149 medium NBA trivia questions. Not too easy, not impossible.
The Knicks' name is short for what?
Knickerbockers (1950)
Knickerbockers refers to Dutch settlers of New York.
Who was the dominant center of the Minneapolis Lakers dynasty?
George Mikan (1954)
Mikan won five titles in Minneapolis between 1949 and 1954.
The NBA's 24-second shot clock was introduced in which season?
1954-55 (1954)
Syracuse owner Danny Biasone came up with it.
The Lakers franchise originated in which city?
Minneapolis (1960)
Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The team moved to Los Angeles in 1960.
Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game came against which team?
New York Knicks (1962)
Chamberlain was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in 1961-62 for which team?
Cincinnati Royals (1962)
No one matched it again until Westbrook in 2017.
Who yelled Havlicek stole the ball!?
Johnny Most (1965)
He was the Celtics' longtime radio voice.
How many consecutive NBA titles did the Celtics win from 1959 to 1966?
8 (1966)
It remains the longest championship streak in North American major pro sports.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his first NBA title with which team?
Milwaukee Bucks (1971)
He won in 1971 with Oscar Robertson, then five more with the Lakers.
The Rockets got their name in which city before moving to Houston?
San Diego (1971)
San Diego was known for its aerospace industry.
Which team holds the NBA record with a 33-game winning streak?
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (1972)
The Heat's 27 straight wins in 2013 is second.
Wilt Chamberlain played for the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers. Which team did he NOT play for?
Boston Celtics (1973)
Wilt won titles with the 1967 76ers and the 1972 Lakers.
Who was the first NBA player to score 30,000 career points?
Wilt Chamberlain (1973)
He finished with 31,419.
Four ABA teams joined the NBA in 1976. Which of these was NOT one of them?
Kentucky Colonels (1976)
The fourth was the New York Nets. Kentucky folded.
Which center led Portland to its only title, in 1977?
Bill Walton (1977)
Walton was Finals MVP against Philadelphia.
The Jazz moved to Utah in 1979 from which city?
New Orleans (1979)
That is why a team in Salt Lake City is called the Jazz.
Who was Finals MVP for the SuperSonics' only title in 1979?
Dennis Johnson (1979)
Seattle beat Washington in a Finals rematch.
Pete Maravich played for the Hawks, Jazz and which other team?
Boston Celtics (1980)
He scored 68 points in a game for New Orleans in 1977.
Kevin McHale played college basketball at which school?
Minnesota (1980)
He grew up in Hibbing on the Iron Range.
Before his NBA career, Danny Ainge played MLB for which team?
Toronto Blue Jays (1981)
He hit .220 over three seasons.
Who led the 1983 76ers with his Fo, Fo, Fo playoff prediction?
Moses Malone (1983)
Philadelphia went 12-1 in the playoffs, nearly a sweep.
Which player did Portland draft second overall in 1984, one pick ahead of Michael Jordan?
Sam Bowie (1984)
Houston took Hakeem first overall.
John Stockton played college basketball at which school?
Gonzaga (1984)
He grew up a few blocks from campus in Spokane.
The Sacramento Kings moved there in 1985 from which city?
Kansas City (1985)
The franchise has also played in Rochester, Cincinnati and Omaha.
Karl Malone played college basketball at which school?
Louisiana Tech (1985)
That's where the nickname The Mailman began.
Patrick Ewing was born in which country?
Jamaica (1985)
He moved to Massachusetts at 12.
Larry Bird won how many consecutive MVP awards?
3 (1986)
Bird won from 1984 to 1986.
Which 5-foot-7 Hawks guard won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest?
Spud Webb (1986)
He beat Atlanta teammate Dominique Wilkins.
Which center formed Houston's Twin Towers with Hakeem Olajuwon?
Ralph Sampson (1986)
Houston reached the 1986 Finals with them.
Scottie Pippen played college basketball at which school?
Central Arkansas (1987)
He began there as a team manager.
Who averaged 37.1 points per game in 1986-87?
Michael Jordan (1987)
It was his third season.
The Fabulous Forum was home to the Lakers and which NHL team?
