Just over forty-five years after college professor James Naismith tossed the first jump ball in the air, the NBA was founded and has, some seventy plus years later, emerged as the premiere basketball league in the world. The NBA is also a multibillion-dollar business generating wealth from sources that include ticket sales, merchandising, and television revenue. But the league was not always the shining example of incredible business success it is today. In the early years, the NBA was faced with teams folding, fans getting bored, and disenchanted players. Like many startup businesses, there were numerous challenges and off-the-court pivots that would need to be made before the league would begin what has become a meteoric rise. This book will teach entrepreneurs, innovators, marketers, and executives what they need to know about keeping a dream alive, surviving a financial crisis, and building a loyal fanbase.