User:Irkentier/sandbox3

1946: Founding of the BAA
The Basketball Association of America is formed with 11 teams, and divided into East and West divisions. Four of these teams fold after the season.

1947
The BAA plays with eight teams, with the Baltimore Bullets joining the league from the ABL.

1948
Four teams from the NBL, the Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Jets, Minneapolis Lakers and the Rochester Royals, join the BAA. Both the Jets and the Providence Steamrollers fold after the season.

1949: BAA–NBL merger
The ten surviving BAA teams merge with the six remaining teams from the NBL to form the NBA. The Indianapolis Olympians also join the merged league as an expansion team. The merged NBA realigns into three divisions.

1950 contraction
The NBA contracts to 11 teams, and realigns back to East and West divisions, after three clubs fold and three other teams jump to the NPBL. The Washington Capitols then also fold midway through the season.

1951: Hawks relocation to Milwaukee
The Tri-Cities Blackhawks move to Milwaukee to become the Milwaukee Hawks.

1953 and 1954 contraction
The league contracts to nine teams for the 1953–54 season after the Indianapolis Olympians fold. The Baltimore Bullets then fold 14 games into the 1954–55 season.

1955: Hawks relocation to St. Louis
The Milwaukee Hawks move to St. Louis to become the St. Louis Hawks.

1957: Pistons and Royals relocation

 * The Fort Wayne Pistons move to Detroit to become the Detroit Pistons.
 * The Rochester Royals move to Cincinnati to become the Cincinnati Royals.

1960: Lakers relocation to Los Angeles
The Minneapolis Lakers move to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Lakers.

1961 expansion
The Chicago Packers are enfranchised and are placed in the West Division, bringing the league back to nine teams.

1962: Warriors relocation and Chicago renaming

 * The Philadelphia Warriors relocate to San Francisco to become the San Francisco Warriors. This results in the Warriors moving to the West Division, and the Cincinnati Royals moving to the East Division.
 * The Chicago Packers are renamed the Chicago Zephyrs.

1963 relocations

 * The Chicago Zephyrs move to Baltimore to become the new Baltimore Bullets.
 * The Syracuse Nationals move to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers.

1966 expansion
The Chicago Bulls are enfranchised and are placed in the West Division, while the Baltimore Bullets move to the East Division.

1967 expansion
The San Diego Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics are enfranchised, bringing the league to 12 teams. Both expansion teams are placed in the West Division while the Detroit Pistons move to the East Division.

1968 expansion and relocation

 * The Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns are enfranchised, bringing the league to 14 teams. The Bucks are placed in the East Division and the Suns in the West Division.
 * The St. Louis Hawks move to Atlanta to become the Atlanta Hawks, but still stay in the West Division.

1970 expansion and realignment
The NBA expands to 17 teams with the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigns into four divisions and two conferences.

1971: Rockets and Warriors relocation

 * The San Diego Rockets relocate to Houston to become the Houston Rockets. The Rockets move to the Midwest Division, with the Phoenix Suns moving to the Pacific Division.
 * The San Francisco Warriors become the Golden State Warriors after the team moves across San Francisco Bay to Oakland.

1973: Bullets relocation
The Baltimore Bullets become the Capital Bullets after they move to the Washington, D.C. suburb of Landover, Maryland.

1974 expansion

 * The New Orleans Jazz are enfranchised as the league's 18th team and are placed in the Central Division
 * The Capital Bullets are renamed the Washington Bullets.

ABA–NBA merger (1976–1977)
The ABA–NBA merger. Six American Basketball Association franchises join the NBA: the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, the Kentucky Colonels, the New York Nets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Utah Rockies.

1977: Nets relocation to New Jersey
The New York Nets move to Piscataway, New Jersey to become the New Jersey Nets.

1978: Braves relocation to San Diego
The Buffalo Braves relocate to San Diego to become the San Diego Clippers. This results in the Clippers moving to the Pacific Division, the Utah Rockies moving to the Midwest, and the Cleveland Cavaliers moving to the Atlantic.

1980 expansion and realignment
The Dallas Mavericks are enfranchised as the league's 25th team, and are placed in the Midwest Division. The NBA's two other Texas teams, the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs, as well as the New Orleans Jazz, move to the Midwest Division to join the Mavericks, while the Chicago Bulls. Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and the Milwaukee Bucks move to the Central Division.

1984: Clippers relocation to Los Angeles
The San Diego Clippers move to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Clippers.

1985: Royals relocation to Sacramento
The Cincinnati Royals move to Sacramento, California to become the Sacramento Royals, moving to the Pacific Division.

1988 expansion
The Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat are enfranchised to bring the league to 27 teams. The Hornets and Heat are both placed in the Atlantic Division, and the Cleveland Cavaliers move to the Central Division.

1989 expansion
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic are enfranchised as the league's 28th and 29th teams. The Timberwolves are placed in the Midwest Division, and the Magic in the Atlantic Division.

1995 expansion
The NBA expands into Canada as the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies are enfranchised as the league's 30th and 31st teams. The Raptors are placed in the Central Division and the Grizzlies are placed in the Pacific Division.

1997: Washington renaming
The Washington Bullets are renamed the Washington Wizards.

2001: Grizzlies relocation to Memphis
The Vancouver Grizzlies move to Memphis, Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies, moving from the Pacific Division to the Midwest division.

2004 expansion and realignment
The Oklahoma City Thunder are enfranchised as the league's 32nd team. The NBA realigns to create three divisions in both conferences.

2005: Hurricane Katrina impacts Jazz
Due to the damages caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Jazz split their home games between New Orleans and Kansas City for two seasons, and thus officially play as the New Orleans/Kansas City Jazz.

2007: Jazz return to New Orleans full-time
With damages caused by Hurricane Katrina fully repaired, the Hornets return to New Orleans full-time.

2012: Nets relocation
The New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn to become the Brooklyn Nets.