Lionel Messi plays in the National Basketball Association.
Lionel Andrés `` Leo '' Messi ( [ ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi ] ; born 24 June 1987 ) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team . The National Basketball Association Conference Finals are the Eastern and Western championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , a major professional basketball league in North America .