List of Current NBA Teams 2009-10

Entering the 2009-10 season (the league's 64th), here's a look at the current list of all 30 NBA Teams, as well as a bit of a history lesson. The oldest franchises listed which have kept their original names are the Boston Celtics and New York Knickerbockers (shortened to Knicks), while the Oklahoma City Thunder is technically the newest squad, since the team used to be the Seattle Supersonics until a few years ago. Technically, Toronto Raptors or the Memphis Grizzlies are the newest expansion teams, while the Charlotte Bobcats and New Orleans Hornets merely moved around a bit.

The original NBA Team list when the league was founded back in 1946 consisted of just 11 squads:

Boston Celtics
Chicago Stags
Cleveland Rebels
Detroit Falcons
New York Knickerbockers
Philadelphia Warriors
Pittsburgh Ironmen
Providence Steamrollers
St. Louis Bombers
Toronto Huskies
Washington Capitols

As you can see several of the cities above have survived into 2009-10, yet with different names for their teams. Chicago, Detroit, Philly, Toronto and Washington all exist today but with different names. In 1948-49 several of the ABL franchises were added into the mix including the Minneapolis Lakers and Denver Nuggets.

NBA Teams list 2009-10

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
New Orleans Hornets
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

Somewhere Over Thunder's Rainbow...

Ironically, a team that comes from one of the most rain-prone cities in the US, now finds itself being pounded by Thunderous losses, night in and night out. While teams like Boston, Clelveand and Los Angeles have 6 or less losses, Oklahoma is hoping to get that many wins right about now. Definitely a team in transition and in search of identity, but not a team without potential cornerstones for success.

USA Today takes a look at one of the few bright spots amongst the hurting Thunder, with rookie Russell Westbrook. Westbrook earned rookie of the month honors in December, and admits he didn't even know such an award existed. Still the rookie doesn't mind winning it as his play alongside Kevin Durant's has given the team some hope for the future. Right now last year's 4th overall draft pick, Westbrook, ranks third in scoring for rookies, right behind two ROY candidates in Derrick Rose & OJ Mayo. Westbrook's name isn't part of the talks for that season award quite yet, but should he continue his current path he might have a shot.

Currently, OKC is bottom of the NBA barrel, winning just 4 games, while losing 30. They've become that team that other teams see coming up on the schedule and realize they can breathe easy and pick up an extra W. Just the other night, Kevin Durant did showcase a bit of that competitive nature though, and hit a huge 3 against Denver in the final seconds. The only problem was Denver's Carmelo Anthony came right back to seal the Thunder's fate, hitting a game winning 3 of his own. The Nuggets left the court all smiles while once again the Thunder could simply shake their heads.

But this is to be expected from a team that is in all senses of the term, an expansion team. Their coach Scott Brooks even had a taste of that expansion life when he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who ironically are slightly better than Oklahoma is this season. Over at TheSpoof.com they go as far as to fake a rumor that Kove Bryant might be traded to the Thunder, but only when Cuba becomes our 51st state. While they don't have a household name like Kobe, the Thunder's Westbrook and Durant are stars in the making who definitely give life to a young, talented squad and show promise for the future. The New York Times has a recent article which mentions that even if W's aren't there in Oklahoma, fans still show up but they're only concerned with the home games.

From NYTimes:

“Our fan base is still really not in tune with the rest of the league and even our team on the road,” Cornett said. “I don’t get the sense that if you walked into a restaurant and our team is playing a road game, that it’s a given that they are going to be playing it on TV. The market just hasn’t matured in that respect. To them, the N.B.A. is 41 home games, and the rest will take time to develop.”

So the fans are half into the team. Now the team needs to get more than just 2/5 of the team to give way more than 50% effort to cross that .500 mark within a few seasons.

Read Westbrook's honor gives dismal Thunder a bright spot at USA Today

75 Cent Nets Tickets?!?

If you're a New York/New Jersey native and want to see some pro basketball for a dirt cheap price, the Nets have a deal for you. Right now the New Jersey Nets are amongst those contending for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 16-17 record. While they've dealt both Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson away, Vince Carter still remains and has rising point guard Devin Harris with him. Harris has been a pleasant surprise this season for the Nets and may be amongst those chosen for this year's East All-Star Reserves.

In a previous report on what franchises are worth, a comment was made that the Nets are hurting most as they try to secure loan money to get the team moved to Brooklyn. Wiht the team's record below .500, and J-Kidd & Jefferson out of town, ticket sales must really be hurting, as the Nets have offered the following $0.75 cent ticket deal for select games.

Fri, 12/26/08
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Mon, 12/29/08
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Chicago Bulls

Mon, 01/05/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Sacramento Kings

Wed, 01/07/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Mon, 01/12/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Thu, 01/15/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Tue, 02/03/09
07:30 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Fri, 02/20/09
08:00 PM New Jersey Nets vs. Washington Wizards

Your Complimentary* Nets Tickets Await!

Join us to see the Nets battle Gilbert Arenas & the Wizards, cross-river rival NY Knicks, Chris Bosh & the Raptors OR Carl Boozer & the Jazz!

As part of the Nets Tickets on Us Program, you are receiving this one time, complimentary* ticket offer to see the Nets take on some of the NBA's best at the IZOD Center. Simply select one of the home games listed below and you can receive up to two tickets to the game. It's about taking a break and enjoying a night out, courtesy of the Nets.

Valid on tickets regularly priced at: $110 $80, $76, $40, $20, and $15.

