The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences that make up the National Basketball Association (NBA), the other being the Western Conference. Both conferences consist of 15 teams organized into three divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast Divisions.
The current divisional alignment was adopted at the start of the 2004âÂÂ05 season, when the now Charlotte Hornets began play as the Bobcats, NBA's 30th franchise. This necessitated the move of the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) from the Eastern Conference's Central Division to the newly created Southwest Division of the Western Conference.
The NBA first started awarding an Eastern Conference championship trophy during the 2000âÂÂ01 season, renaming it after Hall of Famer Bob Cousy in the 2021âÂÂ22 season. In 2021âÂÂ22, the league began awarding the Larry Bird Trophy to the Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, named after Hall of Famer Larry Bird.
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