Charles A. Bassey (born October 28, 2000) is a Nigerian basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 NBA draft.
Early life
Bassey was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he played soccer until age 12, standing 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) at the time.[1] At that age, he was discovered by a youth basketball coach while Bassey was selling fried chicken on the side of a road and wearing flip-flops that were too small for him.[2][3] He stopped playing soccer soon after, instead focusing on developing his basketball skills.[3] At age 14, Bassey was named most valuable player (MVP) of basketball camp Giants of Africa, a program established by Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri.[2][4]
High school career
At age 14, Bassey stood 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and moved to the United States to continue his basketball career at St. Anthony Catholic High School, a private school in San Antonio, Texas.[5] By then, recruiting analysts considered him one of the best prospects in his class.[6][7] As a freshman, Bassey averaged 20.2 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game, leading his team to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) title game.[8][9] Bassey competed in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, where he was named MVP.[10] Before his sophomore season, Bassey was ruled ineligible by the TAPPS, with St. Anthony filing an appeal.[11][12] He still made his season debut, and head coach Jeff Merritt was fired for playing an ineligible player.[13] St. Anthony withdrew from the TAPPS and joined the Texas Christian Athletic League, allowing Bassey to become eligible again.[14]
For his junior season, Bassey transferred to DeSales High School in Louisville, Kentucky and began playing basketball for Aspire Basketball Academy in Louisville. He made the decision after Hennssy Auriantal, his legal guardian and an assistant coach at St. Anthony, was dismissed from the program.[15][16] As a junior, he averaged 19.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.[17]
Recruiting
Bassey was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top centers in the 2018 class. On June 13, 2018, he reclassified to the 2018 class and committed to playing college basketball for Western Kentucky.[17]
College recruiting information
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Charles Bassey
C Lagos, Nigeria Aspire Academy (KY) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jun 13, 2018
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 5/5 stars 247Sports: 5/5 stars ESPN: 5/5 stars (92)
Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 9 247Sports: 9 ESPN: 18
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
"Western Kentucky 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
"2018 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
"2018 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
College career
On November 18, 2018, Bassey recorded a freshman season-high 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 78–62 loss to UCF.[18] On January 31, 2019, he posted 22 points and 18 rebounds, the most rebounds by a Western Kentucky freshman since 1972.[19] As a freshman, Bassey averaged 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, earning First Team All-Conference USA, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. He recorded the most rebounds, blocks and double-doubles by a freshman in program history.[20] Bassey's sophomore season was cut short by a tibial plateau fracture he suffered against Arkansas that required surgery. Through 10 games, he was averaging 15.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.[21]
On November 26, 2020, Bassey recorded 21 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks in a 75–69 win over Memphis.[22] On December 10, he had a career-high 29 points and 14 rebounds in an 86–84 victory over Gardner–Webb.[23] At the close of the 2020–21 regular season, he was named the Conference USA Player of the Year, while repeating as the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 17.6 points per game, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.[24] Following the season, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[25]
Professional career
Philadelphia 76ers (2021–2022)
Bassey was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 53rd pick by the Philadelphia 76ers,[26] subsequently joining them for the 2021 NBA Summer League.[27] On September 24, 2021, he signed with the 76ers.[28]
On October 13, 2022, Bassey was waived by the 76ers.[29]
San Antonio Spurs (2022–2025)
On October 24, 2022, the San Antonio Spurs announced that they had signed Bassey to a two-way contract, splitting time with the Spurs' NBA G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs.[30] He was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.[31] On February 14, 2023, the Spurs converted Bassey's deal to a four-year, $10.2 million standard contract.[32][33] On March 14, 2023, during a 132–114 win over the Orlando Magic, he suffered a left knee injury. The next day, the Spurs announced that Bassey was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of his left patella, ending his season.[34] In December 2023, Bassey tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), prematurely ending another season.[35] On July 8, 2024, Bassey was waived by the Spurs[36] only to be re-signed nine days later.[37]
On July 11, 2025, Bassey played for the Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Summer League.[38]
Atlanta Hawks (2025–present)
On September 10, 2025, Bassey signed with the Atlanta Hawks.
Career statistics
Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
NBA
Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Philadelphia 23 0 7.3 .638 .000 .750 2.7 .3 .2 .7 3.0
2022–23 San Antonio 35 2 14.5 .644 .375 .595 5.5 1.4 .5 .9 5.7
2023–24 San Antonio 19 0 10.8 .725 .000 .833 4.0 1.1 .4 .9 3.3
2024–25 San Antonio 36 1 10.4 .581 – .636 4.2 .5 .4 .8 4.4
Career 113 3 11.1 .631 .231 .648 4.3 .8 .4 .9 4.3
Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Philadelphia 3 0 4.0 .500 — .000 1.7 .3 .0 .3 .7
Career 3 0 4.0 .500 — .000 1.7 .3 .0 .3 .7
College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Western Kentucky 34 34 31.4 .627 .450 .769 10.0 .7 .8 2.4 14.6
2019–20 Western Kentucky 10 10 28.1 .533 .167 .787 9.2 1.3 .8 1.6 15.3
2020–21 Western Kentucky 28 28 30.4 .590 .305 .759 11.6 .7 .4 3.1 17.6
Career 72 72 30.5 .596 .319 .768 10.5 .8 .6 2.6 15.9
Personal life
Shortly after arriving in the United States at age 14, Bassey's mother died. At the time, Bassey considered moving back to Nigeria, but his father Akpan Ebong Bassey encouraged him to stay for financial reasons.[7][39][40]
Canadian-born basketball coach, Hennssy Auriantal, who runs the Yes II Success organization that brings international players to American private schools, helped bring Bassey to the United States.[1][41] On March 31, 2017, Auriantal and his wife were granted conservatorship over Bassey.[40] Bassey's father later filed a petition to reopen the case and give Nigerian basketball tournament organizer John Faniran custody over his son, but the petition was dropped due to lack of verification.[9][40]
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers currently compete in Conference USA. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was in 2024. Hank Plona was announced as the team's current head coach on April 2, 2024.[2]
The men's basketball program has the 16th most victories in the history of the NCAA[3] and has attained the eighth best winning percentage in NCAA history.[3] The school made an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1971, which was later vacated, and has made four NIT Final Four appearances, including three in the early days of the NIT when it was on par with the NCAA tournament. The program has won numerous Ohio Valley Conference championships and was very competitive in its previous conference, the Sun Belt Conference, regularly finishing near the top of the conference and competing for the conference championship. In 2014, the Hilltoppers joined Conference USA following conference realignment.
Street & Smith's publication "100 Greatest Programs", ranked WKU #31. WKU has had 30 All Americans and 56 Hilltoppers have played professionally following their collegiate careers.[4]
Conference affiliation history
1914–15 to 1925–26 – Independent
1926–27 to 1947–48 – Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association & Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1948–49 to 1981–82 – Ohio Valley Conference
1982–83 to 2013–14 – Sun Belt Conference
2014–15 to present – Conference USA
Postseason
WKU has appeared in 41 national postseason tournaments and in five national final fours. The school currently has a policy of only accepting invitations to the NCAA or NIT tournaments, which precludes participation in other tournaments such as the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament and College Basketball Invitational.[5]
NCAA tournament results
The Hilltoppers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 24 times. Their combined record is 19–25. Their appearance in the 1971 NCAA Tournament and third-place finish were later vacated by the NCAA due to a player, Jim McDaniels, having signed a professional contract and accepted money during the season.[6]
WK game in 2018
Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1940 Elite Eight Duquesne L 29–30
1960 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game Miami (FL)
Ohio State
Ohio W 107–84
L 79–98
W 97–87
1962 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game Detroit
Ohio State
Butler W 90–81
L 73–93
L 86–87
1966 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game Loyola (IL)
Michigan
Dayton W 105–86
L 79–80
W 82–62
1967 First Round Dayton L 67–69 OT
1970 First Round Jacksonville L 96–109
1971* First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game Jacksonville
Kentucky
Ohio State
Villanova
Kansas W 74–72
W 107–83
W 81–78 OT
L 89–92 2OT
W 77–75
1976 First Round Marquette L 60–79
1978 First Round
Sweet Sixteen Syracuse
Michigan State W 87–86 OT
L 69–90
1980 No. 10 First Round No. 7 Virginia Tech L 85–89 OT
1981 No. 10 First Round No. 7 UAB L 68–93
1986 No. 8 First Round
Second Round No. 9 Nebraska
No. 1 Kentucky W 67–59
L 64–71
1987 No. 10 First Round
Second Round No. 7 West Virginia
No. 2 Syracuse W 64–62
L 86–104
1993 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen No. 10 Memphis
No. 2 Seton Hall
No. 3 Florida State W 55–52
W 72–68
L 78–81 OT
1994 No. 11 First Round No. 6 Texas L 77–91
1995 No. 8 First Round
Second Round No. 9 Michigan
No. 1 Kansas W 82–76 OT
L 70–75
2001 No. 14 First Round No. 3 Florida L 56–69
2002 No. 9 First Round No. 8 Stanford L 68–84
2003 No. 13 First Round No. 4 Illinois L 60–65
2008 No. 12 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen No. 5 Drake
No. 13 San Diego
No. 1 UCLA W 101–99 OT
W 72–63
L 78–88
2009 No. 12 First Round
Second Round No. 5 Illinois
No. 4 Gonzaga W 76–72
L 81–83
2012 No. 16 First Four
First Round No. 16 Mississippi Valley State
No. 1 Kentucky W 59–58
L 66–81
2013 No. 16 First Round No. 1 Kansas L 57–64
2024 No. 15 First Round No. 2 Marquette L 69–87
* Vacated by the NCAA
NCAA Tournament seeding history
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
Years→ '80 '81 '86 '87 '93 '94 '95 '01 '02 '03 '08 '09 '12 '13 '24
Seeds→ 10 10 8 10 7 11 8 14 9 13 12 12 16 16 15
NIT results
The Hilltoppers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 15 times. When the NIT started, it was considered the premiere national college basketball tournament and remained on par with the NCAA Tournament through the mid-1950s, until the NCAA began giving automatic bids to conference champions in 1956.[7] Western Kentucky's first eight appearances occurred during this early period, including their 2nd-place finish in 1942, 3rd place in 1948, and 4th place in 1954. WKU also made the NIT Final Four in 2018.[8] Their combined record is 13–16.
Year Round Opponent Result
1942 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals CCNY
Creighton
West Virginia W 49–46
W 49–36
L 45–47
1943 Quarterfinals Fordham L 58–60
1948 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game La Salle
Saint Louis
DePaul W 68–61
L 53–60
W 61–59
1949 Quarterfinals Bradley L 86–95
1950 First Round
Quarterfinals Niagara
St. John's W 79–72
L 46–65
1952 First Round
Quarterfinals Louisville
St. Bonaventure W 62–59
L 69–70
1953 Quarterfinals Duquesne L 61–69
1954 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game Bowling Green
Holy Cross
Niagara W 95–81
L 69–75
L 65–71
1965 First Round
Quarterfinals Fordham
Army W 57–53
L 54–58
1982 First Round Purdue L 65–72
1992 First Round Kansas State L 74–85
2005 Opening Round
First Round Kent State
Wichita State W 88–80
L 81–84
2006 First Round South Carolina L 55–74
2018 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals Boston College
USC
Oklahoma State
Utah W 79–62
W 79–75
W 92–84
L 64–69
2021 First Round
Quarterfinals Saint Mary's
Louisiana Tech W 69–67
L 65–72
Other tournament results
In 1936 Western Kentucky was invited to the National Olympic Playoffs representing the South. They played two games against the Southwest representative, Arkansas, in Little Rock, losing both games by scores of 36–43 and 30–38.[9]
The Hilltoppers were scheduled to appear in the 1938 National Intercollegiate Basketball tournament;[10] however, the team was unable to make the trip and withdrew from the tournament.[11] The NAIA lists the game as a forfeit, but Western Kentucky does not recognize the contest as part of their official record.[12]
The Hilltoppers appeared in the 1951 National Campus Basketball Tournament where they were defeated by Bradley 71–75 in the first round.[13]
Milestones
Date Milestone Rival Result
1914–1915 First win Bethel (Ky.) 38–21 (W)
1/28/1932 100th win Birmingham Southern 37–25 (W)
12/5/1949 500th win Kentucky Wesleyan 89–45 (W)
2/19/1977 1,000th win Murray State 82–81 (W)
2/5/2005 1,500th win Arkansas State 76–72 (W)
2/6/1943 500th game LaSalle 52–44 (W)
12/6/1960 1,000th game Lamar 74–71 (W)
1/25/1997 2,000th game New Orleans 70–66 (L)
E.A. Diddle Arena
E.A. Diddle Arena
The E.A. Diddle Arena is a 7,326-seat multi-purpose arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. The arena, built in 1963 is named after legendary WKU men's coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Edgar "E.A." Diddle.
Current coaching staff
Hank Plona - Head Coach
Former Head Coaches
L.T Smith (1922–1922)
E. A. Diddle (1923–1964)
John Oldham (1965–1971)
Jim Richards (1972–1978)
Gene Keady (1979–1980)
Clem Haskins (1981–1986)
Murray Arnold (1987–1990)
Ralph Willard (1991–1994)
Matt Kilcullen (1995–1998)
Al Seibert (1998)
Dennis Felton (1999–2003)
Darrin Horn (2004–2008)
Ken McDonald (basketball) (2009–2012)
Ray Harper (2012–2016)
Rick Stansbury (2017–2023)
Steve Lutz (2023–2024)
All-Americans
Year Name Position Ref.
