<Li> The Charlotte Hornets are regarded as a continuation of the original Charlotte franchise . Because of this, the New Orleans Pelicans are no longer the same franchise as the original Charlotte Hornets . The Hornets were known as the Bobcats from 2004--2014 . The New Orleans Pelicans were established in 2002 . The Charlotte Hornets rejoined the league in 2004 . </Li> <P> Following the summer break, teams begin training camps in late September . 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) with which they will begin the regular season . Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA G League . After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held . Preseason matches are sometimes held in non-NBA cities, both in the United States and overseas . The NBA regular season begins in the last week of October . </P> <P> During the regular season, each team plays 82 games, 41 each home and away . A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year (16 games). Each team plays six of the teams from the other two divisions in its conference four times (24 games), and the remaining four teams three times (12 games). Finally, each team plays all the teams in the other conference twice apiece (30 games). This asymmetrical structure means the strength of schedule will vary between teams (but not as significantly as the NFL or MLB). Over five seasons, each team will have played 80 games against their division (20 games against each opponent, 10 at home, 10 on the road), 180 games against the rest of their conference (18 games against each opponent, 9 at home, 9 on the road), and 150 games against the other conference (10 games against each team, 5 at home, 5 on the road). </P> <P> The NBA is one of only two of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada in which teams play every other team during the regular season (the other being the National Hockey League). Each team hosts and visits every other team at least once every season . From 2005 to 2008, the NBA had the distinction of being the only one of the four major leagues in which all teams play every other team . </P>

How many games in a regular nba season