same year that he faced MichaelJordan in the 1993 NBA Finals. He was often a beacon of controversy, from fights (on/off the court) to various statements and unintentionally abraisive behavior towards fans (i.e. spat on a young girl by mistake). Probably best known for a commercial that he made back when he was in Phoenix, in which he claimed he was not a role model. This created a ton of debate as to whether athletes should be considered role models. He now mostly does basketball analysis/commentary, generally NBA On TNT, in which he is very often the ButtMonkey; on that show, he also has something of a SitcomArchNemesis in Shaquille O'Neal.

* '''Bob Pettit''

* '''Kobe Bryant''' is a very skilled guard playing for the Lakers, heralded as the heir to MichaelJordan. He has five rings, all with the Lakers. When he was a rookie after being traded from the Charlotte Hornets, Kobe had a very strained relationship with Shaq, but they [[TeethClenchedTeamwork managed to achieve three consecutive championships]], the first in modern years since Michael Jordan. During the short time where he had to lead the team on his own, he ended up scoring the second-largest amount of points for an NBA player with 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. [[RedBaron Nicknamed the Black Mamba]], Kobe's become the leader and the face of the Lakers, winning two more rings in 2009 and 2010 with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. Kobe owned a lot of the league's "youngest-to" records, until [=LeBron=] arrived to the league,

'''Los Angeles Clippers''':
* '''Blake Griffin''' was the first pick of the 2009 draft, but a [[GameBreakingInjury knee injury]] kept him out of the ground for a whole season. But then came his first game. And his first dunk. And many other after that, which singlehandedly turning his Los Angeles Clippers from the league's ButtMonkey into a team that actually fills the arena every game. By far the most spectacular player of the NBA, he will be a All-Star for his first season in the league -- even [=LeBron=] wasn't one for his rookie season. In his second year, he ended up being a starter along with another Clippers teammate, which certainly shows how far he's already come for this team. If Durant could be considered Kobe's heir, Griffin is believed by some to be Shaq's. It helps that he now has a reliable poing guard in...
* '''Chris Paul''' - Originally playing for the New Orleans Hornets (although he began with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets due to the unfortunate event of Hurricane Katrina), he been known to become a player of Jason Kidd/Steve Nash caliber. He's been known at times to carry his team to victory all by himself at times. He was also known to have originally supposed to have been traded for the L.A. Lakers, but due to "basketball reasons", he was sent to Blake Griffin's L.A. Clippers. His arrival has not only created a sensation known as "Lob City", but he also helped improved the Clippers from mediocrity to actually getting into the second round of the playoffs again!

* '''Chris Paul''' - Originally playing for the New Orleans Hornets (although he began with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets due to the unfortunate event of Hurricane Katrina), he been known to become a player of Jason Kidd/Steve Nash caliber. He's been known at times to carry his team to victory all by himself at times. He was also known to have originally supposed to have been traded for the L.A. Lakers, but due to "basketball reasons", he was sent to Blake Griffin's L.A. Clippers. His arrival has not only created a sensation known as "Lob City", but he also helped improved the Clippers from mediocraty to actaully getting into the second round of the playoffs again!

* The '''New Orleans Hornets''' were formerly the Charlotte Hornets[[note]] (and also quite possibly the future New Orleans Pelicans). This name's another relic; during the AmericanRevolution the British described Charlotte as "a hornet's nest"[[/note]]. They've been fairly consistent in their 20 years - occasionally very bad, occasionally very good, but mostly in the middle of the pack. Point Guard Chris Paul led the team to their first divisional title in 2008, but they've slipped back into mediocrity since then, and they'll be stuck there due to them trading Chris Paul. However, they did gain a new owner and drafted Anthony Davis into their team. Due to Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans in 2005, the Hornets played home games in Oklahoma City for two years, where they became the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Seattle (Super)Sonics' owner took note of the team's strong reception there, leading us to...
* The '''Oklahoma City Thunder''' were formerly known as the Seattle (Super)Sonics; the team was relocated to Oklahoma City. As of 2012, the Thunder have existed for only four seasons, but they've ''already'' made it to the NBA Finals, and chances are that they'll get a championship very soon. One particularly notable trait of theirs is how ''young'' they are; Durant, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka were all aged ''[[ImprobableAge 22 or 23]]'' when they appeared in the 2012 NBA Finals. Furthermore, in the playoffs of that same year, they defeated the same western teams that took 10 of the last 13 championships since 2012 - the Dallas Mavericks (2011), the Los Angeles Lakers (2000 - 2002, 2009 - 2010) ''and'' the San Antonio Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007), in that order. Appearing in the playoffs in three consecutive years, they went from a first round 8th seed exit in 2010, to a runner-up in the 2011 Western Conference Finals and the 2012 NBA Finals. While their potential was noticeable from their first season, it's only been since 2011 that people have started considering them a legit candidate for winning a championship, but they've made a habit out of losing to the eventual champions of that year (Lakers in 2010, Mavericks in 2011 and Heat in 2012).

* The '''Charlotte Bobcats''' are the league's newest team (by terms of founding - Oklahoma City is newer, but they moved from Seattle). They are [[IncrediblyLamePun named for initial owner]], [[EverythingsBetterWithBob Bob Johnson]], who was the founder of {{BET}}. They are currently owned by Michael Jordan. They started play in 2004 and haven't done too much except for setting record in 2011-12 (a season shortened to 66 games from the normal 82 by a labor dispute) for the worst winning percentage of all-time with ''7-59'' (.106; The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers lost more games in a regular-length season)! Alternative names for the team besides the Bobcats [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would've included the Dragons and the Flight.]]

