Pro Basketball Quiz

Who was the youngest player to win the NBA finals MVP award?

  1. Kobe Bryant
  2. Magic Johnson
  3. Michael Jordan
  4. Shaquille O'Neal
  5. Jerry West

LeBron James is the only player to win the NBA Finals Award with three different teams. Which one of these teams is not one of the three?

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Los Angeles Lakers
  3. Miami Heat
  4. Orlando Magic

Whose number did the New Orleans Hornets retire at halftime of their very first game?


Match the coach with the team he led to the NBA championship.

  1. Larry Brown
  2. Larry Costello
  3. Billy Cunningham
  4. Jack Ramsey
  5. Rudy Tomjanovich
  6. Paul Westhead
  1. 1971 Milwaukee Bucks
  2. 1977 Portland Trail Blazers
  3. 1980 Los Angeles Lakers
  4. 1983 Philadelphia 76ers
  5. 1994 Houston Rockets
  6. 2004 Detroit Pistons

Match each NBA star with the college where he played.

  1. Steph Curry
  2. James Harden
  3. Damian Lillard
  4. Chris Paul
  5. Russell Westbrook
  1. Arizona State
  2. Davidson
  3. Duke
  4. Kentucky
  5. UCLA
  6. Wake Forest
  7. Weber State

What rule that the American Basketball Association used from its beginning in 1967 did the NBA finally adopt in 1979, three years after the merger with the ABA?

Who was the last player to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award three years in a row?

  1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  2. Larry Bird
  3. Magic Johnson
  4. Michael Jordan
  5. Bill Russell

Match each NBA star with the country in which he was born.

  1. Manute Bol
  2. Patrick Ewing
  3. Pao Gasol
  4. Kyrie Irving
  5. Hakeem Olajuwon
  6. Rony Seikaly
 (A) Australia
(B) Jamaica
(C) Lebanon
(D) Nigeria
(E) Spain
(F) Sudan

List the four franchises that were absorbed into the NBA when the ABA disbanded in 1976. All four are still in the NBA, although one of them has changed cities.

Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs was voting the MVP of the 2014 NBA Finals. At age 22, he become the second youngest Finals MVP. Who is the youngest?

Match each coach with the team he led to the NBA championship.

  1. Larry Brown
  2. Larry Costello
  3. Red Holzman
  4. K. C. Jones
  5. Jack Ramsey
 (A) Boston Celtics
(B) Detroit Pistons
(C) Milwaukee Bucks
(D) New York Knicks
(E) Portland Trail Blazers

Which of these NBA franchises has never played in the finals? There may be more than one answer.

(A) Denver Nuggets
(B) Los Angeles Clippers
(C) Milwaukee Bucks
(D) Orlando Magic
(E) Portland Trail Blazers
(F) Toronto Raptors



Match these NBA scoring champions with the last year in which they led the league.

  1. Koby Bryant
  2. Allen Iverson
  3. Tracy McGrady
  4. Dwayne Wade

(A) 2003-04
(B) 2004-05
(C) 2006-07
(D) 2008-09

On February 5, 2014, the Lakers started their game at Cleveland with only eight healthy players. One of the eight, Nick Young, suffered a knee injury in Q2 that knocked him out for the evening. Then Chris Kaman fouled out early in Q4, and Jordan Farmar suffered a leg cramp later in the period. With no avail­able reserve players, Robert Sacre picked up his sixth foul with 3:31 left in the game.

Does this mean the Lakers must play four-vs-five? If not, what is done accord­ing to the rules?
Lakers C Robert Sacre
Robert Sacre (50)
Match each member of the 2013 NBA Champion Heat with his college alma mater.
  1. Ray Allen
  2. Chris Bosh
  3. Mario Chalmers
  4. Mike Miller
  5. Dwayne Wade

(A) Connecticut
(B) Florida
(C) Georgia Tech
(D) Kansas
(E) Marquette

Match each NBA MVP award winner on the left with his description at the right.

  1. Larry Bird
  2. Wilt Chamberlain
  3. Karl Malone
  4. Bob Pettit
  5. Bill Russell
 (A) Won the first MVP award in 1956.
(B) The first to win back-to-back MVPs.
(C) The second player to win three in a row.
(D) Won it twice in three year period 1996-9.
(E) First rookie to win the award.
With the Hornets changing their nickname to Pelicans, give the city whose NBA franchise once had each of these nicknames.
(A) Bombers
(B) Braves
(C) Nationals
(D) Packers
(E) Supersonics
NBA BravesNBA NationalsNBA Sonics

Match each NBA franchise with its former city.
  1. Golden State Warriors
  2. Washington Wizards
  3. Atlanta Hawks
  4. Sacramento Kings
 (A) Baltimore
(B) Philadelphia
(C) Kansas City
(D) St. Louis

The first NBA Slam Dunk Contest was held in 1984. Who won it?

