5 players per side. 4 quarters of 12 minutes (48 minutes total). Score by shooting the ball through a 10-foot-high hoop. 2 points inside the arc, 3 points outside, 1 point for free throws. Simple rules, infinite complexity.
Point Guard (PG): The floor general. Runs the offense. Shooting Guard (SG): Primary scorer from the perimeter. Small Forward (SF): The most versatile position. Power Forward (PF): Inside-outside scorer. Center (C): The tallest player, protects the rim. Modern NBA: positions are almost meaningless. Everyone shoots threes now.
Regular season: October to April, 82 games per team. Play-in: 7-10 seeds battle for the last 2 playoff spots. Playoffs: April to June, best-of-7 series. NBA Finals: June. East champion vs West champion. The NBA Draft is in June — that's how teams get new players.
Pick a player you like and follow their team. Curry, LeBron, Wemby — anyone. Watch the highlights on YouTube first, then catch a full game. The 4th quarter of a close game is the most exciting thing in sports. NBA League Pass lets you watch every game globally.