On this episode of Our American Stories, today, the NBA is a global powerhouse worth billions of dollars, with superstars recognized everywhere from New York to Shanghai. But for much of its early history, professional basketball was an afterthought. Players worked second jobs, television networks showed little interest, and many fans cared more about college basketball than the NBA.

Pete Croatto, author of From Hang Time to Primetime: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA, shares the remarkable story of how that changed. From Commissioner Larry O'Brien's efforts to bring credibility to the league, to David Stern's marketing genius, to the arrival of stars like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, this is the story of how the NBA transformed itself from a struggling regional league into one of the most influential sports and entertainment brands in the world.

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