❓ NBA FAQ — Common Questions Answered
How many players are on an NBA team?
15 players on the roster, 5 on the court at a time. Active gameday roster is 13 (2 players are inactive). Teams can also have 2-way contracts with G League affiliates.
How long is an NBA game?
48 minutes of game time (four 12-minute quarters). Real elapsed time is about 2.5 hours due to timeouts, free throws, and TV breaks. Playoff games can run 3+ hours.
What is a double-double in basketball?
Reaching double digits (10+) in two statistical categories in one game. Most commonly points + rebounds. A triple-double is three categories. A quadruple-double has happened only 4 times in NBA history.
How does the NBA draft work?
The 14 teams that miss the playoffs enter a lottery for the top 4 picks. Worse records get better lottery odds (but it's not guaranteed). After the lottery, remaining picks go in reverse order of record. Two rounds, 60 total picks.
What is a salary cap?
A maximum amount teams can spend on player salaries (~$140M in 2025-26). Teams over the cap pay a luxury tax. The cap exists to prevent rich teams from buying every star — though teams like the Warriors have spent $400M+ including tax.
Who is the NBA GOAT?
The debate is between Michael Jordan (6 rings, 6 Finals MVPs, perfect Finals record) and LeBron James (4 rings, all-time scoring leader, 20+ years of dominance). There is no correct answer. There is only the argument.