NBA: History of Team Name Changes for Every Franchise
The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks Are the Oldest Team Names in the NBA. These Are The Logos From Their First Season, 1946-47 (BAA).
Do you know the name, league and home-city history of all 30 current NBA franchises?
Modeled on one of the more popular baseball posts at Sports List of the Day – MLB: History of Team Name Changes – here is the basketball version, following today’s NBA teams from their beginnings through all their moves and name changes (sorted from oldest to youngest franchises).
NBA
The NBA itself started as the BAA (Basketball Association of America) in 1946-47. The Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors (then, Philadelphia) and New York Knicks are the only teams left from that very first year.
The BAA lasted three seasons, fielding a total of 16 teams in its short history, including the Fort Wayne Pistons (now, Detroit), Minneapolis Lakers (now, L.A.) and the Rochester Royals (now, the Sacramento Kings).
When the BAA merged with the NBL (National Basketball League) in 1949, these six teams joined 11 others to form the NBA.
ABA
The ABA (American Basketball Association) was established in 1967 to compete with the NBA, but the two leagues would wind up merging in 1976 to create today’s NBA.
The Brooklyn Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs had their origins in the ABA. So did the three-pointer.
Follow @VinGetz| FRANCHISE | FOUNDED | TEAMS | FROM | TO | LEAGUE |
| Boston Celtics | 1946 | Boston Celtics | 1946-47 | 1948-49 | BAA |
| Boston Celtics | 1949-50 | Present | NBA | ||
| Golden State Warriors | 1946 | Philadelphia Warriors | 1946-47 | 1948-49 | BAA |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 1949-50 | 1961-62 | NBA | ||
| San Francisco Warriors | 1962-63 | 1970-71 | NBA | ||
| Golden State Warriors | 1971-72 | Present | NBA | ||
| New York Knicks | 1946 | New York Knicks | 1946-47 | 1948-49 | BAA |
| New York Knicks | 1949-50 | Present | NBA | ||
| Detroit Pistons | 1948 | Fort Wayne Pistons | 1948-49 | 1948-49 | BAA |
| Fort Wayne Pistons | 1949-50 | 1956-57 | NBA | ||
| Detroit Pistons | 1957-58 | Present | NBA | ||
| Los Angeles Lakers | 1948 | Minneapolis Lakers | 1948-49 | 1948-49 | BAA |
| Minneapolis Lakers | 1949-50 | 1959-60 | NBA | ||
| Los Angeles Lakers | 1960-61 | Present | NBA | ||
| Sacramento Kings | 1948 | Rochester Royals | 1948-49 | 1948-49 | BAA |
| Rochester Royals | 1949-50 | 1956-57 | NBA | ||
| Cincinnati Royals | 1957-58 | 1971-72 | NBA | ||
| Kansas City-Omaha Kings | 1972-73 | 1974-75 | NBA | ||
| Kansas City Kings | 1975-76 | 1984-85 | NBA | ||
| Sacramento Kings | 1985-86 | Present | NBA | ||
| Atlanta Hawks | 1949 | Tri-Cities Blackhawks | 1949-50 | 1950-51 | NBA |
| Milwaukee Hawks | 1951-52 | 1954-1955 | NBA | ||
| St. Louis Hawks | 1955-56 | 1967-68 | NBA | ||
| Atlanta Hawks | 1968-69 | Present | NBA | ||
| Philadelphia 76ers | 1949 | Syracuse Nationals | 1949-50 | 1962-63 | NBA |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 1963-64 | Present | NBA | ||
| Washington Wizards | 1961 | Chicago Packers | 1961-62 | 1961-62 | NBA |
| Chicago Zephyrs | 1962-63 | 1962-63 | NBA | ||
| Baltimore Bullets | 1963-64 | 1972-73 | NBA | ||
| Capital Bullets | 1973-74 | 1973-74 | NBA | ||
| Washington Bullets | 1974-75 | 1996-97 | NBA | ||
| Washington Wizards | 1997-98 | Present | NBA | ||
| Chicago Bulls | 1966 | Chicago Bulls | 1966-67 | Present | NBA |
| Brooklyn Nets | 1967 | New Jersey Americans | 1967-68 | 1967-68 | ABA |
| New York Nets | 1968-69 | 1975-76 | ABA | ||
| New York Nets | 1976-77 | 1976-77 | NBA | ||
| New Jersey Nets | 1977-78 | 2011-12 | NBA | ||
| Brooklyn Nets | 2012-13 | Present | NBA | ||
| Denver Nuggets | 1967 | Denver Rockets | 1967-68 | 1973-74 | ABA |
| Denver Nuggets | 1974-75 | 1975-76 | ABA | ||
| Denver Nuggets | 1976-77 | Present | NBA | ||
| Houston Rockets | 1967 | San Diego Rockets | 1967-68 | 1970-71 | NBA |
| Houston Rockets | 1971-72 | Present | NBA | ||
| Indiana Pacers | 1967 | Indiana Pacers | 1967-68 | 1975-76 | ABA |
| Indiana Pacers | 1976-77 | Present | NBA | ||
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 1967 | Seattle SuperSonics | 1967-68 | 2007-08 | NBA |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 2008-09 | Present | NBA | ||
| San Antonio Spurs | 1967 | Dallas Chaparrals | 1967-68 | 1969-70 | ABA |
| Texas Chaparrals | 1970-71 | 1970-71 | ABA | ||
| Dallas Chaparrals | 1971-72 | 1972-73 | ABA | ||
| San Antonio Spurs | 1973-74 | 1975-76 | ABA | ||
| San Antonio Spurs | 1976-77 | Present | NBA | ||
| Milwaukee Bucks | 1968 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1968-69 | Present | NBA |
| Phoenix Suns | 1968 | Phoenix Suns | 1968-69 | Present | NBA |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 1970 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1970-71 | Present | NBA |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 1970 | Buffalo Braves | 1970-71 | 1977-78 | NBA |
| San Diego Clippers | 1978-79 | 1983-84 | NBA | ||
| Los Angeles Clippers | 1984-85 | Present | NBA | ||
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1970 | Portland Trail Blazers | 1970-71 | Present | NBA |
| Utah Jazz | 1974 | New Orleans Jazz | 1974-75 | 1978-79 | NBA |
| Utah Jazz | 1979-80 | Present | NBA | ||
| Dallas Mavericks | 1980 | Dallas Mavericks | 1980-81 | Present | NBA |
| Miami Heat | 1988 | Miami Heat | 1988-89 | Present | NBA |
| New Orleans Hornets | 1988 | Charlotte Hornets | 1988-89 | 2001-02 | NBA |
| New Orleans Hornets | 2002-03 | 2004-05 | NBA | ||
| New Orleans/OKC Hornets | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | NBA | ||
| New Orleans Hornets | 2007-08 | Present | NBA | ||
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 1989 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1989-90 | Present | NBA |
| Orlando Magic | 1989 | Orlando Magic | 1989-90 | Present | NBA |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 1995 | Vancouver Grizzlies | 1995-96 | 2000-01 | NBA |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 2001-02 | Present | NBA | ||
| Toronto Raptors | 1995 | Toronto Raptors | 1995-96 | Present | NBA |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 2004 | Charlotte Bobcats | 2004-05 | Present | NBA |
Thanks to basketball-reference.com.
Photo: sportslogos.net. You have to see this site!
Posted on February 7, 2013, in NBA and tagged aba, baa, Basketball, changes, franchises, history, List, move, name, nba, nbl, oldest, original, sports list of the day, team names, teams. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
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