NBA Analysis and Explainers
The play-in, tiebreakers and how the seeding actually works — what the standings mean and how the NBA sorts its playoff bracket.
LeBron James Leads the NBA's All-Time Scoring List, and Longevity Is Only Part of Why
LeBron James leads NBA all-time scoring with 43,537 points through Nov. 2, 2026. Only the top 4 beat the top 25's median in both games and points per game.
Every NBA Rookie of the Year, From Don Meineke in 1953 to Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg is the 77th NBA Rookie of the Year and the 25th No. 1 pick to win it. Every winner since 1952-53, with draft slot, college and the team's record.
Every NBA Finals MVP Since 1969, From Jerry West to Jalen Brunson
Michael Jordan has the most NBA Finals MVP awards, six. Every winner from Jerry West in 1969 to Jalen Brunson in 2026, with their teams, positions and ages.
The Celtics Have 18 NBA Titles and the Lakers 17: Every Champion Since 1947
The Boston Celtics have the most NBA championships, 18, one more than the Lakers. All 80 champions since 1947, titles by team and decade, and droughts.
Winning the NBA Season Opener Is a Clue, Not a Verdict
Since 1996-97, 65 percent of NBA teams that won their season opener made the playoffs, against 43 percent of those that lost it. How much one game predicts.
NBA Christmas Day Games by the Numbers: 287 Games Since 1947
The NBA has played 287 Christmas Day games since 1947. The Knicks have played the most, 58, and home teams won 62 percent. Records, Finals and the 2026 slate.
Charlotte's 10-Season Wait Is the NBA's Longest Playoff Drought
The Charlotte Hornets have missed 10 straight NBA playoffs, the longest active drought; the record is the Kings' 16. Every team's drought and play-in losses.
Four Games, Three or Two: How the NBA Builds Its 82-Game Schedule
NBA teams play division rivals 4 times, the other conference twice and the rest of their conference 3 or 4 times. We checked 26,499 games and the 2026-27 slate.
The Worst Records in NBA History, and What Happens to the Team That Finishes Last
The 2011-12 Bobcats' 7-59 (.106) is the worst record in NBA history. Since 1996-97, only 4 of 31 last-place teams made the playoffs the following season.
NBA Close-Game Records Are Mostly Luck and Barely Carry Over to the Next Season
An NBA team's record in games decided by 3 points or fewer correlates at 0.09 with the next season's, against 0.61 in other games. Close games are mostly luck.
The Better-Shooting Team Has Won 81 Percent of NBA Games Since 1996-97
The better-shooting team won 81.0 percent of NBA regular-season games from 1996-97 to 2025-26. Dean Oliver's four factors, tested against the classic weights.
The NBA Finals Most Often Go Six Games: 30 of 80 Since 1947
The NBA Finals are best-of-seven. Of 80 since 1947, 30 went six games, 21 five, 20 seven and 9 were sweeps, the last in 2018. Game 7s, home court and 2-3-2.
NBA Blowouts Hit a 30-Season High: More Than One Game in Five Was Decided by 20
The biggest blowout in NBA history is a 73-point Grizzlies win in 2021. In 2025-26, 22.8 percent of NBA games were decided by 20 or more, a 30-season high.
The Longest Winning Streaks in NBA History, and What a Streak Says About a Team
The 1971-72 Lakers won 33 straight, the longest winning streak in NBA history. Since 1996-97, 119 teams won 10 in a row, almost exactly what chance predicts.
NBA Home-Court Advantage Is Worth Less Than It Used to Be
NBA home teams won 60.2 percent of games from 1996-97 to 2012-13 and 55.3 percent in the last five seasons. The bubble, playoffs, altitude and travel, measured.
Down 1-3 in the NBA Playoffs: 15 Comebacks in 304 Series
NBA teams down 1-3 in a best-of-seven series have come back 15 times in 304, 5 percent, and none of 164 from 0-3. Every comeback, odds by round, Game 7s.
