It’s time to “get’cha head in the game” because the National Basketball Association (NBA) is officially back for its 81st season. See, if you’re like me, everything you know about basketball comes from High School Musical. But if after the very notable NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in June 2026 you want to “know ball,” here is a fun and easy guide to everything basketball, written by a girl for girls.
Class is in session.
The NBA, was created in 1949 and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, alongside baseball, football, ice hockey, and soccer. As of the NBA’s 81st season, there are 30 teams divided in half to make up two conferences.
The Eastern Conference consists of the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and the Washington Wizards.
The Western Conference consists of the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, and the New Orleans Pelicans.
How to play ball.
All basketball games are divided into four quarters, with halftime set after the second quarter. Each quarter is 12 minutes of playing time. If both teams are tied by the end of the fourth quarter, then they go into overtime.
For points, if a player is outside the three-point line (the outermost line) and the player’s foot does not touch the line, it is worth three points. However, if a player is inside the three-point line, meaning that player’s foot is on or over the line, it is considered two points. Most of the iconic basketball moves, like a dunk, are done for two points in the paint — the box under the basket.
Fouls are the archenemies of a basketball game, especially near the end, because they kill the clock. There are many types of fouls, in order from least serious to worst they are: personal, technical, and flagrant. After the player gets fouled, depending on the type of foul, they can get between one and three shots based on where they were standing on the court. It is very common near the end of a basketball game — I’m talking seconds left on the clock — for both teams to excessively draw fouls to stall the game, which can genuinely make or break a close game.
Heated rivalry.
Regular season tip-off was Oct. 20, with a very heated tripleheader. The season will run until April 11, 2027 before playoffs start on April 17, 2027. The tripleheader consisted of six teams in three games, and the NBA decided to be very messy this year, fanning the flames of many rivalries. The first game was between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons; both teams are projected to be top contenders in the East this season and have a long-standing history together, having faced each other in the playoffs many times. The second included the reigning champions, the New York Knicks, and the Philadelphia 76ers, who have just acquired the second-best player of all time and longest-playing star, LeBron James, in the off-season. The last game of the night was between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. This was the first time the two teams faced each other since the epic seven-game series during the 2026 West Conference finals, and there’s some pretty bad blood between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama.
The league’s looking different.
Without getting into all the nitty-gritty details of the off-season, trade season had some of the most movement the NBA has seen in years. Key players, such as the previously mentioned James, and one of the most heavily decorated players of all time with one championship and two MVP awards, Giannis Antetokounmpo, all left teams they’ve been with for a decade. With so many players moving around and teams being built and dismantled, it’s sure to shake up how predictable this season will be.
A dynasty or a bust?
Now, what’s in the cards for last season’s champions, the New York Knicks, and their star player, affectionately nicknamed the King of New York, Jalen Brunson? If you’re not in the loop, the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals in a five-game series against the aforementioned, extremely rookie team, the San Antonio Spurs. It was a monumental year for the Knicks, as it was the first time they’ve won in 50 years, and the camaraderie New York City — and really the rest of the world — developed was electric. However, with that being said, was the Knicks’ year just last year? Or can they continue this momentum, turning this into a dynasty? Short answer: only time will tell, but from a statistical standpoint, it is unlikely. I mentioned the trading in the off-season was the biggest the NBA has seen in the past couple of years, and most of this movement happened in the East — where the Knicks are. The East, for the past five or so years, has been notoriously lacking compared to the West, but this year looks as if that’s about to change. While the Knicks are still a top contender for the East, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, and the Philadelphia 76ers all have powerhouse players on their teams now which could shut out the reigning champions. Plus, out in the West, the San Antonio Spurs are only getting older, stronger, and more experienced in the league, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are healthy again after a handful of injuries in the playoffs last year. The Knicks will have to work extremely hard to keep their crown and I, for one, am very interested to see how they manage the pressure of winning — especially with a city as large as New York City behind them.
Women in sports.
Now, I simply can’t sit here and talk about basketball without mentioning the incredible female athletes in the WNBA. The WNBA Finals began on Oct. 17 between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, with the Valkyries securing the championship title. And in other WNBA news, A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, received her fifth MVP award, making her one of the most decorated players in all of basketball history. We are actively witnessing the rise of WNBA with a phenomenon known as the Caitlin Clark Effect, where viewership of the WNBA since player Caitlin Clark was introduced into the league has gone up around 70%. After that horrible, anti-feminist Sydney Sweeney Novig ad, I love to see all these phenomenal women athletes absolutely winning.