Los Angeles Kings (1987)
It's in Inglewood.
Michael Jordan's series-winning The Shot in 1989 came over which defender?
Craig Ehlo (1989)
It eliminated Cleveland in the first round.
Who was Finals MVP for the Bad Boys Pistons in 1989?
Joe Dumars (1989)
Isiah Thomas won it the next year.
Who is the shortest player in NBA history at 5-foot-3?
Muggsy Bogues (1990)
He played 14 seasons, most with the Charlotte Hornets.
In which season did the Minnesota Timberwolves debut?
1989-90 (1990)
They drew over a million fans at the Metrodome in year one.
Stephen Curry's father Dell played most of his career for which team?
Charlotte Hornets (1990)
Dell was a sharpshooting sixth man.
Who averaged 18.7 rebounds per game in 1991-92?
Dennis Rodman (1992)
It is the highest since the 1970s.
Drazen Petrovic starred for which team before his death in 1993?
New Jersey Nets (1993)
He began his NBA career in Portland.
John Paxson's title-winning three in 1993 came against which team?
Phoenix Suns (1993)
It completed the Bulls' first three-peat.
Dikembe Mutombo's eighth-seeded Nuggets upset which top seed in 1994?
Seattle SuperSonics (1994)
Mutombo lay on the floor clutching the ball after the final buzzer.
David Robinson scored 71 on the season's final day in 1994 to edge whom for the scoring title?
Shaquille O'Neal (1994)
Robinson averaged 29.8 to Shaq's 29.3.
Reggie Miller scored eight points in nine seconds against which team?
New York Knicks (1995)
It turned a six-point deficit into a Game 1 win at Madison Square Garden.
Who was Finals MVP of both of Houston's titles in 1994 and 1995?
Hakeem Olajuwon (1995)
Hakeem was also regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in 1994.
The 1995 Houston Rockets won the title as which seed?
Sixth (1995)
They are the lowest seed to win a championship.
Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis played his NBA career with which team?
Portland Trail Blazers (1995)
He arrived at age 31, well past his peak.
Who was Shaq's backcourt partner on the 1995 Finals Magic?
Penny Hardaway (1995)
Orlando was swept by Houston.
The Toronto Raptors' name and original dinosaur logo were inspired by which movie?
Jurassic Park (1995)
Fans voted on the name in 1994.
Kobe Bryant was drafted 13th overall in 1996 by which team?
Charlotte Hornets (1996)
Charlotte traded him to the Lakers for center Vlade Divac.
Ray Allen was drafted by Minnesota in 1996 and traded on draft night to which team?
Milwaukee Bucks (1996)
Minnesota got Stephon Marbury in return.
Which team changed its name from Bullets to Wizards in 1997?
Washington (1997)
Its only title came as the Bullets in 1978.
Who hit the title-clinching jumper in Game 6 of the 1997 Finals after a pass from Jordan?
Steve Kerr (1997)
Chicago beat Utah for its fifth title.
Which of these never won NBA MVP?
Patrick Ewing (1997)
Ewing made 11 All-Star teams.
Tim Duncan grew up on which island?
St. Croix (1997)
He was a competitive swimmer until a hurricane destroyed his local pool.
Kevin Garnett's 1997 extension with Minnesota was worth how much?
$126 million (1997)
It's often cited as a cause of the 1998 lockout.
Michael Jordan's final shot as a Bull came over which Utah defender?
Bryon Russell (1998)
It won Game 6 of the 1998 Finals and completed a second three-peat.
Who am I? I played college ball at Southeastern Oklahoma State. I won seven straight rebounding titles. I won titles in Detroit and Chicago.
Dennis Rodman (1998)
He was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The eighth-seeded 1999 Knicks reached the Finals and lost to which team?
San Antonio Spurs (1999)
Larry Johnson's four-point play beat Indiana in the conference finals.
Who am I? Naval Academy grad nicknamed The Admiral, won two titles with San Antonio.
David Robinson (1999)
He served two years in the Navy before joining the Spurs.
Dennis Rodman played for five NBA teams. Which of these was NOT one?
