Team Medical Coverage in the National Basketball Association (NBA)

Abstract

The medical infrastructure of each franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is comprised of several individuals from a variety of specialties and disciplines. Each member of the medical team functions to optimize the health and performance of these athletes. This chapter describes the basic components of an NBA medical team, the demands of an NBA competition schedule, as well as a brief overview of the mechanism by which injury documentation and player health history communication is conducted throughout the league. Also included in this chapter is a description of the essential elements of providing comprehensive health care in this setting, emergency preparedness measures, and an overview of musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal injuries observed in the NBA. The successful execution of medical care in the NBA environment is predicated upon these overarching principles with the end goal of optimizing player readiness and maximizing performance.