As much so as the games, players, and teams themselves, the history of basketball is a history of American labor politics

Utilized to seed the roster of new franchises, expansion drafts have been staged 11 times in NBA history, starting with the Chicago Packers in 1961 and most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. These are the most notable selections in expansion draft history, from flops to revivals to impending franchise cornerstones.

From musicians and shock jocks to magnates and socialites, these are nine especially innovative and/or quirky owners of ABA franchises.

Some do it because they’ve moved, some do it just to re-brand, and others have more questionable motives. These are the 13 NBA teams out of the current 30 that have, at some point, changed names.

As part of our Totally ’80s series, we explore the 80 most monumental, controversial, influential, unforgettable, and indescribable basketball moments from the 1980s.

An NBA franchise changing hands in ownership is often a seamless and relatively mundane event but in these 10 cases, it was a watershed moment, either by virtue of its novelty, its sale price, and/or its impact on the future of the franchise and the league itself.

It’s easy come, easy go, as cryptocurrency is becoming the latest economic bubble to burst and splash its failure all over the NBA, including on the facades of arenas.

The Warriors are returning to San Francisco after 48 years across the Bay in Oakland, but it’s not the first time this franchise his picked up and moved. We examine them and 13 other active teams that have changed cities during their time in the NBA and ABA.

Going back to the invention of the game in 1891, we take a look at the 75 innovations, signings, mergers, rule changes, lawsuits, agreements, disagreements, trades, hirings, draft picks, and other off-court events that shaped the course of NBA history.

Whether it was due to anti-trust or just a lack of trust, here are ten cases where the NBA league office had to defend itself in the court of law

Though the NBA has been king of pro basketball in America since 1949, these rival leagues have challenged it in some way over the years, to various interesting effects.

When the Spurs, Nets, Pacers and Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976, the ABA was forced to close up shop forever, leaving behind these unique and colorful teams in the history books.

It lasted for only nine seasons, its franchises were mostly unprofitable and volatile, its level of play was a step below, and its legacy in pro basketball is not always readily apparent. But the ABA had some undeniable influence on the NBA, especially in these six cases, which had their inception in the secondary league.

While the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, 76ers, Kings, Pistons, and Hawks have been active in the NBA since the late ’40s, these other early franchises weren’t so lucky and closed up shop after a brief lifetime, often as short as just one season.

Some were just there for a good time, some wanted to win at any cost, some wanted to give back to their community, and some wanted to just bleed the franchise for whatever it was worth.