The West Has Beaten the East in 24 of the Last 30 NBA Seasons
Western Conference teams have won 54.7 percent of their games against the East since 1996-97 and came out ahead in 24 of 30 seasons. Records by year and Finals.
The Biggest Turnarounds in NBA History, and How Rarely Bad Teams Make One
The 2007-08 Celtics' 42-win jump is the biggest turnaround in NBA history. Since 1996-97, only 11 of 111 teams under .300 made the playoffs a year later.
About One NBA Game in 17 Goes to Overtime, and Ties Are Getting Rarer
From 1996-97 to 2025-26, 5.9 percent of NBA regular-season games went to overtime, and 2025-26 hit a low of 4.4 percent. Who wins in OT, and is it luck?
NBA Teams Took 37 Threes a Game in 2025-26, Nearly Triple the 1997-98 Rate
NBA teams took 37.0 three-point attempts per game in 2025-26, 41.5 percent of their shots, up from 12.7 in 1997-98. Making threes wins; taking more does not.
How Each Seed Fares in the NBA Play-In Tournament
Every 7th-place team has reached the NBA playoffs through the play-in since 2021; 9th and 10th got in 4 times in 24. Seed records, upsets and 2026-27 rules.
How Often the NBA's Worst Team Wins the Draft Lottery
The NBA's worst team has won the draft lottery once in eight tries since 2019 and 6 times in 25 before. Odds by seed, the biggest jumps and the 2027 change.
How Many Canadians Play in the NBA? The Count, Season by Season
Canada had 16 players on NBA opening-night rosters in 2026-27, one fewer than France, after 12 seasons as No. 1 outside the US. Picks, MVPs and records.
NBA Teams Scored 115.6 Points a Game in 2025-26, the Most in 30 Seasons
NBA teams averaged 115.6 points per game in 2025-26, the most in 30 seasons of NBA.com game logs, up from 91.6 in 1998-99. Points, 3s, free throws, pace.
NBA Champions Repeat Less Than One Time in Three
Only 23 of 79 NBA champions won the next title, and none since Golden State in 2018. The record and playoff run of every defending champion since 1955-56.
How Every NBA No. 1 Draft Pick Has Done Since 1966
Ten of the 60 NBA No. 1 draft picks from 1966 to 2025 became MVP and 21 won Rookie of the Year. Every top pick's honors, titles and drafting team's record.
NBA Game 1 Winners Have Won 77 Percent of Playoff Series Since 1984
Game 1 winners have won 496 of 645 NBA playoff series since 1984, 77 percent, but road teams that steal the opener win 55 percent. Rounds, Finals, 0-2 rallies.
The First 20 Games Explain About 70 Percent of an NBA Team's Final Record
An NBA team's 20-game record explains about 70 percent of the spread in final records. Since 1996-97, 69 of 332 teams under .500 by then made the playoffs.
The NBA MVP Wins the Championship About One Season in Three
The NBA MVP's team won the championship in 24 of 71 seasons since 1955-56, and in 6 of the last 27. Every MVP, their team's record and how it finished.
NBA Teams Win 44 Percent of the Time on the Second Night of a Back-to-Back
NBA teams on the second night of a back-to-back won 44.2 percent of games from 2012-13 to 2025-26, and only 49.8 percent at home against rested opponents.
The NBA's Best Regular-Season Team Wins the Title Less Than Half the Time
The team with the NBA's best record won the title in 21 of 47 seasons since 1979-80, and 9 of 27 since 2000. The upsets, the lead that matters and the Knicks.
The 2026 NBA Cup, Group by Group: Who Gets to Indianapolis
The six 2026 NBA Cup groups, the schedule, the group results through Nov. 2 and our preseason simulations, plus why 3-1 is often not enough to advance.
The 2026-27 NBA Season, Predicted Before Opening Night
Projected wins for all 30 NBA teams from last season's point differential, the summer moves the model can't see, and how to simulate 2026-27 yourself.
Everything NBA on Vertize Sports
The NBA schedule month by month and night by night, plus a free simulator that starts from the real standings and plays out the rest of the 82-game season.