New York Knicks (2000)
Rodman also played for the Bulls and Lakers and won seven straight rebounding titles.
Charles Barkley played for the 76ers, Suns and Rockets. Which team did he NOT play for?
Seattle SuperSonics (2000)
Barkley won the 1993 MVP in his first season with Phoenix.
Allen Iverson famously stepped over which Lakers player in the 2001 Finals?
Tyronn Lue (2001)
Philadelphia won Game 1 in overtime but lost the series 4-1.
The Vancouver Grizzlies moved in 2001 to which city?
Memphis (2001)
They had played six seasons in Vancouver.
The original Charlotte Hornets moved in 2002 to which city?
New Orleans (2002)
Charlotte got the Hornets name and history back in 2014.
Where did Dwyane Wade play college basketball?
Marquette (2003)
He led Marquette to the 2003 Final Four.
Karl Malone played his final season with which team?
Los Angeles Lakers (2004)
Malone joined Gary Payton, Kobe and Shaq in 2003-04 but lost in the Finals to Detroit.
Who was Finals MVP when the Pistons upset the Lakers in 2004?
Chauncey Billups (2004)
Detroit won in five games without a traditional superstar.
Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in 35 seconds against which team?
San Antonio Spurs (2004)
Houston won 81-80 in December 2004.
Derek Fisher's 0.4-second shot in 2004 came against which team?
San Antonio Spurs (2004)
It won Game 5 of the West semifinals.
Kevin Garnett's 2004 Wolves were joined by Sam Cassell and which other veteran?
Latrell Sprewell (2004)
Minnesota won 58 games and reached the West finals.
Who won 2004 Rookie of the Year over Carmelo Anthony?
LeBron James (2004)
Carmelo's Nuggets made the playoffs that year, which made the vote debated.
Which of these never won a title with the Lakers?
Karl Malone (2004)
Malone retired without a ring.
Steve Nash was born in which country?
South Africa (2005)
He grew up in Victoria, British Columbia.
Where did Chris Paul play college basketball?
Wake Forest (2005)
He played two seasons.
Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against which team?
Toronto Raptors (2006)
It is the second highest scoring game in NBA history, behind Chamberlain's 100.
Who averaged 35.4 points per game in 2005-06?
Kobe Bryant (2006)
It's the highest average since Jordan's 37.1 in 1986-87.
Pat Riley coached the Lakers, Knicks and Heat. Which team did he NOT coach?
Boston Celtics (2006)
He won five titles as a head coach.
Kevin Durant was drafted second overall in 2007 by which franchise?
Seattle SuperSonics (2007)
Portland took Greg Oden first. The Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The We Believe Warriors upset which top seed as an eighth seed in 2007?
Dallas Mavericks (2007)
Dallas had won 67 games and had MVP Dirk Nowitzki.
How many championship rings did Robert Horry win?
7 (2007)
He won with Houston, the Lakers and San Antonio.
Where did Kevin Love play college basketball?
UCLA (2008)
Minnesota acquired him on draft night.
Where did Derrick Rose play college basketball?
Memphis (2008)
Memphis lost the 2008 title game to Kansas.
Where did Russell Westbrook play college basketball?
UCLA (2008)
He barely played as a freshman.
Where did Blake Griffin play college basketball?
Oklahoma (2009)
He went first overall to the Clippers.
Where did James Harden play college basketball?
Arizona State (2009)
He was Pac-10 Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Paul George was drafted 10th overall in 2010 by which team?
Indiana Pacers (2010)
He came out of Fresno State and became a nine-time All-Star.
Gordon Hayward was drafted 9th overall in 2010 by which team?
Utah Jazz (2010)
He'd nearly won a title at Butler weeks earlier.
Paul George played college basketball at which school?
Fresno State (2010)
He grew up in Palmdale, California.
Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks won the 2011 title over which team?
Miami Heat (2011)
It came five years after Miami beat Dallas in the 2006 Finals.
Shaquille O'Neal played for six teams. Which of these was NOT one of them?
San Antonio Spurs (2011)
Shaq played for the Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers and Celtics.
The eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies upset which top seed in 2011?
