The action on the court...The roar of the crowd...Cheering fans...TV cameras...

Ever wonder what jobs go into putting on a professional basketball game? You've come to the right place! From coaches to entertainment coordinators, there are careers and tasks that may never have occurred to you.

Before the ball ever hits the court, a professional basketball team needs players. These players are drafted, scouted and traded, then shaped into a team. A number of different individuals work to create a team. These individuals include the team's General Manager and coaches as well as the players. Players need to have contracts, a training staff must be hired, logistics must be handled (e.g. Where will the team practice? What will the game schedule be?) and each of these things has to be covered by people other than the athletes.

All teams need fans, and a number of individuals are devoted to developing a fan base. This is done through the media, marketing, the community, merchandising and advertising.

Once people know about a team they might be interested in seeing the team play. But it is still important for a team to actively seek fans. Getting people in the building to watch the game is the responsibility of any professional team's organization.

In addition to playing a game at MSG there is the accompanying television broadcast, which involves a whole other team of individuals. Getting people at home to watch the game requires a significant amount of promotion and production.

None of this is cheap so a crack team is required to bring in money to keep the organization healthy. To foot the bill, sponsorships are sold and advertising and ticket sales help achieve the revenue goals.

Finally it's show time-time to put on the game. Along with the action on the court, the arena is home to lots of additional entertainment-video, dancing, replays, etc. and information-statistics, introductions, press coverage, etc. At work behind-the-scenes there are team doctors, trainers, locker room attendants and many other people.

Putting on a basketball game is a collaborative effort, which requires the contributions of many people with different skills and interests doing a variety of tasks. So even if you can't jump or put a ball in the basket it doesn't mean you can't be a part of a professional basketball organization.