1938 Red McCrocklin Center (Chuck Taylor)
1940 Carlisle Towery Center (Chuck Taylor)
1941 Carlisle Towery Center (Chuck Taylor)
1943 Oran McKinney Center (Helms Foundation)
1948 Dee Gibson Guard (Associated Press***)
1948 Don Ray Forward (Helms Foundation*)
1948 Odie Spears Forward (Associated Press***)
1949 Bob Lavoy Center (Associated Press***)
1949 John Oldham Guard (United Press**, Associated Press***)
1950 Buddy Cate Forward (Associated Press***)
1950 Bob Lavoy Center (Chuck Taylor*, Associated Press***)
1953 Tom Marshall Forward (Look Magazine**, Associated Press***)
1953 Art Spoelstra Center (Associated Press***)
1954 Tom Marshall Forward (Associated Press*, United Press*, Look Magazine*)
1958 Ralph Crosthwaite Center
1962 Bobby Rascoe Guard
1964 Darel Carrier Guard (Helms Foundation)
1965 Clem Haskins Forward (Associated Press***, United Press***)
1966 Clem Haskins Forward (Associated Press, United Press, Converse*)
1967 Clem Haskins Forward (USBWA, Associated Press,United Press,Helms Foundation, NABC*)
1969 Jim McDaniels Center (Helms Foundation, Associated Press***, United Press***, Converse***)
1970 Jim McDaniels Center (Helms Foundation, Associated Press***, United Press***, Converse*)
1971 Jim McDaniels Center (NABC, USBWA, Associated Press, Sporting News, United Press, NBA)
1976 Johnny Britt Guard (Associated Press***)
1984 Kannard Johnson Forward (Sporting News All-Freshman)
1987 Tellis Frank Forward (Associated Press***, Sporting News***)
1989 Brett McNeal Guard (Associated Press***, Basketball Times***)
1993 Darnell Mee Guard (Associated Press***)
1996 Chris Robinson Forward-Guard (Basketball Weekly***)
2001 Chris Marcus Center (Associated Press***, Lindy's Basketball Annual)[14]
2002 Chris Marcus Center (Associated Press***, Basketball America***)
2004 Mike Wells Guard (Associated Press***)
2006 Anthony Winchester Guard (Associated Press***)
2008 Courtney Lee Guard (Associated Press***,The NBA Draft Report**, Basketball Times**)
2009 Orlando Mendez-Valdez Guard (Associated Press***)
2021 Charles Bassey Center (Associated Press***, Basketball Times*, USBWA**, Lute Olsen)
*Second team – **Third team – ***Honorable mention
[15]
Retired jerseys
The first jerseys retired in honor of Hilltopper basketball greats were hung in E.A. Diddle Arena during the 1999–2000 season. Also even though the jerseys are retired current and future players can and do use the numbers of the players whose jerseys are retired.
Fltr: Clem Haskins, Courtney Lee, and Jim McDaniels, whose jerseys were retired by Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers retired jerseys
No. Player Years Jer. ret. Ref.
22 Clem Haskins 1964–1967 2017 [16]
32 Courtney Lee 2004–2008 2017 [17]
35 Darel Carrier 1961–1964 2014 [18][19]
41 Tom Marshall 1951–1954 [20]
42 John Oldham 1942–1943; 1947–1949 2011 [21]
42 Carlisle Towery 1938–1941 2003 [22]
44 Jim McDaniels 1968–1971 2000 [23]
45 Bobby Rascoe 1959–1962
— E. A. Diddle Coach, 1922–1964 [24]
— Wes Strader Radio voice
Season-by-season results
Main article: List of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball seasons
Cumulative all-time statistics and achievements
All Time Wins: 1,911 (18th All-time) [25]
All Time Winning Percentage%: .656 (8th All-Time) [3]
Conference Championships: 44 (3rd All-Time) [25]
Final Four Appearances: 1*
Elite 8 Appearances: 2
Sweet 16 Appearances: 8
Round of 32 Appearances: 11
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24
NBA Draft Picks: 48 [25]
All-Americans: 30 [4]
AP Poll Appearances 111 times [26]
First 30-win season by any program in NCAAB history (1937-38) [27]
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.[3] The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The league later adopted the BAA's history and considers its founding on June 6, 1946, as its own.[4][1][5] In 1976, the NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged, adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The league's playoff tournament extends into June, culminating with the NBA Finals championship series.
The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[6] which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the governing body for basketball in the United States. The NBA is the second-wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue after the National Football League (NFL).[7] As of 2020, NBA players are the world's highest paid athletes by average annual salary per player.[8][9][10]
The Boston Celtics have the most NBA championships with 18, most recently winning in 2024. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the reigning league champions, having defeated the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals for their first title since their move to the city in 2008, and their second ever, having won in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.
History
Creation and BAA–NBL merger (1946–1956)
Main article: Basketball Association of America
Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, site of the first-ever NBA game on November 1, 1946
The NBA traces its roots to the Basketball Association of America which was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, in a game the NBA now refers to as the first game played in NBA history.[11] The first basket was made by Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers.[12]
Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League (ABL) and the National Basketball League (NBL), the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that league's 1948 title,[13][14] and the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers won the 1949 BAA title.[15]
Prior to the 1948–49 season, the BAA lured away the Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Kautskys, Minneapolis Lakers, and Rochester Royals from the NBL with the prospect of playing in major venues such as Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden.[16] The NBL hit back by outbidding the BAA for the services of several players, including Al Cervi, rookie Dolph Schayes and five stars from the University of Kentucky while also gaining the upper hand in Indianapolis with the creation of the Indianapolis Olympians while the Kautskys folded.[4][17] With several teams facing financial difficulties,[18] the BAA and the NBL agreed on a merger on August 3, 1949, to create the National Basketball Association. Maurice Podoloff, the president of BAA, became the president of the NBA while Ike Duffey, president of the NBL, became the chairman.[19][20] The NBA later adopted the BAA's history and statistics as its own but did not do the same for NBL records and statistics.[21]
Asian American point guard Wat Misaka broke BAA/NBA's color barrier as the first non-white player to play in the BAA in 1947.
The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities,[22] as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated[23] to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954–55, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises: the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Warriors, Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Pistons, Milwaukee Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals, all of which remain in the league today, although the latter six all did eventually relocate. The process of contraction saw the league's smaller-city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks had shifted from the Tri-Cities to Milwaukee in 1951, and later shifted to St. Louis in 1955. In 1957, the Rochester Royals moved from Rochester, New York, to Cincinnati and the Pistons moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Detroit.[24]
Japanese-American Wataru Misaka is considered to have broken the NBA color barrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks in the BAA. He remained the only non-white player in league history prior to the first African-American, Harold Hunter, signing with the Washington Capitols in 1950.[25][26] Hunter was cut from the team during training camp,[25][27] but several African-American players did play in the league later that year, including Chuck Cooper with the Celtics, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton with the Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers won five NBA championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty;[28] their squad was led by center George Mikan who was the NBA's first superstar.[29] To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954.[30]
Celtics' dominance, league expansion and competition (1956–1979)
In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, which already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the franchise to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons.[31] Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new single-game records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports.[32]
Bill Russell defending against Wilt Chamberlain in 1966
The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics. Led by Russell, Cousy, and Auerbach, Boston won eight straight championships in the NBA from 1959 to 1966. This championship streak is the longest in the history of American professional sports.[33] They did not win the title in 1966–67, but regained it in the 1967–68 season and repeated in 1969. The domination totaled nine of the ten championship banners of the 1960s.[34]
Through this period, the NBA continued to evolve with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia to become the Philadelphia 76ers, and the St. Louis Hawks moving to Atlanta, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards) became the ninth NBA team in 1961.[35] From 1966 to 1968, the league expanded from 9 to 14 teams, introducing the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), San Diego Rockets (who moved to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns.
In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The leagues engaged in a bidding war.[36][37] The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who went on to become the league's best player of the 1970s.[38] However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry, jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak, and Joe Gushue.[39]
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, shown shooting his signature "skyhook" shot, was one of the league's best players of the 1970s.
In 1969, Alan Siegel, who oversaw the design of Jerry Dior's Major League Baseball logo a year prior, created the modern NBA logo inspired by the MLB's. It incorporates the silhouette of Jerry West, based on a photo by Wen Roberts. The NBA would not confirm that a particular player was used because, according to Siegel, "They want to institutionalize it rather than individualize it. It's become such a ubiquitous, classic symbol and focal point of their identity and their licensing program that they don't necessarily want to identify it with one player." The logo debuted in 1971 (with a small change to the typeface on the NBA wordmark in 2017) and would remain a fixture of the NBA brand.[40]
The ABA succeeded in signing a number of major stars in the 1970s, including Julius Erving of the Virginia Squires, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period. From 1966 to 1974, the NBA grew from nine franchises to 18.[36] In 1970, the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts expanding the league to 17.[41] The New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974 bringing the total to 18. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises added were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets).[42] Some of the biggest stars of this era were Abdul-Jabbar, Barry, Dave Cowens, Erving, Elvin Hayes, Walt Frazier, Moses Malone, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Dan Issel, and Pete Maravich. The end of the decade, however, saw declining television ratings, low attendance and drug-related player issues – both perceived and real – that threatened to derail the league.[43]
Surging popularity and Bulls' dynasty (1979–1998)
Both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird became key stars for the NBA during the 1980s.
The league added the ABA's three-point field goal beginning in 1979.[44] That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth of fan interest in the NBA.[45] The two had faced each other in the 1979 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, and they later played against each other in three NBA Finals (1984, 1985, and 1987).[45] In the 10 seasons of the 1980s, Johnson led the Lakers to five titles[46] while Bird led the Celtics to three titles.[47] Also in the early 1980s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks,[48] bringing the total to 23 teams. Later on, Larry Bird won the first three three-point shooting contests.[49] On February 1, 1984 David Stern became commissioner of the NBA.[50] Stern has been recognized as playing a major role in the growth of the league during his career.[51][52]
Michael Jordan became the league's most popular player during the 1990s, while leading the Chicago Bulls to six championships.
Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, spurring more interest in the league.[53] In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts, bringing the total to 27 teams.[54] The Detroit Pistons won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, led by coach Chuck Daly and guard Isiah Thomas.[55] Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to two three-peats in eight years during the 1991–1998 seasons.[56][57] Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995.[58]
The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan as the anchor, along with Bird, Johnson, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and star NCAA amateur Christian Laettner.[59] The team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, while 11 of the 12 players (along with three out of four coaches) have been inducted as individuals in their own right.[60]
In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada with the addition of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors.[61][62] In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).[63]
Lakers' and Spurs' dynasties (1998–2014)
Between 1998 and 2014, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs led their teams to five championships each.
In 1998, the NBA owners began a lockout that suspended all league business until a new labor agreement could be reached, which led to the season being shortened to 50 games.[64][65]
After the breakup of the Chicago Bulls championship roster in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference dominated much of the next two decades.[66] The Los Angeles Lakers, coached by Phil Jackson, and the San Antonio Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, combined to make 13 Finals in 16 seasons, with 10 titles.[67] "Twin Towers" Tim Duncan and David Robinson won the 1999 championship with the Spurs, becoming the first former ABA team to win the NBA championship.[68] Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers.[69] The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003 against the Nets.[70] In 2004, the Lakers returned to the Finals, only to lose in five games to the Detroit Pistons.[71]
After the Hornets' moved to New Orleans in 2002, the NBA returned to North Carolina, as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed as an expansion team in 2004.[72] New Orleans then temporarily moved to Oklahoma City in 2005 for two seasons due to damage caused to their arena by Hurricane Katrina.[73] The team returned to New Orleans in 2007.[74]
The league's image was marred by a violent incident between players and fans in a November 2004 game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.[75] In response, players were suspended for a total of 146 games with $11 million total lost in salary, and the league tightened security and limited the sale of alcohol.[75]
On May 19, 2005, Commissioner Stern testified before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Government Reform about the NBA's actions to combat the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. The NBA started its drug-testing program in 1983 and substantially improved it in 1999. In the 1999–2000 season, all players were randomly tested during training camp, and all rookies were additionally tested three more times during the regular season. Of the nearly 4,200 tests for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs conducted over six seasons, only three players were confirmed positive for NBA's drug program, all were immediately suspended, and as of the time of the testimony, none were playing in the NBA.[76]
After the Spurs won the championship again in 2005, the 2006 Finals featured two franchises making their inaugural Finals appearances.[77] The Miami Heat, led by their star shooting guard, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O'Neal, who had been traded from the Lakers during the summer of 2004,[78] won the series over the Dallas Mavericks.[79] The Lakers/Spurs dominance continued in 2007 with a four-game sweep by the Spurs over the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.[80] The 2008 Finals saw a rematch of the league's highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, with the Celtics winning their 17th championship.[81]
The NBA Board of Governors approved the request of the Seattle SuperSonics to move to Oklahoma City on April 18, 2008.[82] The team, however, could not move until it had settled a lawsuit filed by the city of Seattle, which was intended to keep the SuperSonics in Seattle for the remaining two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena. Following a court case, the city of Seattle settled with the ownership group of the SuperSonics on July 2, 2008, allowing the team to move to Oklahoma City immediately in exchange for terminating the final two seasons of the team's lease at KeyArena.[83] The Oklahoma City Thunder began playing in the 2008–09 season.
The Lakers won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, against the Orlando Magic and the Celtics.[84][85] The 2010 NBA All-Star Game was held at Cowboys Stadium in front of the largest crowd ever: 108,713.[86]
A referee lockout began on September 1, 2009, when the contract between the NBA and its referees expired. The first preseason games were played on October 1, 2009, and replacement referees from the WNBA and NBA Development League were used, the first time replacement referees had been used since the beginning of the 1995–96 season. The NBA and the regular referees reached a deal on October 23, 2009.[87][88]
At the start of the 2010–11 season, free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the Miami Heat, joining Dwyane Wade to form the "Big Three".[89] The Heat dominated the league,[90] reaching the Finals for four straight years.[91] In 2011, they faced a re-match with the Dallas Mavericks but lost to the Dirk Nowitzki-led team.[92] They won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Spurs,[93] and lost in a re-match with the Spurs in the 2014 Finals.[94]
The 2011–12 season began with another lockout, the league's fourth.[95] After the first few weeks of the season were canceled, the players and owners ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on December 8, 2011, setting up a shortened 66-game season.[96]
After the 2012–13 season, the New Orleans Hornets were renamed the Pelicans.[97] By May 2014, the Bobcats officially reclaimed the Hornets name, and by agreement with the league and the Pelicans, also received sole ownership of all history, records, and statistics from the Pelicans' time in Charlotte. As a result, the Hornets are now officially considered to have been founded in 1988, suspended operations in 2002, and resumed in 2004 as the Bobcats, while the Pelicans are officially treated as a 2002 expansion team.[98] (This is somewhat similar to the relationship between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.)
On February 1, 2014, commissioner David Stern retired after 30 years in the position, and was succeeded by his deputy, Adam Silver.[99]
Warriors' dynasty (2014–2022)
LeBron James became an era-defining star during the 2010s, while leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a historic title in 2016.
After four seasons with the Miami Heat, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2014–15 season.[100] He led the team to their second Finals appearance with the help of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in six games, led by the "Splash Brothers" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Cavaliers and the Warriors faced each other in the Finals a record four consecutive times.[101] In the 2015–16 season, the Warriors finished the season 73–9, the best season record in NBA history.[102] However, the Cavaliers overcame a 3–1 deficit in the Finals to win their first championship that season,[103] and end a 52-year professional sports championship drought for the city of Cleveland.[104] In the 2016–17 season, the Warriors recruited free agent Kevin Durant[105] and went on to win the 2017 and 2018 Finals against the Cavaliers.[106]
After the departure of James in free agency in 2018, the Cavaliers' streak of playoff and Finals appearances ended. The Warriors returned for a fifth consecutive Finals appearance in 2019 but lost to the Toronto Raptors, who won their first championship after acquiring Kawhi Leonard in a trade.[107]
The 2019–20 season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus.[108][109] On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors voted to resume the season in a 22-team format with 8 seeding games per team and a regular playoffs format, with all games played in a "bubble" in Walt Disney World without any fans present.[110][111][112]
Stephen Curry revolutionized the NBA during the 2010s, while leading the Golden State Warriors to four championships between 2015 and 2022.
This era also saw the continuous near year-over-year decline in NBA viewership. Between 2012 and 2019, the league lost 40 to 45 percent of its viewership. While some of it can be attributed to "cable-cutting", other professional leagues, like the NFL and MLB have retained stable viewership demographics. The opening game of the 2020 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That is reportedly the lowest viewership seen for the Finals since at least 1994, when total viewers began to be regularly recorded and is a 45 percent decline from game one between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, which had 13.51 million viewers a year earlier. Some attribute this decline to the political stances the league and its players are taking, while others consider load management, the uneven talent distribution between the conferences and the cord-cutting of younger viewers as the main reason for the decline.[113][114][115][116][117]
During the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks would defeat the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals, securing their second NBA championship since 1971, and the Golden State Warriors made their sixth appearance in the finals defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, their fourth championship in eight years.[118][119]
Parity era (2023–present)
The 2020s have been an unprecedented era of parity for the league. 2019–2025 is the longest continuous period in the NBA's history where a unique champion has been crowned each year (pictured are the Finals MVPs for those years).
2023 saw the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement, which will penalize teams who exceed the luxury tax above certain "apron" thresholds, making it significantly more difficult for teams to sign multiple superstars to maximum contracts.[120] Seven different champions were crowned in seven years from 2019 to 2025, the longest such stretch in league history, leading numerous outlets to dub this the "parity era" in contrast to the dynasties which dominated previous decades.[121][122]
We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league. The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that’s what we’re seeing here.
— NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the NBA's new era of parity[123]
The 2022–23 season saw the Denver Nuggets, led by center Nikola Jokić, make the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance and defeat the Miami Heat in five games to win their first NBA championship.[124]
The 2023–24 NBA season saw the star-studded Boston Celtics, winning a championship over the Dallas Mavericks, after five conference finals appearances, and a finals appearance marking their 18th championship, their first since 2008.[125]
The 2025 NBA playoffs featured four teams (the Knicks, Pacers, Thunder and Timberwolves) who had championship droughts spanning several decades or who had never won a championship. The Thunder would ultimately defeat the Pacers in seven games in the 2025 NBA Finals to win their second title in franchise history and their first in Oklahoma City.[126]
International influence
Further information: List of foreign NBA players
Following pioneers like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia), who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA.[127][128] Since 2006, the NBA has faced EuroLeague teams in exhibition matches in the NBA Europe Live Tour,[129] and since 2009, in the EuroLeague American Tour. On November 9, 2007, when the Houston Rockets with Yao Ming faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks with Yi Jianlian, over 200 million people in China watched on 19 different networks, making it the most-viewed game in NBA history.[130]
The 2013–14 season opened with a record 92 international players on the opening night rosters, representing 39 countries and comprising over 20 percent of the league.[131] The NBA defines "international" players as those born outside the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. This means that:
Players born in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, most notably USVI native Tim Duncan, are counted as "international" even though they are U.S. citizens by birth, and may even have represented the U.S. in international competition (like Duncan).
U.S.-born players are not counted as "international" even if they were born with citizenship in another country and represent that country internationally, such as Joakim Noah, and Kosta Koufos.
The beginning of the 2017–18 season saw a record 108 international players representing 42 countries marking 4 consecutive years of at least 100 international players and each team having at least one international player.[132] In 2018, the Phoenix Suns hired Serbian coach Igor Kokoškov as their new head coach, replacing Canadian interim coach Jay Triano, making Kokoškov the first European coach to become a head coach for a team in the NBA.[133]
In the 2023–24 season, the Mavericks and the Thunder each had eight international players on their roster.[134] For seven consecutive seasons from 2018–19 to 2024–25, the league's MVP award has been given to an international player.[135][136]
Other developments
This article appears to be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. (July 2020)
In 2001, an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA G League, was created.[137]
A new official game ball was introduced on June 28, 2006, for the 2006–07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second ball in 60 seasons.[138] Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet.
Commissioner Stern announced on December 11, 2006, that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006–07 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball.[139] The Players' Association filed a suit on behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball.[140]
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation on July 19, 2007, over allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games.[141] On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. Donaghy claimed in 2008 that certain referees were friendly with players and "company men" for the NBA, and he alleged that referees influenced the outcome of certain playoff and finals games in 2002 and 2005. NBA commissioner David Stern denied the allegations and said Donaghy was a convicted felon and a "singing, cooperating witness".[142] Donaghy served 15 months in prison and was released in November 2009.[143] According to an independent study by Ronald Beech of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, although the refs increased the Lakers' chances of winning through foul calls during the game, there was no collusion to fix the game. On alleged "star treatment" during Game 6 by the referees toward certain players, Beech claimed, "there does seem to be issues with different standards and allowances for different players."[144]
The first outdoor game in the modern era of the league was played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on October 11, 2008, between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets.[145]
The first official NBA league games on European ground took place in 2011. In two matchups, the New Jersey Nets faced the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena in London in front of over 20,000 fans.
Donald Sterling, who was then-owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, received a lifetime ban from the NBA on April 29, 2014, after racist remarks he made became public. Sterling was also fined US$2.5 million, the maximum allowed under the NBA Constitution.[146]
Becky Hammon was hired by the San Antonio Spurs on August 5, 2014, as an assistant coach, becoming the second female coach in NBA history but the first full-time coach.[147][148] This also makes her the first full-time female coach in any of the four major professional sports in North America.[148]
The NBA announced on April 15, 2016, that it would allow all 30 of its teams to sell corporate sponsor advertisement patches on official game uniforms, beginning with the 2017–18 season. The sponsorship advertisement patches would appear on the left front of jerseys, opposite Nike's logo, marking the first time a manufacturer's logo would appear on NBA jerseys, and would measure approximately 2.5 by 2.5 inches. The NBA would become the first major North American professional sports league to allow corporate sponsorship logos on official team uniforms, and the last to have a uniform manufacturer logo appear on its team uniforms.[149] The first team to announce a jersey sponsorship was the Philadelphia 76ers, who agreed to a deal with StubHub.[150]
On July 6, 2017, the NBA unveiled an updated rendition of its logo; it was largely identical to the previous design, except with revised typography and a "richer" color scheme. The league began to phase in the updated logo across its properties during the 2017 NBA Summer League.[151]
The NBA also officially released new Nike uniforms for all 30 teams beginning with the 2017–18 season, replacing the previous supplier, Adidas. All team jerseys included the Nike logo except for the Charlotte Hornets, whose jerseys instead had the Jumpman logo associated with longtime Nike endorser Michael Jordan, who owns the Hornets.[152] In addition, the league eliminated "home" and "away" uniform designations. Instead, each team would have four or six uniforms: the "Association" edition, which is the team's white uniform, the "Icon" edition, which is the team's color uniform, and the "Statement" and "City" uniforms, which most teams use as an alternate uniform.[153] In 2018, the NBA added the "Earned" uniform.[154]
In 2018, Adam Silver showed support in the Supreme Court's decision to overturn a federal ban on sports betting. Silver thought it would bring greater transparency and integrity as well as business opportunities.[155] Before naming DraftKings and FanDuel co-official sports betting partners of the NBA in 2021, the NBA first named MGM as the exclusive official gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA—the first major American sports league to do so.[156][157] With a deal between the 76ers and then-sportsbook FOX Bet as the first agreement between an NBA team and a sportsbook app, more teams partnered with operators thereafter.[158] This early acceptance of sports betting translated to basketball being the most bet-on sport in the United States over football in 2023.[159]
As a part of its November 2021 multi-year partnership deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the NBA hosted two preseason games in Abu Dhabi on October 4 and 6, 2024, marking its third annual trip to the country. However, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) raised concerns, citing the UAE's pattern of using high-profile events to enhance its image. HRW accused the league of being complicit in "sportswashing" the UAE's poor human rights record, while the country seeks to display itself as open country, without addressing the abuses. On September 30, HRW wrote a letter to the NBA, urging it to implement a human rights risk mitigation strategy, and to ensure that the preseason games were not used as a distraction from the UAE's human rights abuses. The rights organization also pointed out that the UAE hosted the games amidst the reports of the country being directly involved in fuelling the Sudanese civil war. A coalition of human rights groups called upon the NBA to cancel the games in Abu Dhabi in solidarity with Sudanese.[160]
On March 10, 2025, NBA and Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) announced that in October 2025, the New Orleans Pelicans would play two preseason games at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne as part of the NBA x NBL: Melbourne Series.[161][162]
Teams
See also: List of defunct NBA teams, List of relocated NBA teams, Timeline of the National Basketball Association, and Expansion of the NBA
CelticsNetsKnicks76ersRaptorsBullsCavaliersPistonsPacersBucksHawksHornetsHeatMagicWizardsNuggetsTimberwolvesThunderTrail
BlazersJazzWarriorsClippersLakersSunsKingsMavericksRocketsGrizzliesPelicansSpurs
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML
The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions and relocations consists of 30 teams – 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.
The current league organization divides 30 teams into two 15-team conferences[163] of three divisions with five teams each. The current divisional alignment was introduced in the 2004–05 season.[164] Reflecting the population distribution of the United States and Canada as a whole, most teams are in the eastern half of the country: 13 teams are in the Eastern Time Zone, nine in the Central, three in the Mountain, and five in the Pacific.
Overview of NBA teams
Conference Division Team Location Arena Capacity Coordinates Founded Joined
Eastern Atlantic Boston Celtics Boston, Massachusetts TD Garden 19,156 42.366303°N 71.062228°W 1946
Brooklyn Nets Brooklyn, New York Barclays Center 17,732 40.68265°N 73.974689°W 1967* 1976
New York Knicks New York, New York Madison Square Garden 19,812 40.750556°N 73.993611°W 1946
Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Xfinity Mobile Arena 20,478 39.901111°N 75.171944°W 1946* 1949
Toronto Raptors Toronto, Ontario Scotiabank Arena 19,800 43.643333°N 79.379167°W 1995
Central Chicago Bulls Chicago, Illinois United Center 20,917 41.880556°N 87.674167°W 1966
Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland, Ohio Rocket Arena 19,432 41.496389°N 81.688056°W 1970
Detroit Pistons Detroit, Michigan Little Caesars Arena 20,332 42.341111°N 83.055°W 1937* 1948
Indiana Pacers Indianapolis, Indiana Gainbridge Fieldhouse 17,923 39.763889°N 86.155556°W 1967 1976
Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee, Wisconsin Fiserv Forum 17,341 43.043611°N 87.916944°W 1968
Southeast Atlanta Hawks Atlanta, Georgia State Farm Arena 16,600 33.757222°N 84.396389°W 1946* 1949
Charlotte Hornets Charlotte, North Carolina Spectrum Center 19,077 35.225°N 80.839167°W 1988*
Miami Heat Miami, Florida Kaseya Center 19,600 25.781389°N 80.188056°W 1988
Orlando Magic Orlando, Florida Kia Center 18,846 28.539167°N 81.383611°W 1989
Washington Wizards Washington, D.C. Capital One Arena 20,356 38.898056°N 77.020833°W 1961*
Western Northwest Denver Nuggets Denver, Colorado Ball Arena 19,520 39.748611°N 105.0075°W 1967 1976
Minnesota Timberwolves Minneapolis, Minnesota Target Center 18,798 44.979444°N 93.276111°W 1989
Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Paycom Center 18,203 35.463333°N 97.515°W 1967*
Portland Trail Blazers Portland, Oregon Moda Center 19,393 45.531667°N 122.666667°W 1970
Utah Jazz Salt Lake City, Utah Delta Center 18,306 40.768333°N 111.901111°W 1974*
Pacific Golden State Warriors San Francisco, California Chase Center 18,064 37.768056°N 122.3875°W 1946*
Los Angeles Clippers Inglewood, California Intuit Dome 18,000 33.9451°N 118.3431°W 1970*
Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles, California Crypto.com Arena 19,079 34.043056°N 118.267222°W 1947* 1948
Phoenix Suns Phoenix, Arizona PHX Arena 16,645 33.445833°N 112.071389°W 1968
Sacramento Kings Sacramento, California Golden 1 Center 17,608 38.649167°N 121.518056°W 1923* 1948
Southwest Dallas Mavericks Dallas, Texas American Airlines Center 19,200 32.790556°N 96.810278°W 1980
Houston Rockets Houston, Texas Toyota Center 18,055 29.750833°N 95.362222°W 1967*
Memphis Grizzlies Memphis, Tennessee FedExForum 18,119 35.138333°N 90.050556°W 1995*
New Orleans Pelicans New Orleans, Louisiana Smoothie King Center 16,867 29.948889°N 90.081944°W 2002*
San Antonio Spurs San Antonio, Texas Frost Bank Center 18,418 29.426944°N 98.4375°W 1967* 1976
Notes:
An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.
The Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers and Rochester Royals all joined the NBA (BAA) in 1948 from the NBL.
The Syracuse Nationals and Tri-Cities Blackhawks joined the NBA in 1949 as part of the BAA-NBL merger.
The Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets all joined the NBA in 1976 as part of the ABA–NBA merger.
The Charlotte Hornets are regarded as a continuation of the original Charlotte franchise, which suspended operations in 2002 and rejoined the league in 2004. They were known as the Bobcats from 2004 to 2014. The New Orleans Pelicans are regarded as being established as an expansion team in 2002, originally known as the New Orleans Hornets until 2013.
Regular season
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Main article: List of NBA seasons
Following the summer break, teams begin training camps in late September.[165] Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA G League. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBA cities, both in the United States and overseas. The NBA regular season begins in mid-October.[163]
During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away.[166] A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games).[166] Each team plays six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games).[166] Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games).[166] This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule will vary between teams (but not as significantly as the NFL or MLB). Over five seasons, each team will have played 80 games against their division (20 games against each opponent, 10 at home, 10 on the road), 180 games against the rest of their conference (18 games against each opponent, 9 at home, 9 on the road), and 150 games against the other conference (10 games against each team, 5 at home, 5 on the road).
Starting with the 2023–24 season, the regular season includes an in-season tournament, in which all games in the tournament (except for the final) count towards the regular season.[167]
The NBA is also the only league that regularly schedules games on Christmas Day.[168][original research] The league has been playing games regularly on the holiday since 1947,[169] though the first Christmas Day games were not televised until 1983–84.[170] Games played on this day have featured some of the best teams and players.[168][169][170] Christmas is also notable for NBA on television, as the holiday is when the first NBA games air on network television each season.[169][170] Games played on this day have been some of the highest-rated games during a particular season.
The NBA has also played games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) every year since the holiday was first observed in 1986.[171]
In February, the regular season pauses to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game.[172] Fans vote throughout the United States, Canada, and on the Internet, and the top vote-getters in each conference are named captains. Fan votes determine the rest of the All-Star starters. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the Rising Stars Challenge (originally Rookie Challenge), where the top rookies and second-year players in the NBA play in a 5-on-5 basketball game, with the current format pitting U.S. players against those from the rest of the world; the Skills Challenge, where players compete to finish an obstacle course consisting of shooting, passing, and dribbling in the fastest time; the Three Point Contest, where players compete to score the highest number of three-point field goals in a given time; and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where players compete to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way according to the judges. These other attractions have varying names which include the names of the various sponsors who have paid for naming rights.
Shortly after the All-Star break is the trade deadline, which is set to fall on the 16th Thursday of the season (usually in February) at 3 pm Eastern Time.[173] After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers.
Around the middle of April, the regular season ends.[163] It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary, league-wide, postseason teams. The Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (must have more games coming off the bench than actual games started). The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the player who is deemed to have shown the most improvement from the previous season. The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed the most valuable for (his team) that season. Additionally, Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise.
The postseason teams are the All-NBA Team, the All-Defensive Team, and the All-Rookie Team; each consists of five players. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being the most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.[174][175]
Playoffs
Main article: NBA playoffs
The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy is awarded annually to the winning team of the NBA Finals, the league's championship series that concludes the playoffs.
The NBA playoffs begin in April after the conclusion of the regular season and play-in tournament with the top eight teams in each conference,[163] regardless of divisional alignment, competing for the league's championship title, the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Seeds are awarded in strict order of regular season record (with a tiebreaker system used as needed).
Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed begins the playoffs playing against the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed, having a higher seed typically means a team faces a weaker opponent in the first round. The team in each series with the better record has home-court advantage, including the First Round.
The league began using its current format, with the top eight teams in each conference advancing regardless of divisional alignment, in the 2015–16 season. Previously, the top three seeds went to the division winners.[176]
The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays an opponent in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. All but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the first- and eighth-seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the second- and seventh-seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the third- and sixth-seeded teams. In every round, the best-of-7 series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 home-court pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. From 1985 to 2013, the NBA Finals followed a 2–3–2 pattern, meaning that one team had home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other played at home in games 3, 4, and 5.[177]
The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals and is held annually in June (sometimes, the series will start in late May). The winner of the NBA Finals receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor—including coaches and the general manager—on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best performing player of the series.
Championships
Main article: List of NBA champions
The Boston Celtics have the most championships, with 18 NBA Finals wins.[178] The Los Angeles Lakers have the second-most with 17; the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls have the third- and fourth-most, respectively, with seven and six titles.
Overview of NBA champions
Teams Win Loss Total Year(s) won Year(s) runner-up
Boston Celtics 18 5 23 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008, 2024 1958, 1985, 1987, 2010, 2022
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers 17 15 32 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, 2004, 2008
Philadelphia/San Francisco/Golden State Warriors 7 5 12 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 1948, 1964, 1967, 2016, 2019
Chicago Bulls 6 0 6 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 —
San Antonio Spurs 5 1 6 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 2013
Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers 3 6 9 1955, 1967, 1983 1950, 1954, 1977, 1980, 1982, 2001
Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons 3 4 7 1989, 1990, 2004 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
Miami Heat 3 4 7 2006, 2012, 2013 2011, 2014, 2020, 2023
New York Knicks 2 6 8 1970, 1973 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994, 1999
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder 2 3 5 1979, 2025 1978, 1996, 2012
Houston Rockets 2 2 4 1994, 1995 1981, 1986
Milwaukee Bucks 2 1 3 1971, 2021 1974
Cleveland Cavaliers 1 4 5 2016 2007, 2015, 2017, 2018
St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks 1 3 4 1958 1957, 1960, 1961
Baltimore/Washington Bullets (now Washington Wizards) 1 3 4 1978 1971, 1975, 1979
Portland Trail Blazers 1 2 3 1977 1990, 1992
Dallas Mavericks 1 2 3 2011 2006, 2024
Baltimore Bullets (original) (folded in 1954) 1 0 1 1948 —
Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) 1 0 1 1951 —
Toronto Raptors 1 0 1 2019 —
Denver Nuggets 1 0 1 2023 —
Phoenix Suns 0 3 3 — 1976, 1993, 2021
Utah Jazz (formerly New Orleans Jazz) 0 2 2 — 1997, 1998
New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) 0 2 2 — 2002, 2003
Orlando Magic 0 2 2 — 1995, 2009
Indiana Pacers 0 2 2 — 2000, 2025
Chicago Stags (folded in 1950) 0 1 1 — 1947
Washington Capitols (folded in 1951) 0 1 1 — 1949
Current teams that have no NBA Finals appearances:[179]
Charlotte Hornets (formerly Charlotte Bobcats)
Los Angeles Clippers (formerly Buffalo Braves, San Diego Clippers)
Memphis Grizzlies (formerly Vancouver Grizzlies)
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans (formerly New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets)
Media coverage
Main article: NBA on television
See also: List of current NBA broadcasters
As one of the major sports leagues in North America, the NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the United States. The NBA signed a contract with DuMont Television Network in its eighth season, the 1953–54 season, marking the first year the NBA had a national television broadcaster.[180] Similar to the National Football League, the lack of television stations led to NBC taking over the rights from the 1954–55 season until April 1962–NBC's first tenure with the NBA.[181] The 2025–26 season marks the first year of 11-year agreements with broadcast networks ABC and NBC, pay television network ESPN, and streaming services Peacock and Amazon Prime Video to nationally televise games in the United States.[182] Games that are not broadcast nationally are usually aired over regional sports networks specific to the area where the teams are located.
International competitions
Main article: List of games played between NBA and international teams
The NBA has sporadically participated in international club competitions. The first international competition involving the NBA was a 1978 exhibition game in Tel Aviv, Israel between the Washington Bullets and Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.[183] From 1987 to 1999 an NBA team played against championship club teams from Asia, Europe and South America in the McDonald's Championship. This tournament was won by the NBA invitee every year it was held.[184]
Ticket prices and viewership demographics
In 2022, an average ticket cost $77.75.[185] Depending on the market and stage of the season—preseason, regular season, postseason—a ticket can range from $10 to $100,000.[a][186][187]
In 2020, ticket prices for the NBA All Star Game became more expensive than ever before, averaging around $2,600, and even more on the secondary market.[188]
Viewership demographics
According to Nielsen's survey, in 2013 the NBA had the youngest audience, with 45 percent of its viewers under 35. As of 2022, the league remains the least likely to be watched by women, who make up only 30% of the viewership.[189] As of 2014, 45 percent of its viewers were black, while 40 percent of viewers were white, making it the only top North American sport that does not have a white majority audience.[190]
As of 2017, the NBA's popularity further declined among white Americans, who during the 2016–17 season, made up only 34% of the viewership. At the same time, the black viewership increased to 47 percent, while Hispanic (of any race) stood at 11% and Asian viewership stood at 8%. According to the same poll, the NBA was favored more strongly by Democrats than Republicans.[191]
Outside the U.S., the NBA's biggest international market is in China,[192][193] where an estimated 800 million viewers watched the 2017–18 season.[194] NBA China is worth approximately $4 billion.[192][193]
Notable people
Further information: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Presidents and commissioners
Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner since 2014
Further information: Commissioner of the NBA
Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963[195]
Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975[196]
Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984[197]
David Stern, Commissioner from 1984 to 2014[198][199]
Adam Silver, Commissioner from 2014 to present[200]
Players
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Lists of National Basketball Association players
List of foreign NBA players, a list that is exclusively for players who are not from the United States
Foreign players
International influence
Further information: List of foreign NBA players
Following pioneers like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia), who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA. Below is a list of foreign players who have won NBA awards or have otherwise been recognized for their contributions to basketball, either currently or formerly active in the league:
Dražen Petrović, Croatia – 2002 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, four-time Euroscar winner, two-time Mr. Europa winner, MVP of the 1986 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 1989, two-time Olympic silver medalist, World champion, European champion, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.[201]
Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania – 2011 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, five-time Euroscar winner, two-time Mr. Europa winner, Olympic gold medalist in 1988 with the Soviet Union and bronze medalist in 1992 and 1996 with Lithuania, 1996 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.[202]
Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Lithuania – 2014 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. First player from the Soviet Union and one of the first Europeans to sign a contract with an NBA club and to play solidly in the league, helping to lead the way for the internationalization of the league in the late 1990s.[203]
Vlade Divac, Serbia – 2019 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, two-time Olympic silver medalist, 2001 NBA All-Star, two-time World champion, three-time European champion, 1989 Mr. Europa winner, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.[204]
Toni Kukoč, Croatia – 2021 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), 1996 Sixth Man Award winner, named in 2008 as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.[205]
Peja Stojaković, Serbia – NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks (2011), MVP of the EuroBasket 2001, member of the all-tournament team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2001 Euroscar winner, two-time Mr. Europa winner, two-time NBA Three-Point Shootout champion, three-time NBA All-Star.
Dirk Nowitzki, Germany – NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks (2011), MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 2005, member of the all-tournament team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, six-time Euroscar winner, 2005 Mr. Europa, two-time FIBA Europe Player of the Year, 2007 NBA MVP, 2011 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, 2006 NBA Three-Point Shootout champion and 14-time NBA All-Star.
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkey – 2008 Most Improved Player Award winner, member of the all-tournament team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Pau Gasol, Spain – two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers (2009 and 2010), six-time NBA All-Star, 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year, two-time Mr. Europa, 2006 FIBA World Championship MVP, four-time Euroscar, two-time FIBA Europe Player of the Year, MVP of the EuroBasket 2009 and EuroBasket 2015, winner of the NBA Citizenship Award in 2012.
Andrei Kirilenko, Russia – 2004 NBA All-Star, MVP of the EuroBasket 2007, 2007 FIBA Europe Player of the Year.
Tony Parker, France – four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, 2007 NBA Finals MVP, six-time NBA All-Star and 2007 Euroscar winner.
Manu Ginóbili, Argentina – four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, 2008 Sixth Man Award winner, two-time NBA All-Star, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors, Olympic gold medalist in 2004 with Argentina.
Yao Ming, China – 2016 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft and eight-time NBA All-Star.
Leandro Barbosa, Brazil – NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors (2015),[206] 2007 Sixth Man Award winner.
Andrea Bargnani, Italy – first overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece – NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks (2021), 2021 NBA Finals MVP, two-time NBA MVP, 2017 Most Improved Player, eight-time NBA All-Star.
Nikola Jokić, Serbia – NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets (2023), 2023 NBA Finals MVP, three-time NBA MVP, six-time NBA All-Star, 2016 NBA All-Rookie First Team, Olympic silver medalist.
Luka Dončić, Slovenia – 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA All-Star, European champion
On some occasions, young players, most but not all from the English-speaking world, have attended American colleges before playing in the NBA. Notable examples are:
Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon – first overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft, two-time champion, 12-time NBA All-Star, 1994 NBA MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (only player to receive the MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP award in the same season,) and Hall of Famer.
Congolese Dikembe Mutombo – fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer.
Dutchman Rik Smits – second overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, 1998 NBA All-Star, played 12 years for the Indiana Pacers.
German Detlef Schrempf – two-time NBA Sixth Man Award winner, three-time NBA All-Star.
Canadians Steve Nash (two-time NBA MVP, eight-time NBA All-Star, Hall of Famer) and Andrew Wiggins (first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year)
Australians Luc Longley (three-time champion with the Chicago Bulls), Andrew Bogut (first overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, 2015 NBA champion with Golden State Warriors) and Ben Simmons (first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year, three-time NBA All-Star).
Sudanese-born Englishman Luol Deng – 2007 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, two-time NBA All-Star.
Cameroonians Joel Embiid (2023 NBA MVP, four-time NBA All-Star, 2017 NBA All-Rookie First Team) and Pascal Siakam (2019 NBA champion with Toronto Raptors, 2019 Most Improved Player, two-time NBA All-Star)
Coaches
List of current NBA head coaches
List of NBA player-coaches
List of NBA championship head coaches
List of foreign NBA coaches
Top 10 Coaches in NBA History
List of female NBA coaches
Other
List of NBA team owners
List of NBA referees
NBA Cares
The league has a global social responsibility program, NBA Cares, that is responsible for the league's stated mission of addressing important social issues worldwide.[207]
See also
List of NBA regular season records
List of NBA awards
List of NBA seasons
NBA cheerleading
List of NBA rivalries
NBA salary cap
List of NBA playoff series
NBA Summer League
List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
List of NBA franchise post-season streaks
NBA Store
Lagos (/ˈleɪɡɒs/ LAY-goss;[10][11] Yoruba: Èkó [èkó]), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With upper estimates of its population exceeding 21 million people in 2019, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent,[12][13][14][15][16] and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government's December 1991 decision to move their capital to Abuja, in the centre of the country.[17][18][19] Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas.[27][28] A megacity, it has the second-highest GDP in Africa,[2][29] and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent.[30][31][32] Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.[33]
Lagos emerged as a home to the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba of West Africa in the 15th century, which are contained in the present-day Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Amuwo-Odofin and Apapa. Before the 15th century, the Awori settled on a farmstead along the coastal line in and around which they worked and lived. Farmstead translates to Ereko in Yoruba, from which comes the Lagos indigenous name Eko. The lands are separated by creeks, fringing the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon, while being protected from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier islands and long sand spits such as Bar Beach, which stretch up to 100 km (62 mi) east and west of the mouth. Due to rapid urbanisation, the city expanded to the west of the lagoon to include areas in the present day Lagos Mainland, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and Surulere. This led to the classification of Lagos into two main areas: the Island, which was the original city of Lagos, and the Mainland, which it has since expanded into.[34] This city area was governed directly by the Federal Government through the Lagos City Council, until the creation of Lagos State, in 1967, which led to the splitting of Lagos city into the present-day seven Local Government Areas (LGAs), and an addition of other towns (which now make up 13 LGAs) from the then Western Region to form the state.[35]
However, the state capital was later moved to Ikeja, in 1976,[36] and the federal capital moved to Abuja in 1991. Even though Lagos is still widely referred to as a city, the present-day Lagos, also known as "Metropolitan Lagos", and officially as "Lagos Metropolitan Area"[37][38][39] is an urban agglomeration or conurbation,[40] consisting of 16 LGAs including Ikeja, the state capital of Lagos State.[2][41] This conurbation makes up 37% of Lagos State total land area, but houses about 85% of the state's total population.[2][35][42]
The population of Metropolitan Lagos is disputed.[43] In the 2006 federal census data, the conurbation had a population of about 9 million people.[44] However, the figure was disputed by the Lagos State Government, which later released its own population data, putting the population of Lagos Metropolitan Area at approximately 16 million.[note 1] Daily, the Lagos area is growing by some 3,000 people or around 1.1 million annually, so the true population figure of the greater Lagos area in 2022 is roughly 28 million (up from some 23.5 million in 2018). Lagos may therefore have overtaken Kinshasa as Africa's most populous city.[1][35][45][46] The Lagos conurbation is part of an emerging transnational megalopolis on the coast of West Africa that includes areas in five sovereign states, the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor.[47][48]
The University of Lagos is one of the first generation universities of Nigeria. The business district of Lagos is home to Tinubu Square, named after the aristocratic slave trader Efunroye Tinubu. Lagos contains Murtala Muhammed International Airport, named after Murtala Muhammad, one of the former Nigerian presidents; the airport is one of the busiest African airports. Lagos National Stadium has hosted various international sports events such as the 1980 African Cup of Nations.
Etymology
Lagos is derived from the Portuguese word for "lakes". The pronunciation /ˈleɪɡɒs/ (LAY-goss) is typically standard in British and Nigerian English.[49][50] Speakers of American English often use the pronunciation /ˈlɑːɡoʊs/ (LAH-gohss), which sounds more similar to the original Portuguese pronunciation.[49][50] The native Yoruba name Èkó is also used by Yoruba people. Lagos was most likely named after Lagos, Portugal, as it was the main centre of Portuguese maritime expeditions down the African coast in the 15th century.[51]
History
Main article: History of Lagos
Further information: Lagos Colony
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Lagos.
Administration
Lagos was formerly the capital city of Nigeria, but it has since been replaced by Abuja. Abuja officially became the capital of Nigeria on 12 December 1991, although the decision to move the federal capital had been made in Act No. 6 of 1976. Lagos is also home to the High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary, housed in an old colonial building on Lagos Island.[52]
A map showing the 16 LGAs making up Lagos Metropolitan Area
In terms of administration, Lagos is not a single municipality and therefore has no overall city administration.[53] The geographical city limits of Metropolitan Lagos comprise 16 of the 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos State. The latter entity provides overall government for the metropolitan region. The former Municipality of Lagos, which covered Lagos Island, Ikoyi, and Victoria Island as well as some mainland territory, was managed by the Lagos City Council (LCC), but it was disbanded in 1976 and divided into several Local Government Areas (most notably Lagos Island LGA, Lagos Mainland LGA and Eti-Osa LGA).[54]
The mainland beyond the Municipality of Lagos, on the other hand, included several separate towns and settlements such as Mushin, Ikeja and Agege. In the wake of the 1970s Nigerian oil boom, Lagos experienced a population explosion, untamed economic growth, and unmitigated rural migration. This caused the outlying towns and settlements to develop rapidly, thus forming the present-day "Lagos Metropolitan Area", also known as "Metropolitan Lagos". The history of Lagos is still evidenced in the layout of the LGAs that display the unique identities of the cultures that created them.[citation needed][55]
By 2006, the metro area around Lagos had extended beyond Lagos State's boundaries and attained a megacity status. This much larger area is referred to as "Greater Metropolitan Lagos" or "Lagos Megacity Region", which is a continuously built-up land area of an additional 1,535.4 square kilometres (592.8 square miles), in LGAs situated next to Lagos's eastern and western city limits in Lagos State, and also beyond its northern limits, spilling into some LGAs in adjoining Ogun State. Ogun State LGAs that have become part of Greater Metropolitan Lagos include Obafemi Owode, Sagamu, Ifo, Ado-Odo/Ota and part of Ewekoro.[46]
Today, the word Lagos most often refers to the urban area, called "Metropolitan Lagos" in Nigeria, which includes both the islands of the former municipality of Lagos and the mainland suburbs. Lagos State government is responsible for some of the utilities including roads and transportation, power, water, health, and education. Metropolitan Lagos extends over 16 of the 20 LGAs of Lagos State and contains about 85% of the population of Lagos State, including some semi-rural areas.[56] Lagos has a considerable number of high-rise buildings that dominate its skyline. Most of the tall buildings are located in the downtown Central Business District.[citation needed]
Demography
The 16 LGAs of Metropolitan Lagos
Local Government Area Land area[57]
(in km2) Population[44]
(2006 Census) Population[58]
(2022 estimate) 2006 Density
(inh. per km2)
Agege 17 459,939 683,600 41,071
Ajeromi-Ifelodun 13.9 684,105 1,017,500 55,474
Alimosho 137.8 1,277,714 1,953,500 6,899
Amuwo-Odofin 179.1 318,166 487,000 2,364
Apapa 38.5 217,362 330,100 8,153
Eti-Osa 299.1 287,785 420,100 1,496
Ifako-Ijaiye 43 427,878 633,200 16,078
Ikeja 49.92 313,196 470,200 6,785
Kosofe 84.4 665,393 1,010,800 8,174
Lagos Island 9.26 209,437 314,900 24,182
Lagos Mainland 19.62 317,720 483,600 16,322
Mushin 14.05 633,009 935,400 36,213
Ojo 182 598,071 901,800 3,781
Oshodi-Isolo 41.98 621,509 931,300 13,886
Somolu 14.6 402,673 597,400 34,862
Surulere 27.05 503,975 744,400 21,912
Metropolitan Lagos 1,171.28 7,937,932 11,914,800 7,941
Although the 2006 National Population Census of Nigeria credited the metropolitan area with a population figure of 7,937,932, the figure is at variance with some projections by the United Nations and other population agencies and groups worldwide. The population figure of Lagos State given by the Lagos State Government is 17,553,924. That figure was based on claimed conducted enumeration for social planning by the Lagos State Government's "parallel census" and it believes that since the inhabitants of the metropolitan area of Lagos constitute 88% of the Lagos State population, the population of metropolitan Lagos is about 15.5 million.[59]
A rejoinder to Lagos State Government views[60] concluded that Lagos State concealed the fact that the population projection, for Lagos Urban Agglomeration by the UN agencies, had been revised downwards substantially as early as 2003. It failed to interpret the two most important and fairly representative and reliable secondary data sets already in the public domain, the National Identity Card Scheme and the 2003 Voters Registration figures from INEC. The figures for 2007 voter registration by INEC were an act sequel to the release of the provisional census results and comprehensively corroborated, vindicated and validated the population figures. According to the official results of the 2006 census, there were 8,048,430 inhabitants in Metropolitan Lagos.[44] This figure was lower than anticipated and has created controversy in Nigeria. Lagos Island, the central Local Government Area and historic center of Metropolitan Lagos, had a population of 212,700 at the 2006 Census.[61]
Authorities of Lagos State have disputed the results of the 2006 census, accusing the Nigerian National Population Commission of undercounting the population of the state. This accusation is denied by the National Population Commission.[62][63] A study found that research carried out by Africapolis (the African subsidiary of e-Geopolis backed by the Agence française de développement), in addition to the cross-referencing of official figures with more scientific independent research concluded that the 2006 census figures for Lagos State of about 9 million were valid and that the state's own assessments are inflated.[64]
Lagos is indigenous to the Yoruba people, and the Yoruba language is widely spoken. It is by most estimates, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.[65] Lagos is experiencing a population increase of about 275,000 persons per annum due to the influx of people from other regions for economic purposes. In 1999, the United Nations predicted that the city's metropolitan area, which had only about 290,000 inhabitants in 1950, would exceed 20 million by 2010 and thus become one of the ten most populated cities in the world.[citation needed][66]
Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1950 325,218 —
1960 762,418 +134.4%
1970 1,413,528 +85.4%
1980 2,572,218 +82.0%
1990 4,764,093 +85.2%
2000 7,280,706 +52.8%
2010 10,441,182 +43.4%
2019 13,903,620 +33.2%
source:[67] for Lagos Agglomeration
Geography
Map of Lagos's initial city boundaries, showing its contemporary districts. This definition is rarely used in the present day; the expanded metropolitan area is now a more accepted definition of Lagos.
