National Basketball Association

Today, the NBA has reached 30 franchises and continues to evolve as one of the premier sports leagues in the world. In the computer game Deus Ex, Walton Simons is the director of FEMA. In 1996 the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association, and in 2002 created an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League. In The X-Files movie, Alvin Kurtzweil tells Fox Mulder that FEMA is involved in the global conspiracy involving aliens. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages. This position includes additional responsibilities beyond FEMA including the oversight of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Incident Response Team, or NIRT. An increasing number, though, have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA, such as 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol of Spain, 2002 first pick in the NBA Draft Yao Ming of China, and 2004 Olympic Tournament MVP Manu Ginobili of Argentina. After the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the official title of the head of FEMA became Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. Qualified persons may submit applications here. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. The President is currently hiring for this position. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. As Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response within DHS. The 1990s also saw greater globalization. As director of Cabinet-level agency:.

During the 1990s, Jordan went on to lead the Bulls to six titles. As director of the agency:. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. Since Hurricane Katrina, some critics have called for FEMA to be removed from the Department of Homeland Security, saying that its position in the department badly hindered the agency's response. Michael Jordan, entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. South Florida newspaper Sun-Sentinel has an extensive list of documented criticisms of FEMA during the four hurricanes that hit the region in 2004.[5] Some of the criticisms include:. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five. FEMA does encourage disaster victims to reduce future losses by considering "taking steps to rebuild safer and smarter," advising them to[4]:.

That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. The Cato Institute's Handbook for Congress argues that private companies could perform the tasks carried about by FEMA, and that this would encourage home construction in safer areas[3]:. The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. Moreover, he said that FEMA is used by incumbent presidents to shore up political support[2]. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. In 1997, James Bovard criticized FEMA for subsidizing rebuilding in places that are vulnerable to natural disasters, asking, "[D]o we really want to help rebuild homes and government property in areas that should never have been built on in the first place?" He also claimed that localities are less likely to fund their own snow removal if they know the federal government will bail them out in the event of snow emergencies[1]. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up most viable cities. Survivors of Katrina can learn more about FEMA assistance available at a wiki web site FEMAanswers.org.

The ABA also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The telephone number to receive disaster assistance from FEMA is 800-621-3362. However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees -- Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue. There are hundreds of thousands of Katrina evacuees living in temporary shelters and/or trailer parks set up by FEMA and other relief organizations in the first months after the disaster hit. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who together with Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in his second season, and who later played on five Laker championship teams. After the February 7 deadline, Katrina victims will be left to their own devices to either find permanent housing for the long term, or to continue in social welfare programs set up by other organizations. The leagues engaged in a bidding war for talent. FEMA set a deadline of February 7, 2006 as the official end of any further coverage of temporary housing costs for Katrina victims.

In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. However, formal investigations have yet to determine who exactly is to blame (and to what extent) for the Katrina disaster. Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. It is widely held that many things did not function as planned. Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of team sports. Katrina was seen as the first major test of the nation’s new disaster response plan under DHS. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring and rebounding. Michael Brown would eventually be relieved of command of the Katrina disaster and soon thereafter resign.

In 1956, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Brown was criticized personally for a slow response and apparent disconnect with the actual situation on the ground. To liven up play, the league introduced the 24 second shot clock in 1954. Then FEMA Director Michael D. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as its first dynasty. FEMA was widely criticized for what is seen as a slow initial response to the disaster and an inability to effectively manage, care for and move those trying to leave the city. 1950 also saw the NBA integrate, with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. The situation was compounded by flood waters in the city that hampered transportation and poor communication between the federal government, state and local entities.

Louis; the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati, the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit. The enormous number of evacuees simply overwhelmed rescue personnel. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" to Milwaukee and then to St. Within three days, a large contingent of National Guard and active duty troops were deployed to the region. While contracting, the league also saw its smaller city franchises move to larger cities. FEMA was responsible for the evacuation of the thousands of people who remained in New Orleans during the storm, as well as initial recovery work and appropriations. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knickerbockers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers). FEMA had pre-positioned response personnel in the Gulf Coast region, however many were only able to report of dire situation along the Gulf Coast, especially from New Orleans.