* '''George Mikan''' was the man responsible for making basketball a sport for big men, due to his rebounding, shot blocking, and creating the "Mikan Drill" which is still used by many high school & college teams today. This ended up resulting in some new rules that are still around to this day (i.e., the shot clock). He was considered the original "best ever" and a founding father for the sport, even earning the nickname "[[RedBaron Mr. Basketball]]". In his entire career, he won two championships with the NBL (one of which was from his ''original team'' the Chicago American Gears, a team who would've been forgotten in the halls of time otherwise), one for the BAA, and four with the NBA, an All-Star MVP, three scoring titles, and was a part of the first four NBA All-Star games and the last All-BAA and first five All-NBA Teams. After his days of playing were over, he ended up coaching the Minneapolis Lakers, creating the ABA, a league that gave the NBA a scare for their money; and was vital for creating the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is especially notable since a statue of him is found near their home arena.[[note]]Mikan suffered severe health problems in his later years which, combined with the meager $1700/month pension the league offered for pre-1965 players, created financial difficulty for his family. At his death in 2005, then-current Laker superstar Shaquille O'Neal offered to pay for his funeral in tribute to Mikan's contributions--"Without Number 99, there is no me," he said. Pension increases for pre-1965 players subsequently became a major issue in the NBA's collective bargaining negotiations.[[/note]]

* '''George Mikan''' was the man responsible for making basketball a sport for big men, due to his rebounding, shot blocking, and creating the "Mikan Drill" which is still used by many high school & college teams today. This ended up resulting in some new rules that are still around to this day (i.e., the shot clock). He was considered the original "best ever" and a founding father for the sport, even earning the nickname "[[RedBaron Mr. Basketball]]". In his entire career, he won two championships with the NBL (one of which was from his ''original team'' the Chicago American Gears, a team who would've been forgotten in the halls of time otherwise), one for the BAA, and four with the NBA, an All-Star MVP, three scoring titles, and was a part of the first four NBA All-Star games and the last All-BAA and first five All-NBA Teams. After his days of playing were over, he ended up coaching the Minneapolis Lakers, creating the ABA, a league that gave the NBA a scare for their money; and was vital for creating the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is especially notable since a statue of him is found near their home arena.

* The '''New Orleans Hornets''' were formerly the Charlotte Hornets[[note]]This name's another relic; during the AmericanRevolution the British described Charlotte as "a hornet's nest"[[/note]]. They've been fairly consistent in their 20 years - occasionally very bad, occasionally very good, but mostly in the middle of the pack. Point Guard Chris Paul led the team to their first divisional title in 2008, but they've slipped back into mediocrity since then, and they'll be stuck there due to them trading Chris Paul. However, they did gain a new owner and drafted Anthony Davis into their team. Due to Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans in 2005, the Hornets played home games in Oklahoma City for two years, where they became the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Seattle (Super)Sonics' owner took note of the team's strong reception there, leading us to...

* The '''Sacramento Kings''' last won a championship in 1951. Bounced around from the NBL to the NBA from Rochester (as the Royals) to Cincinnati (also as the Royals) to Kansas City-Omaha to ''just'' Kansas City before settling in Sacramento in 1985. Sacramento's only major league sports team, their fanbase has been among the strongest in the league even during the franchise's lean years. This franchise is the ''third-oldest'' franchise in the NBA, behind only the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers, respectively. Their roots began in the ''1945-46'' season -- one year after the BAA/NBA began. There's been recent concerns of the Kings being moved to Las Vegas, Anaheim, Seattle, Kansas City, or even Virginia Beach. The mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson (a former NBA player) rallyed supporters and there is now an agreement by the city to build a new stadium that's keeping the Kings in Sacramento for over 30 years! However, thanks to the Maloof Brothers (the owners of the team), the home of the Kings is not only in jeopardy, but also in question altogether.

* The '''Golden State Warriors''' were the original team of WiltChamberlain, but they're a team with its best days far behind it; located in Oakland with a name designed to not peeve either San Francisco, Oakland or the Bay Area in general. Some past notices include being the first team to ''ever'' win the NBA Finals; the most recent they've done so is 1975. Apart from some minor success during the "Run TMC" years of the late 80s, the only thing they've done lately of note was stun the then-top-seeded Mavericks in the 2007 Playoffs, and in 2010 they brought back the classic uniforms featuring an image of one of the famous bridges of the area (formerly the Golden Gate, now the Oakland-San Francisco). Were originally from Philadelphia and, later on, San Francisco[[hottip:*:where construction of a new waterfront arena was approved in 2012; the Warriors are projected to move there in 2017]].

* '''Damian Lillard''' is a point guard, drafted 6th during the 2012 Draft. He's projected to be one of the finalists for the Rookie of the Year award. During his first professional game with the NBA, Lillard scored 23 points and dished out 11 assists (becoming only the third player to record 20 or more points and 10 or more assists in his debut, after Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas), even though he had 7 turnovers, so they may have a point. At any rate, Portland is hoping against hope that Lillard doesn't get injured.

'''Emergence of the Miami Heat'''