Satellite image of Lagos
Lagos is loosely classified into two main geographical areas—the "Island" and the "Mainland".[citation needed][68][69]
Cityscape
Main article: Architecture of Lagos
The city of Lagos has the tallest skyline in Nigeria. The architectural styles in Lagos are diverse and range from tropical and vernacular to colonial European and ultramodern buildings or a mixture. Brazilian style architecture brought by the creoles is evident in buildings such as Water House and Shitta Bey Mosque.[70][71][72] Skyscrapers and most high rise buildings are centered on the islands, while the mainland has some high rise buildings.[73] In recent years, the Lagos State government has renovated existing parks and green areas, with a long-term goal of expansion. Many good quality buildings are interspersed across the city.[74][75][76][77][78]
Island
The Island is a loose geographical term that is used to define the area of Lagos that is separated from the "Mainland" by the main channel draining the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean, which forms Lagos Harbour. The Island is mainly a collection of islands that are separated from each other by creeks and are connected by bridges. The smaller sections of some creeks have been dredged and built over. This part of Lagos is the area where most business activities and entertainment events take place, as well as where most of the upscale residential areas are concentrated. The Local Government Areas (LGAs) that are considered to be on the Island include Lagos Island and Eti-Osa. The major upscale Island neighbourhoods within these LGAs include Ikoyi and Victoria Island. Three major bridges join the Island to the Mainland. They are the Carter Bridge, which starts from Iddo; the Eko Bridge (formerly called the Second Mainland Bridge); and the Third Mainland Bridge, which passes through densely populated mainland suburbs to the Lagos Lagoon. The Ikoyi link bridge links Ikoyi and Lekki Phase 1, both of which are part of the Island.[79]
Construction on the Fourth Mainland Bridge will start in 2022, according to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.[80][81]
Lagos Island
Main article: Lagos Island
Lagos Marina
Lagos Island contains a central business district.[82] This district is characterized by high-rise buildings. The Island also contains many of the city's largest wholesale marketplaces (such as the popular Idumota and Balogun Markets).[83] It also has the National Museum of Nigeria, the Central Mosque, the Glover Memorial Hall, Christ's Church Cathedral (CMS) and the Oba's Palace (Iga Idunganran).[84] Another major part of Lagos Island is Marina. It borders the idumota and Balogun markets and houses major Banking institutions. Though formerly in a derelict condition, Lagos Island's Tinubu Square is a site of historical importance; it was here that the Amalgamation Ceremony that unified the North and South protectorate to form Nigeria took place in 1914.[citation needed][85]
Ikoyi
Main article: Ikoyi
Aerial view of Ikoyi
Ikoyi is situated on the eastern half of Lagos Island and joined to it by a landfill.[86][87] Ikoyi is also connected to Victoria Island by Falomo bridge, which carries the main road over Five Cowrie creek.[88] Falomo garden, a green public space which was developed by the state government in conjunction with Fidelity Bank in 2017, is located under the bridge.[89] Ikoyi housed the headquarters of the federal government of Nigeria and other buildings owned by the government, including the old federal secretariat complex. The complex today is on reestablishment.[90]
In Ikoyi there are military and police barracks, a top-security prison, and a federal high court of Nigeria. Ikoyi also has hotels, nightclubs, a recreational park, and one of Africa's largest golf courses. Originally a middle class neighbourhood, in recent years it has become a fashionable residential enclave for the upper middle class to the upper class. The commercial section is concentrated in the South-West.[citation needed]
Victoria Island
Main article: Victoria Island (Nigeria)
Eko Atlantic, a project at the mouth of Lagos Lagoon under construction, extending and further developing Victoria Island (imaged from Tarkwa Bay Beach)
Victoria Island with its annex is situated to the south of Lagos Island and known with a zip code of 101241[91] as assigned by NIPOST.[92] It has expensive real estate properties and for that reason, many new luxury condos and apartments. Along with Ikoyi, Victoria Island occupies a major area in Lagos that boasts several shopping districts. On its seashore along the Atlantic front, there is an environmentally reconstructed Bar Beach.[93]
Ajah/Lekki
The Lekki Peninsula shares some prestige with its Ikoyi and Victoria Island neighbours. Development has stretched the piece of land further such that the Ibeju axis, though closer to Epe (which is on the outskirts of Lagos) is almost always described as part of Lekki. The expanse of land starts from the Lekki toll gate, which was the focal stage of the famous #EndSars protest in October 2020, and ends in Ibeju-Lekki and boasts of communities slowly inching their way to suburb status such as Ajah, Awoyaya, Sangotedo, Abijo, and Eputu. There is quite a bit of place to see – the Lekki Conservation Centre; The Novare Mall; The Lekki Free Trade Zone – Dangote, Africa's richest man is building his refinery in this FTZ; Lagos Business School; Eleko Beach; Elegushi Beach; La Campagne Tropicana – a beach/tourist getaway, Pan-Atlantic University. The area has a Catholic monastery.[94]
Iddo
Across the main channel of the lagoon from Lagos Island, there is a smaller settlement called Iddo. Iddo is also a railroad terminus and it is now situated in the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area after it was connected to the Mainland like a peninsula.[95]
Mainland
A huge population of Lagosians also live on the Lagos Mainland, and most industries are located there. The Mainland is known for its music and nightlife, which used to be located in areas around Yaba, Ikeja, and Surulere. However, in recent years more nightclubs have sprung up on the Island, making the Island (particularly Victoria Island, Ikate, and Lekki Phase 1) the main nightlife attraction. Mainland LGAs include Surulere, Apapa, and Lagos Mainland. Metropolitan Lagos suburban LGAs include: Agege, Amuwo Odofin, Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo and Ikeja (site of Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the capital of Lagos State).[96]
Major areas on the Mainland include Ebute Metta, Yaba and Ejigbo. Some rivers, like Badagry Creek, flow parallel to the coast for some distance before exiting through the sand bars to the sea.[citation needed][97]
Climate
Lagos experiences a tropical savanna climate (Aw) according to the Köppen climate classification, as there are three months under 60 mm or 2.4 in of rain, and annual rainfall is not nearly high enough for tropical monsoon classification. The wet season starts in May and ends in October, while the dry season starts in November and ends in April. There is also a short dry season from July to August. The wettest month is June with precipitation total 316 mm or 12.44 in, while the driest month is January with precipitation total 13 mm or 0.51 in.[citation needed]
Located near the equator, Lagos has only a slight seasonal temperature variation, with mean high temperatures ranging from 28 to 32 °C (82 to 90 °F). Lagos has the highest temperatures in March with a daily range from 32 to 26 °C (90 to 79 °F), and least hot temperatures in August ranging from 28 to 24 °C (82 to 75 °F), not unlike the seasons of coastal locations in the Southern Hemisphere. Summer is the coldest season, with June, July and August are the coldest and rainiest months, while spring (March - May) is the hottest season.
Climate data for Lagos Island, 1991–2020 normals and records
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.0
(96.8) 39.0
(102.2) 40.1
(104.2) 36.6
(97.9) 36.7
(98.1) 33.8
(92.8) 33.0
(91.4) 36.0
(96.8) 34.6
(94.3) 35.5
(95.9) 36.0
(96.8) 36.8
(98.2) 40.1
(104.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.5
(88.7) 32.1
(89.8) 32.2
(90.0) 31.6
(88.9) 30.9
(87.6) 29.4
(84.9) 28.4
(83.1) 28.2
(82.8) 29.1
(84.4) 30.1
(86.2) 31.4
(88.5) 31.6
(88.9) 30.5
(87.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 28.2
(82.8) 28.9
(84.0) 29.2
(84.6) 28.7
(83.7) 28.0
(82.4) 26.7
(80.1) 26.1
(79.0) 26.0
(78.8) 26.6
(79.9) 27.3
(81.1) 28.3
(82.9) 27.8
(82.0) 27.7
(81.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 24.9
(76.8) 25.7
(78.3) 26.1
(79.0) 25.8
(78.4) 25.1
(77.2) 24.1
(75.4) 23.8
(74.8) 23.8
(74.8) 24.0
(75.2) 24.5
(76.1) 25.3
(77.5) 24.1
(75.4) 24.8
(76.6)
Record low °C (°F) 18.5
(65.3) 15.9
(60.6) 20.2
(68.4) 19.8
(67.6) 18.4
(65.1) 17.6
(63.7) 15.7
(60.3) 18.6
(65.5) 18.6
(65.5) 17.0
(62.6) 14.0
(57.2) 13.7
(56.7) 13.7
(56.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 10.5
(0.41) 40.9
(1.61) 68.4
(2.69) 145.5
(5.73) 235.8
(9.28) 433.7
(17.07) 208.9
(8.22) 91.4
(3.60) 217.9
(8.58) 189.1
(7.44) 51.5
(2.03) 9.7
(0.38) 1,703.3
(67.04)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 1.0 2.2 4.3 6.9 11.3 15.6 10.8 7.2 12.3 10.5 3.4 0.7 86.2
Average relative humidity (%) 77.7 81.3 84.2 86.0 86.7 88.2 88.5 88.0 89.0 88.2 84.3 78.8 85.1
Average dew point °C (°F) 23.9
(75.0) 25.4
(77.7) 26.2
(79.2) 26.1
(79.0) 25.6
(78.1) 24.6
(76.3) 24.0
(75.2) 23.9
(75.0) 24.6
(76.3) 25.2
(77.4) 25.4
(77.7) 23.8
(74.8) 24.9
(76.8)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 164 168 174 189 176 114 99 105 121 167 186 197 1,843
Mean daily sunshine hours 5 6 6 7 6 4 3 3 4 5 6 7 5
Source 1: NOAA (monthly sun hours 1961–1990)[98][99]
Source 2: Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[100]
Weather Atlas (daily sun hours)[101]
Climate change
A 2019 paper published in PLOS One estimated that under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5, a "moderate" scenario of climate change where global warming reaches ~2.5–3 °C (4.5–5.4 °F) by 2100, the climate of Lagos in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of Panama City. The annual temperature would increase by 1.6 °C (2.9 °F) and the temperature of the warmest month by 1.5 °C (2.7 °F), while the temperature of the coldest month would be 2.9 °C (5.2 °F) higher.[102][103] According to Climate Action Tracker, the current warming trajectory appears consistent with 2.7 °C (4.9 °F), which closely matches RCP 4.5.[104]
Moreover, according to the 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Lagos is one of 12 major African cities (Abidjan, Alexandria, Algiers, Cape Town, Casablanca, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda and Maputo) that would be the most severely affected by sea level rise. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damage of US$65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$86.5 billion in the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050. Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact from marine ice sheet instability at high levels of warming would involve up to US$137.5 billion in damage, while the additional accounting for the "low-probability, high-damage events" may increase aggregate risks to US$187 billion for the "moderate" RCP4.5, US$206 billion for RCP8.5 and US$397 billion under the high-end ice sheet instability scenario.[105] Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures.[106] Sea level rise is being exacerbated by subsidence, which is occurring at up to 87 millimetres (3.4 in) per year.[107]
Economy
The city of Lagos is a major economic focal point in Nigeria, generating around 30-35% of the country's GDP. Most commercial and financial businesses are carried out in the central business district situated on the island. This is also where most of the country's commercial banks, financial institutions, and major corporations are headquartered. Lagos is also the major information communications and telecommunications (ICT) hub of West Africa.[108][109] Lagos is developing a 24-hour economy.[110][111]
The globalisation of Lagos's economy is rated "beta minus" by the GaWC.[112] This is equivalent to Manchester or Edinburgh in the UK. Lagos is thus the most "globalised" city in West and Central Africa.[113] 5 out of 7 African tech "unicorns" operate out of Lagos (see below).[114] Lagos is home to more tech centres than any other city in Africa.[115]
Yves Bellinghausen from the German magazine ZEIT summarises: 'Lagos is Africa's Hollywood, Manhattan, and Silicon Valley all rolled into one.'[116]
Financial institutions
Financial district of Lagos
Lagos is a major financial and banking centre. The four largest banks in West and Central Africa are headquartered in Lagos,[117] and another nine banks in Lagos are among the 20 largest banks in the region. Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and First Bank have capital of more than US$2 billion each.[117] Banking headquarters are located on Victoria Island and Lagos Island.
The insurance industry in Nigeria is comparatively and modestly developed, with an industry turnover of around US$1 billion per year.[118] As with the banks, the headquarters of the insurance companies are predominantly located in Lagos.
Ports
Main articles: Apapa Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, and Lekki Port
The Port of Lagos, formally known as the Lagos-Elbert Mathews Memorial Port, is Nigeria's leading port and one of the largest and busiest Ports in Africa. Due to the large urban population, Lagos is categorized as a medium-port megacity using the Southampton System for port-city classification.[119] It is administered by the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Lagos, its ports, airports, free trade zone and light rail system
The Port of Lagos / Apapa is the oldest and largest port in the country, both in terms of land area and cargo volume handled. More than half of Nigeria's maritime trade is handled here, and the port also acts as a transhipment point for landlocked countries such as Chad and Niger. Around 1,000 ships with 5,700,000 tonnes of cargo call at the Lagos port complex annually.[120]
Tin Can Island Port is located west of Apapa near the Lagos Port Complex. It was established in 1975.
In early 2023, the deep sea port of Lekki was commissioned 50 km east of Lagos. This thus does not belong to the urban area of Lagos but to the state of the same name.
Entertainment industry and media
Nollywood
Main article: Cinema of Nigeria
Filming set in Lagos
Lagos is the centre of the West African film, music, and TV industries. The film industry in the Surulere locality ranks second or third in the world, ahead of or behind Hollywood, depending on the survey.[121] PricewaterhouseCoopers Int. forecasts that the Nigerian entertainment industry will grow 85% to $15 billion.[122] Since the success of the Nigerian thriller "The Figurine", Nigerian film has increasingly turned to high-quality productions that are also commercially successful. This, in turn, has led to consistently new box office revenue records in Nigeria (2009's "The Figurine", 2013's "Half of a Yellow Sun", 2016's "The Wedding Party", 2023's "Battle on Buka Street").[123]
Newspapers
In Nigeria, newspapers are available in digital format and are predominantly produced in Lagos. The most widely read newspaper in Lagos, by its own account, is Punch. The Vanguard newspaper is one of the few dailies that is not only available online but also in print. Other publications include The Guardian, The Nation, The Sun and the Nigerian Tribune. The latter was founded in colonial times, in 1949.
Television
The most watched television station in Lagos (and in Nigeria) is the 24-hour news channel Channels TV, based in Lagos. Some of its presenters use an overly correct standard of British English that compatriots like to mock. The same can be said of Arise TV and the state broadcaster NTA. The private African Independent Television focuses on entertainment and infotainment. Programmes in pidgin English or in Yoruba have moved to digital streaming services and offer action films, comedies and heartbreak productions.
"Africa's Silicon Valley"
IT trainer and recruiter Andela, Lagos
Seven tech start-ups in Africa are said to have "unicorn" status (worth over 1 billion euros). Five of them are based in Lagos:[114] Flutterwave is in the virtual bank card business. Opay and Interswitch are platforms for online bookings. Andela trains software engineers and places them in the Nigerian labour market. Jumia is an online retail company that offers a wide range of products such as electronic devices and fashion.
Lagos is home to more tech hubs than any other city in Africa.[115] With more than 90 million internet users, Lagos is attracting investors who want to capitalise on this expanding technology hotspot.[115] Startupgrind.com refers to Lagos as "Africa's Silicon Valley".[124] Bloomberg highlights "Nigeria's Chaotic Rise as the Tech Heart of Africa" and means Lagos, specifically the Yaba district.[125]
MTN in Lagos
Lagos is the only African city to have both a Google and a Microsoft office. MTN maintains the first and still predominant 4G network in Nigeria. Airtel is another 4G provider. 9Mobile and Dataflex are Internet providers. Paystack is used by Nigerians who regularly receive payments from abroad. ULesson maintains a platform on which secondary school learning content is presented. Hotels.ng allows hotel bookings to be made throughout Africa.[126][127]
Oil refinery
Main article: Dangote Refinery
For decades, there was no oil processing industry in Nigeria, apart from illegal refineries in the Niger Delta (which are very polluting due to the lack of cracking). Nigeria therefore had to have the end products of domestic crude oil such as fuels, bitumen, paraffin, motor oil, polypropylene etc. produced in US or European refineries, with transport costs over thousands of nautical miles and margins for middlemen. The oil refinery in Lekki went into operation in December 2023[128] and is expected to process 650,000 barrels of oil per day when fully operational, making it the seventh largest oil refinery in the world.[129] By comparison, the largest refinery in the United Kingdom in Fawley processes 270,000 barrels a day, while the biggest US refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, processes 607,000 barrels a day.[130] 57,000 people have been hired.[131]
Fertiliser plant
Since 2022, a new fertiliser production plant has been producing 3 million tonnes of fertiliser a year (roughly equivalent to Germany's fertiliser consumption).[132] With no more Russian fertiliser coming onto the world market in 2022 due to this country's invasion of Ukraine, Nigeria is stepping into a gap in the market. "The fertiliser market is a seller's market," company owner Dangote raves. "People are begging for us to sell and we are choosy about who we sell to."[132][133]
Pharmaceutical industry
Pharmacy in Ikeja
Nigeria hosts about 60 percent of the pharmaceutical production capacity in Africa (status 2022).[134] The larger pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria are located in the North of Lagos.[135] Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd appears to be the pharmaceutical producer with the most employees.[136] Next in line are Fidson Healthcare Plc,[137] May & Baker Nig. Plc[138] and Swiss Pharma Nigeria.[139]
Automotive industry
Main article: Automotive industry in Nigeria
Nord Automobile Limited has two assembly plants in Lagos: in Sangotedo and in Epe. The company manufactures its own plastic parts and plans to take on steel pressing in the future. The company offers eight different models.[140] However, company founder and CEO Oluwatobi Ajayi is struggling with insufficient demand and the increase in the price of imported components due to the devaluation of the local currency, the naira, in 2023. He is looking for solutions with a German partner.[141]
Lekki Free Trade Zone
Entrance of the Lekki Free Trade Zone
The Lekki Free Trade Zone is a free trade zone in the eastern part of Lekki, covering a total area of about 155 square kilometres. It has an area of 30 square kilometres and is to be developed into a multifunctional district: integrating industry, trade and commerce, real estate development, warehousing and logistics, tourism, and entertainment.
Trade fairs and exhibitions
Lagos has two major congress halls, the Eko Convention Center and the Landmark Centre.[142] The Eko Convention Center has 5,151 m2 and 13 meeting rooms. It hosts for example the Lagos Fashion Fair.[143] The Landmark Centre has 1,004 m2 and 8 meeting rooms.[144] The Landmark Centre hosts annual meetings like "Medic/Medlab West Africa", "Beauty West Africa" or "agro-food".[145]
The Lagos Leather Fair is the largest leather fair in West Africa. Nigeria is the sixth largest leather exporter in the world, with brands such as Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton sourcing their goods here. Fashion journalist Waridi Schrobsdorff even puts 'Milan, Paris, Lagos' on the same level on news channel N-tv.[146]
Food processing and distribution
Nigeria's largest brewery, fancily named Nigerian Breweries and a Heineken subsidiary, is located in the Lagos-Surulere district. The Guinness brewery produces its famous strong beer in the Ikeja district. Apparently, the average Nigerian drinks larger quantities of this beverage than the average Irishman.[147] Both breweries also produce non-alcoholic (Guinness also halal) malt beer, which is part of the "Lagos' way of life".[148]
Logistics hub, close to Epe
In Ketu-Ereyun, between Epe and Ikorodu, Lagos State builds a "Food Logistics Park" – the biggest logistics hub for food in Sub-Saharan Africa. The site is 1.2 million square meters big and the construction is expected to be finished in 2024.[149][150]
Until now, Nigeria paradoxically exported unhusked rice but had to import husked rice, the country's staple food. – The hulling mill in Imota, just outside Lagos, processes the rice domestically. When fully operational, the plant, the largest south of the Sahara, is expected to employ 250,000 people and produce 2.5 million 50-kg bags of rice annually.[151]
The Apapa sugar refinery,[152] part of the Dangote Group, increased its turnover to 288.3 billion naira (€590 million) in the third quarter of 2022 – a 47% increase from the third quarter of 2021. The sugar refinery has a capacity of 1.44 million metric tonnes per annum and supplies end users as well as bulk buyers such as Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc and the Nigerian Bottling Company.[152]
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu opened the new Ikosi International Fruits Market in the Ketu district on 25 May 2023.[153] The new fruit market comprises 1,004 shop units.[154] It has its own water and electricity supply, canteen and parking facilities. The facility is monitored by security personnel.[154] On 18 December 2023, Sanwo-Olu opened a similar "Fresh Food Hub" in Idi-Oro, Mushin.[155][156] Both hubs are aiming to increase the speed of food supply and reduce the percentage of food going to waste before it reaches the customer.
Timber, sawmill
The Lagos sawmill moved from its old but bursting-at-the-seams location in Oko Baba to Timberville, just outside Lagos, in 2022, where modern facilities are available.[citation needed]
Tourism
The Landmark Beach with the urban development Eko Atlantic in the background
Following the re-modernization project achieved by the previous administration of Governor Raji Babatunde Fashola, Lagos is gradually becoming a major tourist destination, being one of the largest cities in Africa and the world. Diasporan Africans and others, especially from East and Southern Africa, are increasingly visiting Lagos mostly to understand and experience the Nigeria that has been presented to them by Nollywood.
Elegushi Beach
Beaches, water sports
Lagos has sandy beaches by the Atlantic Ocean, including Tarkwa Bay, Elegushi Beach[157] and Alpha Beach. Lagos also has a number of private beach resorts, including the Inagbe Grand Beach Resort.[158]
On Wole Olateju Crescent, in the immediate vicinity of Lekki Bridge,[159] there are several companies that offer boat tours and rent kayaks or jet skis.
Dancing, shopping, dining
Nightclubs are mainly found on Victoria Island, where the well-to-do and foreign guests hang out, and around Adeniran Ogunsanya Street in Surulere.
Rooftop restaurants on the Atlantic beach or on the lagoon offer not only culinary delights and a view but also a welcome breeze from the sea for the heat-stricken visitor.[160]
Even before the devaluation of the local currency, the naira, in June 2023, Lagos was a place where US$10 (9.10 euros) could keep you full for a day and buy souvenirs to boot.[161][162] The stress-resistant and experienced bargain-hunter buys brand-name clothes for a knockdown price at the eco-market and the adjoining Martin Street.[163]
The Lekki Arts and Crafts Market (known to Lagosians as Oba Elegushi Market) is a large market that displays a wide variety of African arts and crafts. It is considered the largest art market in Nigeria.[164]
Parks and gardens
Freedom Park
Freedom Park is a memorial and recreational park in the middle of Lagos city centre on Lagos Island, Nigeria, which used to be Her Majesty's Broad Street Prison. It was designed by architect Theo Lawson. The park was built to preserve the history and cultural heritage of Nigerians. The monuments in the park commemorate the colonial heritage of Lagos and the history of Her Majesty's Broad Street Prison. It was erected to mark the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations in October 2010. The park is a national memorial, a historical landmark, a cultural site and an arts and recreation centre. Now a tranquil place for individuals, visitors and collective contemplation, the park is open to the public daily. Today, Freedom Park has become a gathering place for various social events and recreational entertainment.[165]
Tinubu Square (formerly Independence Square) is an open space on Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State, Nigeria, named after slave trader, merchant and aristocrat Efunroye Tinubu.[166] It used to be called Ita Tinubu before it was renamed Independence Square and later Tinubu Square by the leaders of the First Nigerian Republic after Nigerian independence.[167] Tinubu Square is the most popular square in Nigeria.
Tafawa Balewa Square is a 50,000-capacity stadium that was a racecourse under the British and where independence was proclaimed in 1960.[168] At the entrance to the square are sculptures of four white horses and seven red eagles. After Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital, the "TBS" fell into disrepair. Attempts by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to renovate the stadium have not yielded results (as of 2023).[169]
Ndubuisi Kanu Park is a public green space much loved by all for relaxation.
Zoos
Canope walkway at the Lekki Conservation Centre
The Lekki Conservation Centre is essentially the Lagos Zoo. It consists of a fenced-off strip of vegetation that attempts to replicate rainforest, mangroves and savannah. There are monkeys, numerous birds, snakes and crocodiles. There is a small museum with stuffed animals. On Sundays however, it is used for lengthy religious service. According to a tourism website, the LCC is the second-most popular site[170] in Lagos to see (after the Nike Gallery, see chapter "Art").
Lufasi Nature Park is the Lekki Urban Forestry and Animal Shelter Initiative.[171] It preserves nature and protects wildlife and endangered species. Nollywood film crews often use this park as a set.
Buildings
The Oba's Palace in Iga Idungaran, Lagos
Lekki bridge
National Theatre, Iganmu (see chapter "Monumental buildings").
Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, the first cable-stayed bridge built in Nigeria.
The Oba's (Kings) Palace at Iga Idunganran – This is an ancestral palace for the Oba of Lagos – the custodian on the traditions and customs of the people of Eko.
Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos
Statues
Herbert Macaulay memorial statue,
Welcome to Lagos statue showing three Lagos white cap chiefs. In local parlance, they are noted as warning you not to "suegbe, didinrin nor ya mugun" while in Lagos. Meaning? Not to be too trusting, foolish or naive.
Other tourist attractions
Takwa Bay – A popular bay from where you can observe shipping traffic in and out of the Lagos port as well as enjoy some water sports. If you have a personal yacht this is where to go.
Festac Town[172]
Not LGBT-friendly
Despite its active nightlife and prevailing joie de vivre, Lagos, like all cities in Nigeria, is "not LGBT-friendly". Nigeria's 2014 legislation in this regard is among the most draconian systems of repression against queer people in the world.[173] Homosexuals, but also their "supporters" such as people who have attended a same-sex wedding in another country, or hotel staff who have provided a room for a queer couple, theoretically can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Culture
Lagos is a cultural centre of Nigeria. As a port city and the starting point of British colonisation, the Western influence is stronger here than in probably any other Nigerian city. All Nigerian ethnic groups can be found in the melting pot of this metropolis, with the Yoruba predominating. The music and film industries in the city are dynamic centres of the country with international acclaim.
Monumental buildings
National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos
The Cathedral Church of Christ at the central Marina on Lagos Island
A very striking building in Lagos is the National Arts Theatre with its oval base. The renovation of the National Arts Theatre was completed in March 2023.[174] With the new "blue line" of the Lagos light rail, the National Theatre is recently easily accessible – the station "National theatre" is at a stone's throw distance from the theatre building.
Another frequently photographed structure in Lagos is the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge – or more simply: Lekki bridge.
The Cathedral Church of Christ is at the centre of the oldest part of Lagos. The Anglican church was built between 1867 and 1869, shortly after the establishment of British colonial rule.
The Synagogue Church of All Nations was built in 2004.
Art
The Nike Art Gallery
The Nike Art Gallery is an art gallery in Lagos owned by Nike Davies-Okundaye.[175] The gallery is probably the largest of its kind in West Africa. It is housed in a five-storey building and has a collection of about 8,000 different works of art by various Nigerian artists such as Chief Josephine Oboh Macleod.[176]
Red Door Gallery specializes in African contemporary art.
The Ovuomaroro Studio and Gallery is one of the oldest art galleries in Lagos.[177]
The Alexis Galleries, owned by Patty Chidiac-Mastrogiannis, is located on Victoria Island.[178] Since its foundation in 2011, Alexis Galleries have been engaged in the presentation and dissemination of Nigerian contemporary styles including; painting, drawing, mixed media, and sculpture. It aims to strengthen and support the Nigerian Art Circle.
In 2002, Lagos was one of the African platform cities for the art exhibition Documenta 11.
Museum
Interactive exhibition of Yoruba art at the Randle centre
The National Museum in Onikan on Lagos Island houses archaeological and ethnographic collections as well as traditional art. There is an opportunity to purchase Nigerian arts and crafts at the adjoining craft centre. Haggling is allowed at the island's Jankara market. Spices, printed cotton and hand-woven fabrics as well as leather articles are offered here.
The John K. Randle Centre houses an exhibition on Yoruba culture inaugurated in 2023.[179][180] The curators actively work with artists, writers, craftspeople, historians and storytellers to share the rich Yoruba culture. The John K. Randle Centre is a new, partly interactive kind of museum. It adapts modern Western museum practices to present new forms of storytelling inspired by Yoruba traditions.[181] It celebrates tangible and intangible culture by preserving, enhancing and promoting the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people. The centre actively collects a wide range of items that distinguish it from a traditional museum. The John K. Randle Centre plays a leading role in the repatriation of Yoruba artifacts from European institutions.
The Kalakuta Republic is a museum honouring late musician Fela Kuti.[182]
Furthermore, the Mindscape Children Museum deserves mentioning. Since 2015 it has been notable as Nigeria's premiere Children's museum. It aims at social interaction and improves their natural curiosity.[183]
Performance
The Muson Centre (Musical Society of Nigeria) is a theatre/performance hall. MUSON regularly organizes concerts of both Nigerian and Western genres. Its choir has performed since 1995, and the symphony orchestra, Nigeria's only professional symphony orchestra at the time, since 2005. Both perform regularly at the annual MUSON Festival and during the Society's concert season.[184]
Festivals
The Lagos Black Heritage Festival Parade
In Lagos, festivals take place in different months. These are the Lagos Carnival in January,[185] the Eko International Film Festival[186] in March, the Lagos Black Heritage Carnival in April,[187] the Lagos Photo Festival[188] in November, the Book & Art Festival[189] in November and the Lagos Food Festival[190] in December. The Lagos Jazz Festival features music of all genres with a focus on jazz.[191] The Experience is a decibel-rich gospel concert hosted by the evangelical House of the Rock Church in packed Talewa Balewa Square on the first Friday in December.[192] Ear protection and a certain tolerance for overly dedicated worshippers are recommended.