Following the 1949 season, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, expanding the rechristened National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. FEMA received intense criticism for its response to the disaster. For instance the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won its 1948 title, followed by the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers who won the 1949 BAA title. August 2005 saw one of the worst natural disasters in United States history. During its early years, though, the quality of play in the BAA was not obviously better than those other leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. (see also Hurricane Katrina). Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. Within the $5.5 billion, FEMA was also allotted funds to pay for its own recovery efforts.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of major sports arenas in the Northeast and Midwest, most notably Madison Square Garden in New York City. As of 2003, FEMA had received US$5.5 billion to distribute amongst local and state agencies to help offset the cost of recovery. There has been only one exception to date: Jerry West won the award in 1969 (the award's first season) even though his Los Angeles Lakers did not win the championship. FEMA played its largest role in the appropriation of federal funds to aid local and state governments in paying for the disaster. In addition, the league awards an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, which nearly always goes to a member of the winning team, though not by rule. FEMA had deployed 25 of the 28 Urban Search and Rescue teams at its disposal to the World Trade Center site, however the New York City Office of Emergency Management was in charge of the WTC recovery effort. Each player and major contributor, including coaches and the general manager, on the winning team receive a championship ring. In the minutes after the first hijacked plane slammed into the World Trade Center towers, FEMA as well as emergency services all over the city and state of New York were mobilized.

The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. (see also September 11 2001 attacks). The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and it is held annually in June. FEMA had previously been criticized for its response to Hurricane Hugo, which hit South Carolina in September 1989, and many of the same issues that plagued the agency during Hurricane Andrew were also evident during the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series follows a 2-3-2 pattern. Within five days, the federal government and neighboring states had dispatched 20,000 National Guard and active duty troops to South Dade County to set up temporary housing. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. FEMA and the federal government at large were accused of not responding fast enough to house, feed, and sustain the approximately 250,000 people left homeless in the affected areas.

Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. FEMA was widely criticized for the agency’s response to Andrew, summed up by the famous exclamation, "Where in the hell is the cavalry on this one?" by Dade County, Florida, emergency management director Kate Hale. Thus, all but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck the Florida and Louisiana coasts with 165 mph (265 km/h) sustained winds. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. (see also Hurricane Andrew). Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the second round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. There are also Mobile Air Transportable Telecommunications System (MATTS) assets which can be airlifted in.

The playoffs follow a tournament format. For instance, they may operate a truck with satellite uplink, computers, telephone, and power generation at a staging area near a disaster, so that the responders can communicate with the outside world. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays. These teams provide communications support to local public safety. This means that, for example, if the team who receives the 6 (six) seed has a better record than the team with the 3 (three) seed (seeded thus by virtue of a divisional championship), the 6 seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team has a higher seed. mines. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. These task forces rescue victims of structural collapse and other confined spaces, ex.

Since the first seed plays the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in the playoffs, having a higher seed generally means you will be facing a weaker team. National Medical Response Teams (NMRT) are equipped to decontaminate victims of chemical and biological agents. Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORT) provide mortuary and forensic services. Although the playoff brackets are not reseeded, home-court advantage is based strictly on regular-season record, without regard to whether a team won its division. There are also National Nursing Response Teams (NNRT), National Pharmacy Response Teams (NPRT), and Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT). However, the seeding system has one feature that is unusual in North American sports; division champions do not necessarily have home-court advantage in the playoffs. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) provide medical care at disasters and are typically made up of doctors and paramedics.

The remaining five seeds are determined by taking the five teams with the next-best records from among the non-division winning teams in the conference. Teams are made up of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc, and are typically sponsored by hospitals, public safety agencies, or private organizations. The top three seeds for each conference are determined by taking the winners of the conference's three divisions and ranking them by regular season record. These teams provide medical and allied care to disaster victims. The NBA Playoffs begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs. FEMA's emergency response is based around small, decentralized teams trained in such specialties as medical care, search and rescue, and communications. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position. Other programs FEMA previously administered have since been internalized or shifted under direct DHS control.

There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. Fire Administration and the National Flood Insurance Program. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being most desirable. FEMA currently manages the U.S. The postseason teams are the All-NBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Teams; each consists of five players. The Director reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Additionally, The Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) NBA Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have done the best job for his franchise. Today, FEMA exists as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate.