(A) Julius Erving
(B) Larry Nance
(C) Dominique Wilkins
(D) Spud Webb

Which one of these teams came into the NBA as an expansion franchise and has not changed cities or names?
A. Cleveland Cavaliers
B. Memphis Grizzlies
C. New Orleans Hornets
D. Los Angeles Lakers

An NBA player steps into the frontcourt with one foot and bounces the ball once across the midcourt line while his other foot remains in the backcourt. He then pulls both the front foot and ball back into the backcourt. Is this a backcourt violation?

Match each player on the Hornets 2009-10 roster with his college.

  1. Emeka Okafor
  2. James Posey
  3. Darren Collison
  4. Morris Peterson
 (A) UCLA
(B) Connecticut
(C) Michigan State
(D) Xavier (OH)

Which one of these players never led the NBA in scoring?

(A) Michael Jordan (B) Tim Duncan (C) Shaquille O'Neal (D) David Robinson

Match each NBA champion with the last year they won the title.

1. Detroit Pistons
2. Houston Rockets
3. Miami Heat
4. Chicago Bulls

 (A) 1995
(B) 1998
(C) 2004
(D) 2006

Match each NBA team with its division.

1. Oklahoma City
2. Memphis
3. Charlotte
4. Indiana

 (A) Atlantic
(B) Central
(C) Southeast
(D) Southwest
(E) Northwest
(F) Pacific

Which two of the following teams joined the NBA from the ABA when the two leagues merged in 1976?

(A) Indiana Pacers (B) Minnesota Timberwolves (C) Denver Nuggets (D) Seattle Supersonics

Match each player with the NBA record he holds.

  1. Michael Jordan
  2. Wilt Chamberlain
  3. George Gervin
  4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

A. Most points in one season
B. Most seasons leading league in scoring
C. Most seasons 1,000 or more points
D. Most points in one quarter

In the first game of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls scored 36 points to tie the record for the most points in a playoff debut. What player also netted 36 in his first playoff game?

Match each current NBA franchise with the previous city where it was located.

    1. Sacramento Kings
    2. Oklahoma City Thunder
    3. Atlanta Hawks
    4. Golden State Warriors
    		 (A) St. Louis
    (B) Philadelphia
    (C) Kansas City
    (D) Seattle

    Match each NBA championship team with its coach.

    1. 1977 Portland Trailblazers
    2. 1986 Boston Celtics
    3. 1994 Houston Rockets
    4. 2004 Detroit Pistons

    (A) Rudy Tomjanovich
    (B) Larry Brown
    (C) Jack Ramsey
    (D) K. C. Jones

    Which team won the first NBA championship in 1947?

    The Minneapolis Lakers won five of the six NBA championships from 1949-54. Which team won the one NBA title (1951) the Lakers did not win in that span?

    (A) Boston Celtics
    (B) Rochester Royals
    (C) St. Louis Hawks
    (D) New York Knicks

    Which NBA players have been known by these nicknames?

    (A) Easy Ed
    (B) The Iceman
    (C) The Pearl
    (D)     The Mailman
    (E)     Big Dog


    Identify the native country of each of these NBA players.
    (A) Manu Ginobili
    (B) Dirk Nowitzi
    (C) Marc Gasol
    (D)     Peja Stojakovich


    What is the real first name of each of these players?
    (A) Magic Johnson
    (B) Hot Rod Williams
    (C) Moochie Norris
    (D) Popeye Jones


    The Atlanta Hawks NBA franchise was previously located in what two cities?

    The NBA record for most consecutive field goals made by a player in one or more games is 35. Who is the record holder?

    Give the college where each of these NBA stars played.
    (A) David Robinson
    (B) John Stockton
    (C) Larry Bird
    (D) Charles Barkley


    At which college did each of these participants in the 2008 NBA Finals play? [No trickery here. All did play some college ball.]
    (A) Ray Allen
    (B) Rajon Rondo
    (C) Luke Walton
    (D) Derek Fisher


    Which of the following NBA stars did not win the Rookie of the Year award? Note: There may be more than one answer.
    (A) Magic Johnson (B) Bill Russell (C) Julius Erving (D) Kevin Garnett

    In what city was each of these current NBA franchises located previously?
    (A) Golden State Warriors
    (B) Houston Rockets
    (C) Sacramento Kings
    (D) Washington Wizards


    A very unlikely player won the first NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 in Denver. (The ABA had a contest in 1976 in the same city. Julius Erving won.) The 1984 champ beat out his Atlanta Hawks teammate, Dominique Wilkins. Who was he?
    • Who was the first Australian native to play in the NBA?
      BONUS: At what U.S. college did the Aussie play?

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