The Eyo Carnival is an irregular festival that originated in Iperu Remo, Ogun State.[193]
Cuisine
Main articles: Nigerian cuisine and African cuisine
Arewa Traditional Kitchen
Some of the famous dishes in Lagos include Indigenous delicacies such as eba and egusi; amala and ewedu; jollof (the go-to party dish); ofada rice; plantains (locally called dodo); beans; suya (spicy shish kebab or spiced roasted beef), which is consumed in local clubs and bars with a bottle of cold beer; and eba, made from cassava and eaten with soups prepared with vegetables and mixture of spices and herbs. Other dishes range from local ones like Iyan (pounded yam) made from yam flour, amala; asaro, which is usually eaten with various kinds of vegetables; and Egusi (melon soup) to European, Middle-Eastern, and Asian cuisine.[194][195]
Music
Lagos is famous throughout Africa for its music scene. Lagos has a vibrant nightlife[111][194][196] and has given birth to a variety of styles such as Sakara music, Nigerian hip hop, highlife, juju, fuji and Afrobeats.[197]
James Brown performed in Lagos in 1970.[198] With his band Wings, Paul McCartney recorded his fifth post-Beatles album, Band on the Run, in an EMI studio in Lagos in August and September 1973.[199] Other foreign musicians who have also performed in the city include Sean Paul, Snoop Dogg,[200] 50 Cent, Akon, Jarule, Ashanti, Usher, Shaggy,[201] R Kelly,[202] Cardi B, Migos especially during the Star Mega Jam; Shakira, John Legend, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Boyz II Men,[203] T-Pain, Brian McKnight, JayZ,[204] Mary J. Blige,[205] Beyoncé, Brandy, Ciara, Keri Hilson and Lauryn Hill.[206][207]
Film
Silverbird Galleria cinema in Lagos
The Surulere district is the centre of the Nigerian film industry, commonly referred to as Nollywood. Lagos itself is the location and setting for many films. The city is featured in domestic and foreign feature film productions. Many films are shot in the Festac area of Lagos, which also hosted the World Festival of Black Arts.[208] The 2016 film Captain America: Civil War contains a scene set in Lagos.[209] The Spanish police series La unidad (2020–2023), the British drama The last tree (2019) and the US-Spanish drama The Way, Chapter 2 with Martin Sheen (2023 still in development) also use Lagos as a filming location. The film 93 Days with Danny Glover is a somewhat melodramatic but fact-based account of the Ebola outbreak in Lagos in 2014 and was filmed at original locations.
Since the success of the Nigerian thriller The Figurine, Nigerian film has increasingly focused on high-quality productions that are also commercially successful. This, in turn, has led to ever-new records in box office takings in Nigeria (2009: "The Figurine", 2013: "Half of a Yellow Sun", 2016: "The Wedding Party").[210] .
Sports
National Stadium.
Association football is Lagos's most popular sport. Prominent Lagos football clubs include Bridge Boys F.C., MFM F.C., and First Bank: both play in Nigeria National League, the second tier of Nigerian football.[211]
The Nigeria national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, used to play almost all of their home games in Lagos at the National Stadium in Surulere; much later, games were played at the then New Abuja National Stadium in Abuja for some time; however, games are now mostly played at the newer Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, which is the default home of the Super Eagles. Lagos also hosted the 2nd All-African Games in 1973.[212][213][214]
Quality of life
In a 2018 ranking of cities by quality of life, Lagos ranked 218th among 241 cities surveyed worldwide.[215] In 2023, Lagos ranked second only to Manila in a global survey by the Statista Research Department of cities with the lowest quality of life.[216] The quality of life index value determined is made up of eight sub-indices.[217]
By way of qualification, it must be made clear that index lists of countries or cities are usually not based on verifiable or locally collected data,[218] but often on subjective assessments by Europeans or North Americans. The CPI of Transparency International, for example, is, according to its own definition, "based on the perceived assessment of lay people and experts and is not reduced to actual experience and its analysis". There is criticism that the indices determined simply reflect the prejudices of Western countries[219] numerically.[220][221]
Social situation, informal economy
There is a huge spectrum of wealth distribution among the people that reside in Lagos. It ranges from the very wealthy to the very poor. Lagos has attracted many young people and families seeking a better life from all other parts of Nigeria and beyond.[222][223]
In some parts of Lagos, residents have one of the highest standards of living in Nigeria and in Africa.[224][225]
Reliable data on unemployment, income below the subsistence level, etc. are hardly available for Lagos – as for the whole region – and must be taken with skepticism where they are provided, e.g. in other articles (see also the previous chapter). The reason for this is the widespread "informal economy" (not to be confused with "shadow economy") in West Africa. Insufficient jobs in traditional wage labour force people to look for work elsewhere. This benefits the informal sector of the economy, where there is no minimum wage and workers pay no taxes, have no holiday or labour rights and often work in unsafe conditions.[226]
According to the International Monetary Fund, about 5.5 million people are employed in the informal economy in Lagos State alone – about three-quarters of Lagos's workforce.[227] Throughout Lagos, one can observe street vendors, artisans, sellers, small and micro enterprises, shared taxis, tricycles and motorbikes (okada drivers), domestic workers, market traders[226] and others engaged in the informal sector.
Activities in the informal economy are not included in economic statistics. As a result, the wealth of the population, but also e.g. unemployment, is significantly underestimated if the massive informal economy is not taken into account.[227]
Crime
The Council on Foreign Relations' Nigeria Security Tracker[228] continuously records homicides (murder, manslaughter, etc.) by criminals, religious zealots (such as Boko Haram) and police attacks in Nigeria for each state.[229]
Strikingly, according to the NST, Nigeria's two largest cities, Lagos and Kano, are significantly safer than rural areas when it comes to homicides. For Lagos State, the NST shows 135 such violent deaths in the past 24 months (as of July 2023), or 5.6 annually for every million inhabitants (for comparison, the United Kingdoms' crime statistics in 2022 counted 10 homicides per million inhabitants[230] or Turkey's 24[231]). For Nigeria as a whole, this figure is 93, with 62% of these cases attributable to police violence (mainly vigilante justice). Boko Haram plays a negligible role (as of 2023) in Lagos.[228]
Education
See also: List of schools in Lagos
Lagos Business School
Lagos Business School's Cafeteria
The Lagos State Government operates state schools.[232] The education system is the 6-3-3-4 system, which is practiced throughout the country (as well as by many other members of the Economic Community of West African States). The levels are Primary, Junior Secondary School (JSS), Senior Secondary School (SSS), and university. All children are offered basic education, with a special focus now on the first nine years. Many of the schools in Nigeria are federally funded and usually are boarding schools. A few examples are the Federal government college Odogbolu (FGCOdogbolu), the Federal government girls' college Sagamu (FGGCSagamu), and the Federal government college Kano (FGCKano). The state of Lagos has its own federally funded high schools namely Federal government college Ijanikin also known as FGC Lagos, King's College Lagos, and Queen's College Lagos.[233]
Lagos is home to postsecondary schools, universities, and other vocational institutions that are either operated by the government or private entities.[234]
Vocational schools
Institute for Industrial Technology (IIT): founded in 2000, IIT is a technical vocational school for male youth from families with limited resources. Its educational model is based on the Dual Training System.
Polytechnics
Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH): founded in 1934, the college is Nigeria's first higher educational institution and the third in Africa. The college is a centre of culture and heritage. It has student enrolments of over 16,000.
Lagos State Polytechnic is a polytechnic comprising more than six schools including private polytechnics and was founded 25 years ago. Its main campus resides at Ikorodu, along Shagamu Road.
Lagos City Polytechnic, located at 6/8, Bashiru Oweh Street, Off Simbiat Abiola Road (formerly Medical Road), Ikeja – This is the first private Polytechnic in Nigeria. It was established in 1990 by Engr. Babatunde Odufuwa. Engr. Odufuwa hails from Oke-Aye in Ijebu North East Local Government Area (I.N.E.L.G) of Ogun State.
Grace Polytechnic
Wolex Polytechnic
Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology is a mono-technic that offers courses in fisheries technology, general science, marine engineering and nautical science.
Federal College of Education (tech) Akoka
Ronik Polytechnic[235]
Universities
University of Lagos central buildings and Lagoon Front Park
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, is a large institution dating from 1962, with over 55,000 students. It comprises 13 faculties, run by over 4,000 staff.[236]
Lagos State University (LASU) is a multi-campus university established in the year 1983 and owned by the Lagos State government. The main campus is located at Ojo, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Pan-Atlantic University formerly known as Pan-African University has a business school (LBS), a school of Media and Communication (SMC), and an entrepreneurial development centre (EDC), specialising in providing short courses for SMEs. The School of Media and Communication is also known for its pragmatic communication courses in the fields of journalism, media, and marketing. SMC awards BSc., MSc., and Ph.D. in social science courses. Founded in 1996 and awarded university status in 2002. The university also places some emphasis on the study of art, running the Virtual Museum of Modern Nigerian Art.
National Open University of Nigeria is the first Open university in Nigeria; it is located on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Caleb University is a private university located at Imota, Lagos.
Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET) is an institution that runs health courses such as Health Information Management, Pharmacist Tech, Medical Laboratory Tech, Community Health Extension, and Environmental Health Technology; it is located in Yaba.
Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja
College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL)
Healthcare
Further information: List of hospitals in Lagos
Lagos has many hospitals and medical facilities. The oldest Nigerian hospital is located in the city as well as West Africa's first air-operated emergency medical service, which commenced in the city. The Lagos healthcare system is divided into public and private sectors that provide medical services at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.[237]
Transportation
Main article: Transport in Lagos
Lagos has one of the largest and most extensive road networks in West Africa.[238][239] It also has suburban trains and some ferry services. Highways are usually congested in peak hours owing to the geography of the city and to its explosive population growth.[65][240] Lagos is also linked by many highways and bridges.[241]
Highways
Third Mainland Bridge across the Lagos Lagoon
The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway are the major controlled-access highways in the north of the city and serve as inter-state highways to Oyo State and Ogun State respectively.[242] To the west the congested Lagos–Badagry Expressway serves outlying towns such as Festival Town, which was the location for the 1977 Festival of Black Arts and Culture 77.[243]
Lagos's importance as a commercial centre and port and its strategic location have led to it being the end-point of three Trans-African Highway routes using Nigeria's national roads.[244] The Trans–West African Coastal Highway leaves the city as the Badagry Expressway to Benin and beyond as far as Dakar and Nouakchott; the Trans-Sahara Highway to Algiers, which is close to completion, leaves the city as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.[245]
Local public transport
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is responsible for public transport.[citation needed]
Since 2021, using a bus or the light rail system is paid for with a public transport card without cash.[246][247] This card can be used equally on BRT and LBSL buses.[248] One can purchase a public transportation card at any of the ticketing booths at the bus terminals scattered across Lagos State.[citation needed]
City buses
BRT bus in Lagos
There are two city bus companies in Lagos: BRT (Lagos Bus Rapid Transit System) and LBSL (Lagos Bus Services).[249][250] The city buses are air-conditioned. (However, during the Covid epidemic, the AC had to be switched off at all times.)[251][252]
BRT was inaugurated in 2008. BRT offers e-payment with bank cards.[253][non-primary source needed] On two arterial roads (Ikorodu Road and Funsho Williams Avenue), a dedicated bus lane has been established for BRT buses.[254] BRT uses diverse brands of buses, like Ashok Leyland and Yutong. Primero Transport Services (PTS) Ltd. is the sole operator of the BRT buses.[255]
LBSL was inaugurated in 2019. LBSL uses Brazilian-built Marcopolo buses.[256]
The central hub for city buses and long-distance buses is the Oshodi Bus Terminal,[257] which is visible from afar. It is the largest bus station in West Africa and commenced operation in 2019.[258]
The Lagos Transportation Department, LAMATA, introduced electric buses in Lagos in May 2023.[259][260]
Metro rail
Station "Mile 2", current terminus station of the blue line, phase 1
The first section, or phase, of the rapid transit system, the Lagos Light Rail, has been operational since February 2023.[261][262] The "Blue Line" runs between Mile 2 and Marina (East-west axis). The ''Red Line'' runs between Agbado and Oyingbo (North–south axis). The Blue Line extension towards Okokomaiko and the Red Line extension to Marina are under construction,[263]
There are plans for more light rail lines:[264]
The Green Line (Marina to Lekki),[265]
the yellow line (Otta/airport to Iddo),
the Purple line (Redeem to Ojo),
The brown line (Mile 12 to Marina) and
the orange line (Redeem to Marina).[266]
At the beginning of 2024, it was announced that the Lagos suburban railway had transported 583,000 passengers in its first four months. This would make it the largest inner-city rail service provider in Africa.[267][268]
On 14 February 2024, Governor Sanwo-Olu announced that the Red Line between Agbado and Oyingbo would be inaugurated on 29 February 2024 in the presence of Nigerian President Tinubu.[269]
Rail transport
Station Mobolaji Johnson in Lagos, 2021
As of June 2021, Lagos has a double-track standard gauge line to Ibadan and a modern main station, Mobolaji Johnson.[270] The Lagos-Ibadan train service runs three trips every Friday and Saturday with the point of departure at the Mobaji Johnson train station. Passengers can travel to Ibadan on Friday at the train station by 8 pm, 12 pm, and 4 pm, while on Saturday, the train movement will depart at 8 am, 1 pm and 6 pm. The Lagos-Ibadan train schedule for Monday to Thursday, and Sunday, remains 8 am and 4 pm.[271] Ticket sales are over the counter and cash only (as of 2023), but e-ticketing will be introduced "soon".[272] The operator is the Nigerian Railway Corporation.[273][274][275][276]