Expansion of the NBA
The National Basketball Association has undergone several rounds of expansion in the league's history, since it began play in 1946, to reach 30 teams. The most recent examples are the additions of the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in 1988; the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic in 1989; the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995 (who relocated to Memphis in 2001); and the New Orleans Hornets in 2002. In June 2022, Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that while there are no current plans to expand beyond 30 teams, the NBA "invariably will expand."
| Progression of NBA expansion | |
|---|---|
| Years | No. of teams |
| 1946–1947 | 11 |
| 1947–1948 | 8 |
| 1948–1949 | 12 |
| 1949–1950 | 17 |
| 1950–1951 | 11 |
| 1951–1953 | 10 |
| 1953–1955 | 9 |
| 1955–1961 | 8 |
| 1961–1966 | 9 |
| 1966–1967 | 10 |
| 1967–1968 | 12 |
| 1968–1970 | 14 |
| 1970–1974 | 17 |
| 1974–1976 | 18 |
| 1976–1980 | 22 |
| 1980–1988 | 23 |
| 1988–1989 | 25 |
| 1989–1995 | 27 |
| 1995–2004 | 29 |
| 2004–present | 30 |
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