National Basketball League

National Basketball League (NBL)

File:National Basketball League logo.svg
Sport	Basketball
Founded	June 6, 1946 (1946-06-06) (as Basketball Association of Ibica), Elizabeth City, Angola
Commissioner	Fiona Young
No. of teams	31
Countries	Ibica (30 teams) Merona (1 team)
Headquarters	Elizabeth City
Continent	Ibica

The National Basketball League (NBL) is a men's professional basketball league in Ibica, composed of 30 teams (29 in Ibica and 1 in Merona). It is one of the three major professional sports leagues in Ibica, and is widely considered to be the premier men's professional basketball league in the world.

The league was founded in Elizabeth City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of Ibica (BAI). It changed its name to the National Basketball League on August 3, 1949, after merging with the competing National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBL's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Its playoffs extend into June. NBL players are the world's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.

Teams

The NBL originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations, currently consists of 31 teams. Ibica is home to 30 teams and one is located in Merona.

Western Conference

Team	City, State	Founded
Petra Nets	Albany, Petra	1976
Barton Hawks	Barton, West Monroe	1949
Boston Raptors	Boston, Panamor	1995
Columbia Pistons	Columbia, Edward Island	1948
Maurau Explorers	Maurau, North Caustoles	2021
Calahan Pioneers	Cuyoga, Calahan	1968
Frankfort Hornets	Frankfort, West Monroe	1988*
Franklin Heat	Franklin, Panamor	1988
Highlands Magic	Highlands, Panamor	1989
Mobile Thunder	Mobile, Petra	1967*
Orange Warriors	Orange, West Monroe	1946*
Parkland Clippers	Parkland, Petra	1948
Rhone Suns	Rhone, West Monroe	1968
Underwood Rockets	Underwood, Hamilton	1967*
Vermont Grizzlies	Vermont, Hamilton	1995*
Willmington Wizards	Willmington, West Monroe	2002*

Eastern Conference

Team	City, State	Founded
Albany Lancers	Albany, Angola	1946
Baton Rouge Knicks	Baton Rouge, Cartier	1946
Buena Vista Bulls	Buena Vista, Romane	1966
Charlotte Cavaliers	Charlotte, East Monroe	1970
Coronado Pacers	Coronado, Ochoa	1976
Elizabeth City Panthers	Elizabeth City, Angola	1949
Iberville Pelicans	Iberville, Merona	1961*
Laffayette Nuggets	Laffayette, Cartier	1976
Laurel Timberwolves	Laurel, Romane	1989
Madison Lakers	Madison, East Monroe	1970*
Nevada Trail Blazers	Nevada, Albion	1970
Olympia Jazz	Olympia, Angola	1974*
San Marcos Spurs	San Marcos, Albion	1976
St. Clarke Kings	St. Clarke, Albion	1948
Troy Mavericks	Troy, Albion	1980

Regular season

Following the summer break, teams begin training camps in late September. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBL cities, both in Ibica and overseas. The NBL regular season begins in the last week of October.

Playoffs

The NBL playoffs begin in April after the conclusion of the regular season with the top eight teams in each conference, regardless of divisional alignment, competing for the league's championship title. Seeds are awarded in strict order of regular season record (with a tiebreaker system used as needed).

Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed begins the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed, having a higher seed means a team faces a weaker team in the first round. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. Before the league changed its playoff determination format for the 2006–07 season, this meant that, for example, if the team that received the sixth seed had a better record than the team with the third seed (by virtue of a divisional championship), the sixth seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team had a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays.