2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, four games to one.
| 2008–09 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 28, 2008 – April 16, 2009 April 18 – May 30, 2009 (Playoffs) June 4 – 14, 2009 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Derrick Rose |
| Picked by | Chicago Bulls |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Season MVP | LeBron James (Cleveland) |
| Top scorer | Dwyane Wade (Miami) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Orlando Magic |
| Eastern runners-up | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Western champions | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Western runners-up | Denver Nuggets |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Runners-up | Orlando Magic |
| Finals MVP | Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers) |
The 2008 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2008, and Derrick Rose was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls and eventually was awarded the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was hosted at the US Airways Center in Phoenix. The Western Conference All-Stars defeated the Eastern Conference All-Stars 146–119. The All-Star Game co-MVPs were Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
This was the first NBA season since 1966–67 without a Seattle franchise, as the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in July 2008 and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.