23 hard NBA trivia questions. These are the ones that stump most fans.
The Celtics acquired Bill Russell's draft rights from which team?
St. Louis Hawks (1956)
Boston sent Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan to St. Louis.
Who holds the record for most points in an NBA Finals game, with 61?
Elgin Baylor (1962)
He did it against Boston in 1962.
Julius Erving began his pro career with which ABA team?
Virginia Squires (1971)
He won two ABA titles with the Nets before joining Philadelphia.
The Clippers began as which franchise?
Buffalo Braves (1978)
They moved to San Diego in 1978 and Los Angeles in 1984.
In which season did the NBA adopt the three-point line?
1979-80 (1979)
The ABA used the shot first. Chris Ford hit the NBA's first three for Boston.
As a rookie in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Magic Johnson started at which position for the injured Kareem?
Center (1980)
Magic scored 42 points to clinch the title against Philadelphia.
Tony Gwynn was drafted by which NBA team in 1981?
San Diego Clippers (1981)
He starred in basketball at San Diego State before choosing baseball.
Dennis Rodman played college basketball at which school?
Southeastern Oklahoma State (1986)
He was a 25-year-old rookie with Detroit.
Michael Jordan wore which number on February 14, 1990, after his jersey was stolen?
12 (1990)
He scored 49 points against Orlando.
Dirk Nowitzki was drafted ninth overall in 1998 by which team?
Milwaukee Bucks (1998)
Milwaukee traded him to Dallas on draft night in a deal for Robert Traylor.
Patrick Ewing finished his career with which team?
Orlando Magic (2002)
Ewing played one season each in Seattle and Orlando after 15 years with the Knicks.
Tony Parker was born in which country?
Belgium (2004)
He was born in Bruges and grew up in France.
Which player did Minnesota take 4th overall in 2010, ahead of DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George?
Wesley Johnson (2010)
Cousins went 5th to Sacramento and George 10th to Indiana.
Rudy Gobert was drafted 27th in 2013 by which team before being traded to Utah?
Denver Nuggets (2013)
Utah later traded him to Minnesota in 2022.
Trey Burke was drafted 9th in 2013 by which team and traded to Utah?
Minnesota Timberwolves (2013)
Minnesota got Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng in return.
Minnesota drafted which player 5th overall in 2016?
Kris Dunn (2016)
Dunn was traded to Chicago in the Jimmy Butler deal a year later.
Lauri Markkanen was drafted 7th in 2017 by which team?
Minnesota Timberwolves (2017)
He was immediately traded to Chicago as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was drafted 11th in 2018 by which team?
Charlotte Hornets (2018)
He was traded to the Clippers on draft night, then to OKC in the Paul George deal.
Jarrett Culver was drafted 6th in 2019 by Phoenix and traded to which team?
Minnesota Timberwolves (2019)
Minnesota moved up from 11th to get him.
Vince Carter became the first NBA player to play in how many different decades?
4 (2020)
His career ran from 1998-99 to 2019-20.
Where did Desmond Bane play college basketball?
TCU (2020)
He was drafted 30th.
Where did Tyrese Haliburton play college basketball?
Iowa State (2020)
He was drafted 12th by Sacramento.
Where did Jalen Williams play college basketball?
Santa Clara (2022)
He became an All-Star for Oklahoma City.