To take advantage, enter the following code in the Paperfast Offer box: ONUS

You're not dreaming, because these are real 2008-09 regular season NBA games for 75 cent admission! That's cheaper than going to the movies, or even renting a movie at Blockbuster! The opposing teams might not be the NBA's best, but the Portland Trailblazers are nothing to shake a stick at. Last year's Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy, as well as big man Greg Oden and phenom LaMarcus Aldridge make that one exciting team to see. You've also got Memphis with Rudy Gay and then Oklahoma with Kevin Durant. Once again, not the cream of the crop for the NBA, but for 75 cents and the chance to see some future All-star phenoms, why not?

Head over to Ticketmaster at this link and use promo code: ONUS in the Paperfast Offer Box. You can print tickets directly to your printer to avoid shipping and handling. There will most likely be at least a $3.50 or so convenience charge though.

BuzzerBeaters & East Guards

Several great buzzer-beaters in Friday night's NBA action. The Oklahoma Thunder (former Sonics) were on cloud 9 after young superstar Kevin Durant knocked down a huge 3 to put his team ahead. With just seconds remaining though Carmelo returned the favor, hitting a three to give the Nuggets the win, coach George Karl's 900th. Can it get any worse for the Thunder? When it rains on them, it pours...

Vince Carter also hit a 3 to win the Nets game Friday night. The Nets continue to be amongst playoff contenders in the East behind the standout play of Guard Devin Harris, who was acquired in the Jason Kidd trade. Recently though the Nets were offering a ticket to any of 5 home games for just 75 cents. Maybe a move to Brooklyn and bringing the King to town will see better ticket sales.

As for guards in the East, ESPN NBA Analyst Jeff Van Gundy was saying he thinks PG's Jameer Nelson, Jose Calderon and Devin Harris are all deserving of All-Star spots. His co-analyst Mark Jackson let him know that they won't all be playing in Phoenix this February, so it will be interesting to see which guys get the nod. With Billups departure, Iverson is back east. Then you've got superstar guards like Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen, so the bench will be interesting.

Speaking of Ray Allen's Celtics, there's now rumors that Boston is interested in acquiring Stephon Marbury. Newsday reported:

On Friday, a source-based report on ESPN.com suggested that the Celtics are interested in signing Marbury once he completes a buyout with the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday. Walsh, who has given Marbury permission to talk with other teams to find a new home, said he had no indications that the Celtics, or any NBA team, had a sincere interest.

The Celtics were caught off-guard by the report, and general manager Danny Ainge had no comment Friday about Marbury.

A KG-Starbury reunion would be something to see, but would it help or hurt the Champs? Marbury's been a star in the past but his on/off court problems are always a danger to teams he plays for. Read Newsday's full article here.

PJ Carlesimo feels the Thunder!

When it rains it pours, especially for the Thunder. The Oklahoma City NBA transplant from Seattle axed head coach PJ Carlesimo following Friday night's loss to New Orleans. The game televised on ESPN saw the Hornets bench play out the fourth, en route to a 105-80 drubbing of OKC. The Thunder currently have a 1-12 record, one of the worst, if not worst in the NBA. The team's bright spot is Kevin Durant, who outdid most rookies most of last season, while playing for a dismal Seattle Sonics team. Eventually it was approved for the team to change cities for 2008-09, bringing basketball back to Oklahoma City once more. The Hornets played games there in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and may give inspiration to the turnaround of a team in dismay. Last season saw the young, talented New Orleans squad take San Antonio to the limits in the playoffs.

Taking over for Carlesimo will be his assistant Scott Brooks, former NBA player who won a championship with Houston in 1994. Assistant Paul Westhead was also let go with Carlesimo. Oklahoma has been playing in a new home with new uniforms and relatively young talent, such as Kevin Durant. The team had plenty of buzz heading into the season, with season tickets selling out in just 5 days. To his defense, Carlesimo inherited a team that was hurt by the trades of big name stars, Ray Allen & Rashard Lewis. Expecting the type of quick turnaround that New Orleans had is a bit unreasonable for now. Their squad benefitted from the addition of ultra-PG Chris Paul, as well as Peja Stoyakovic, Tyson Chandler, David West and Morris Peterson. It's already been made known by the Thunder execs that Scott Brooks will finish out the season with the Thunder as head coach. Brooks will most likely inherit the continuing struggles of a team in transition from city to city and veteran stars to rising stars.

Read Yahoo News piece on Carlesimo's firing here.

Oklahoma City Prepares for Thunder!

Oklahoma City expect heavy Thunder in your sports forecast this 2008-09 NBA season! The once Seattle Supersonics have moved to Oklahoma City. The team will no longer be called the Supersonics, but instead the Thunder. New place, new name, new jerseys as well. The personnel has stayed the same for the most part, with franchise superstar, and last year's ROY Kevin Durant, still on the team.

According to AZCentral.com, news of the new name and logo leaked early:

The local ABC affiliate reported in mid-July that Thunder had been chosen as the nickname. Then the NBA Web site listed NBA.com/thunder as a link to the Oklahoma City team's page. Then the Orlando Magic's site listed games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Even the logo and colors leaked out over the weekend. Then, prior to the 5 p.m. announcement, Thunder merchandise started showing up on the NBA's online store.

Early reaction to the name is it may sound a bit like a NBDL or WNBA team's name and will definitely take some getting used to. The Seattle Supersonics name bring up memories of players like Gary Payton, Sean Kemp, Nate McMillan and other stars from the past. Recent Celtics superstar, Ray Allen, also called Seattle home for most of his career, breaking Reggie Miller's 3 point record while playing there. The Sonics are coming off a disappointing 2007-08 campaign, despite the bright spots Kevin Durant supplied. But now come rain or shine, there's always Thunder in Oklahoma City!

As mentioned bove, there's already Thunder merchandise available at NBA.com which features the new look logo and jerseys. See the merchandise at the new Oklahoma City Thunder NBA homepage!