20 maps that explain the NBA

The Original NBA

Here's a good reminder of just how different the United States looked just 65 years ago: the population centers were primarily found on the Eastern seaboard, in the Great Lakes region and along the Mississippi River. In the 1950 NBA, the state of Indiana had three teams and Iowa was on the league map. Iowa! Note that two "modern" teams aren't quite what they seem. These Denver Nuggets folded after a couple of years. The ABA later created a...