The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is given to player deemed the most valuable for that season. As a result, FEMA Director Michael Brown was relieved of command of the Gulf Coast region and resigned shortly thereafter. The NBA Coach of the Year Award is awarded to either the best coach in the league or the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. FEMA and DHS both came under intense criticism for their handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005 (see Katrina and Criticism sections below). The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. [Washington Post Dec 23, 2005]. The NBA Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the most improved player. Brown, FEMA's director and DHS Undersecretary, warned that the shift would make a mockery of FEMA's new motto, "A Nation Prepared," and would "fundamentally sever FEMA from its core functions," "shatter agency morale," and "break longstanding, effective and tested relationships with states and first responder stakeholders." The inevitable result of the reorganization of 2003, warned Brown, would be "an ineffective and uncoordinated response" to a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the best rookie player. In September, 2003, Michael D. The NBA Sixth Man Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (not starting for his team). As a result, FEMA became part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of DHS, and employs more than 2,600 full time employees. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary league-wide postseason teams. FEMA was absorbed into DHS as of 2003. In April, the regular season ends. Following the Terrorist Attacks of 11 September 2001, President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to better coordinate between the different federal agencies that deal with law enforcement, disaster preparedness and recovery, border protection and civil defense.

Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers. The end of the Cold War also allowed the agency’s resources to be turned away from civil defense to natural disaster preparedness. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Witt initiated reforms that would help to streamline the disaster recovery and mitigation process. Shortly after the All-Star break is the league's trade deadline. In 1993 President Bill Clinton elevated FEMA to a cabinet level position and named James Lee Witt as FEMA Director. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the got milk? Rookie Challenge game, which pits the best rookies and the best second-year players against each other; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a competition between players to see who is the best 3-point shooter; and the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest, to see which player dunks the ball in the most entertaining way. These disasters, while showing the agency could function properly, also uncovered some inefficiencies.

The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. FEMA also responded to the Three Mile Island nuclear accident where the nuclear generating station suffered a partial core meltdown. Then, East faces West in the All-Star game. One of the first disasters FEMA responded to was the dumping of toxic waste into Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York in the late 1970’s. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. FEMA was also given the responsibility for overseeing the nation’s Civil Defense, a function which had previously been performed by the Department of Defense’s Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. Fans are balloted throughout the United States, Canada and through the Internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. FEMA absorbed the Federal Insurance Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration and the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD.

In February, the NBA regular season is interrupted to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter, at the prompting of the National Governor’s Association, signed Executive Order 12148 which put a new agency, FEMA, in charge of coordinating all disaster relief efforts at the federal level. Following the recent changes to the National Hockey League's scheduling format, the NBA is now the only major league in which all the teams play each other during the regular season, and where a season ticket holder can see every team in the league come to town in any one season. Many government agencies were still involved in disaster relief, in some cases over 100 separate agencies may be jockeying for control and jurisdiction of a disaster. A team can therefore have a relatively easy or difficult schedule, depending on the division and conference it is located in. This agency would oversee disasters such as Hurricane Carla in 1962, Hurricane Betsy in 1965, Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Agnes in 1972, the Alaskan (Good Friday) Earthquake of 1964 and the San Fernando Earthquake of 1971. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year, teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times, and teams in the other conference twice apiece. By the start of the 1960’s, federal disaster relief and recovery was brought under the umbrella of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which created the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration.

Schedules are not identical for all teams. This “piecemeal approach” to disaster recovery was troubled by poor interagency cooperation and bureaucratic red tape. In the regular season, each team plays 82 games, which are divided evenly between home and away games. Army Corps of Engineers authority over flood control and irrigation projects and thus played a major role in disaster recovery from flooding. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November. The Flood Control Act of 1944 also gave the U.S. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The Bureau of Public Roads in 1934 was given authority to finance the reconstruction of highways and roads after a disaster.

Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. RFC can be considered the first organized federal disaster response agency. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list, if needed) with which they will begin the regular season. RFC was also responsible for dispensing federal dollars in the wake of a disaster. Following the summer break, teams hold training camps in October. The purpose of the RFC was to lend money to banks and institutions to stimulate economic activity. . After the start of the Great Depression in 1929, President Herbert Hoover had commissioned the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1932.

NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey. POOP. The league's several international and individual team offices are directed out its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. After President Abraham Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theatre, the 54th Congress passed legislation compensating those who were injured in the theatre. The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in the fall of 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League. Examples of these include the waiving of duties and tariffs to the merchants of New York City after a fire in the mid 1830’s. The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Between 1803 and 1930, ad-hoc legislation was passed more than 100 times for relief or compensation after a disaster.

The National Basketball Association, more commonly referred to as the NBA, is the world's premier men's professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. This is widely considered the first piece of legislation passed by the federal government that provided relief after a disaster and can be viewed as the beginnings of federal policies to provide relief after a disaster. NBA Coach of the Year Award. The Seventh Congress passed a number of measures in the Congressional Act of 1803, which provided relief for the merchants of Portsmouth by waiving duties and tariffs on goods. NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The first major disaster in the history of the United States was a series of devastating fires in the port city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. The history of FEMA can be divided into the following parts.

NBA Sixth Man Award. The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has existed in one form or another for over 200 years. NBA Most Improved Player Award. . NBA Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Finals MVP Award. FEMA provides financial assistance to individuals and governments to rebuild homes, businesses, and public facilities; trains firefighters and emergency medical professionals; and funds emergency planning throughout the United States and its territories. List of Current NBA Team Rosters. FEMA coordinates the work of federal, state, and local agencies in responding to floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

List of NBA players. Mainly, FEMA responds to any disaster that occurs in the United States that is declared a federal disaster area by the President of the United States. David Stern, Commissioner since 1984. The agency is charged with what it defines as four domains of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Larry O'Brien, Commissioner from 1975 to 1984. The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA is a government agency in the United States which is organized under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate. Walter Kennedy, President from 1963 to 1967 and Commissioner from 1967 to 1975. David Paulison (acting), September 2005.

Maurice Podoloff, President from 1946 to 1963. R. Basketball Hall of Fame. Brown, March 2003 - September 2005. Waterloo Hawks (1949–1950). Michael D. Washington Capitols (1946–1951). Allbaugh, February 2001 - March 2003.

Toronto Huskies (1946–1947). Joe M. Sheboygan Redskins (1949–1950). John Magaw (acting), January 2001 - February 2001. Louis Bombers (1946–1950). James Lee Witt, April 1993 - January 2001. St. Tidball (acting), January 1993 - April 1993.

Providence Steamrollers (1946–1949). William C. Pittsburgh Ironmen (1946–1947). Stickney, August 1990 - January 1993. Indianapolis Olympians (1949–1953). Wallace E. Indianapolis Jets (1948–1949). Jennings (acting), May 1990 - August 1990.

Detroit Gems (1949–1950). Jerry D. Detroit Falcons (1946–1947). Morris (acting), June 1989 - May 1990. Denver Nuggets (original) (1949–1950). Robert H. Cleveland Rebels (1946–1947). Becton, Jr., November 1985 - June 1989.

Chicago Stags (1946–1950). Julius W. Baltimore Bullets (1947–1955: last NBA team to fold). Morris (acting), September 1985 - November 1985. Anderson Packers (1949–1950). Robert H. Giuffrida, May 1981 - September 1985.

Louis O. McConnell (acting), April 1981 - May 1981. John W. Bernard Gallagher (acting), January 1981 - April 1981.

John Macy, August 1979 - January 1981. Thomas Casey (acting), July 1979. Gordon Vickery (acting), April 1979 - July 1979. Office of Emergency Preparedness, May 1975-April 1979.

Hafer, E.O.P. James K. Ten of the people whose funerals were paid for were not even in Florida at the time of their deaths.[8]. FEMA used hurricane aid money to pay funeral expenses for at least 203 Floridians whose deaths were not caused by the 2004 Hurricanes, the state's coroners have concluded.

Senate committee and the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security found that FEMA inappropriately declared Miami-Dade county a disaster area and then awarded millions, often without verifying storm damage or a need for assistance.[6][7]. A U.S. When Hurricane Frances hit South Florida on Labor Day weekend, (over 100 miles north of Miami-Dade County) 9,800 Miami-Dade applicants were approved by FEMA for $28 million in storm claims for new furniture, clothes, thousands of new televisions, microwaves, and refrigerators, cars, dental bills and a funeral even though the Medical Examiner recorded no deaths from Frances. Consider buying flood insurance.

Encourage community to participate in National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Take measures to reduce losses in the future.