On November 1, 1946, the New York Knickerbockers beat the Toronto Huskies at Maple Leaf Gardens. With an in-person audience of 7,000 (many who had no idea what basketball was), the Knickerbockers edged out the Huskies for a 68-66 point victory. Little did they know that this game would be the start of a legacy of greatness. Over the course of several decades, the NBA (or BAA as it was called back then) has undergone several changes, from adding the three-point line in 1979 to gathering an average of 1.34 million TV viewers in 2020-2021. But what has remained the same is the NBA’s ability to connect people from all backgrounds to something that, in the end, is greater than basketball and themselves. Let’s take a look at how the NBA is celebrating 75 years of greatness.

New Logo, New Jerseys, New Ball

In late summer, the NBA revealed a commemorative logo to go along with the 2021-2022 season. Consisting of the classic Logoman set in the shape of a diamond, there’s no doubt you’ll see a lot of this logo this year, as it will be on everything from caps and hoop backboard to jerseys. Speaking of jerseys, Nike released diamond-embellished jersey-details as well as new “Classic Edition” and “City Edition” jerseys, many of which recognize their respective franchise’s history. Lastly, the NBA switched from Spalding to Wilson as their new game-brand ball partner. In addition to this, the league has also produced a diamond-covered basketball. Though for aesthetic purposes only, this basketball is nevertheless a wonderful physical embodiment of the league’s deep history. 

NBA 75’s Anniversary Team Players

In the beginning of the season, the NBA celebrated their 75 greatest players in the history of the league. Voted upon by a “blue-ribbon panel” of media, former players, present players, coaches, and more, this anniversary team was created to honor the pioneers of the game. Oldheads and new fans alike will be equally pleased with the lineup, which includes Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jerry “The Logo” West, as well as current stars such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Games Dedicated to NBA 75

One of the more exciting developments to come out of this celebration is the NBA 75 Classic Matchups, which will showcase present-day teams battling out against their historic rivals or recreating historic matchups. Overall, there will be a total of five games made up of six teams: the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors, and the Atlanta Hawks. For those interested in the choosing of these teams, the Knicks, Warriors, and Celtics are the three franchises to have played in every single NBA season. Meanwhile, the matchup between the Lakers and the Hawks symbolizes the game 50 years to the day when the Lakers beat the Hawks for their 33rd straight victory, the longest winning streak in NBA history. And of course, the Knicks-Raptors matchup nods to the first ever NBA game played (when the Raptors were known as the Huskies).

The NBA always finds a way to deliver.  You can be sure that this season will be no different.