A basic overview into the basketball industry; including how players earn their income, the major tournaments and key dates for 2023.
Governing Bodies
The international governing body of basketball is the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which is responsible for regulating basketball competitions around the world. FIBA oversees a variety of basketball events, including the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, and the Olympic basketball tournament. It also works with national basketball associations to promote basketball at the grassroots level and develop the sport globally.
Major Leagues
The most prestigious professional basketball league in the world is the National Basketball Association (NBA), which is based in the United States. The NBA is composed of 30 teams and is widely regarded as the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA season runs from October to June and features a total of 82 regular season games, followed by a playoff tournament to determine the NBA champion.
In addition to the NBA, there are several other professional basketball leagues around the world, including the EuroLeague in Europe, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), and the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
Key Tournaments
The NBA is responsible for organizing and running its own tournaments, including the NBA playoffs, the NBA Finals, and the NBA All-Star Game. The NBA playoffs are a tournament featuring the top eight teams in each conference, with the winner of each conference advancing to the NBA Finals. The NBA All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game featuring the best players from the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences.
Global tournaments include FIBA Basketball World Cup, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, and the Olympic basketball tournament. These tournaments are international and players are chosen to represent their countries.
Player Income
The most common ways that Professional basketball players earn their income includes salary and endorsements.
Salary: The primary way that professional basketball players earn income is through their salaries from their respective teams. NBA players are among the highest-paid athletes in the world, with top players earning tens of millions of dollars per year. Players also receive bonuses for various achievements, such as making the All-Star team or winning a championship.
Endorsements: Like other professional athletes, basketball players can earn significant income through endorsement deals with companies. Endorsement deals can include contracts for shoes, apparel, and other products. Top players can earn tens of millions of dollars per year from endorsement deals alone.
Key Dates for 2023
NBA Play-offs Begin
15th April
USA
NBA Finals
1 – 18 June
USA
FIBA Basketball World Cup
25 August – 10 September
Japan & the Philippines
Key Websites
Disclaimer
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