San Antonio Spurs (2011)
It was Memphis' first ever playoff series win.
Kawhi Leonard was drafted 15th in 2011 by which team before being traded to San Antonio?
Indiana Pacers (2011)
The Spurs sent George Hill to Indiana for him.
Jimmy Butler was the final pick of the 2011 first round. Which number?
30th (2011)
Chicago took him out of Marquette.
Which player did Minnesota take 2nd overall in 2011, one pick after Kyrie Irving?
Derrick Williams (2011)
Williams came out of Arizona.
Klay Thompson was drafted 11th overall in 2011 by which team?
Golden State Warriors (2011)
His father Mychal was the first overall pick in 1978.
Kawhi Leonard played college basketball at which school?
San Diego State (2011)
He averaged a double-double as a sophomore.
Who became the youngest NBA MVP, in 2011?
Derrick Rose (2011)
He was 22.
Jerry Sloan coached which team for 23 seasons?
Utah Jazz (2011)
He reached two Finals, both against Jordan.
Where did Kemba Walker play college basketball?
UConn (2011)
He won the 2011 title.
Kyrie Irving played just 11 games in college at which school?
Duke (2011)
A toe injury cut his season short.
Where did Klay Thompson play college basketball?
Washington State (2011)
His father Mychal played at Minnesota.
John Henson was selected 14th overall in 2012 by which team?
Milwaukee Bucks (2012)
Henson spent most of his career in Milwaukee as a shot-blocking big man.
Draymond Green was drafted in which round in 2012?
Second (2012)
Golden State took him 35th overall.
Damian Lillard played college basketball at which school?
Weber State (2012)
He played four seasons there and won Rookie of the Year in Portland.
How many games did teams play in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season?
66 (2012)
The season began on Christmas Day.
Oklahoma City traded which future MVP to Houston in 2012?
James Harden (2012)
He had been the Thunder's Sixth Man of the Year.
Where did Draymond Green play college basketball?
Michigan State (2012)
He was a four-year player under Tom Izzo.
Who hit the tying corner three in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals against the Spurs?
Ray Allen (2013)
Chris Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound. Miami won in overtime and then Game 7.
Which team took Anthony Bennett first overall in 2013?
Cleveland Cavaliers (2013)
He is often named the biggest number one bust in NBA history.
Lob City featured Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and who?
DeAndre Jordan (2013)
The Clippers name came from all the alley-oops.
Nikola Jokic was drafted with which overall pick in 2014?
41st (2014)
The pick was famously announced during a Taco Bell commercial.
Cleveland drafted Andrew Wiggins first in 2014, then traded him for which player?
Kevin Love (2014)
Wiggins won Rookie of the Year in Minnesota.
Zach LaVine was drafted 13th in 2014 by which team?
Minnesota Timberwolves (2014)
He won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests in Minnesota.
How did LeBron announce his 2014 return to Cleveland?
A Sports Illustrated essay (2014)
The essay was titled I'm Coming Home.
Who was 2014 Finals MVP as San Antonio beat Miami?
Kawhi Leonard (2014)
He was 22.
Which Clippers owner was banned for life by the NBA in 2014?
Donald Sterling (2014)
Commissioner Adam Silver issued the ban three months into his tenure.
Where did Joel Embiid play college basketball?
Kansas (2014)
He played one season.
Klay Thompson set an NBA record with how many points in a single quarter in 2015?
37 (2015)
He went 13 for 13 in the third quarter against Sacramento.
Devin Booker was drafted 13th in 2015 by which team?
Phoenix Suns (2015)
He was 18 and came off the bench at Kentucky.
Kristaps Porzingis was drafted 4th in 2015 by which team?
New York Knicks (2015)
Knicks fans famously booed the pick on draft night.
Which MVP was born in the same Akron hospital as LeBron James?
Stephen Curry (2015)
Curry was born there while his father played for Cleveland.
Who won 2015 Finals MVP despite not starting a regular season game?
Andre Iguodala (2015)
He was moved into the starting lineup to guard LeBron.
Steve Kerr won the 2015 title in which season as a head coach?
His first (2015)
He had never coached at any level before.
Which 76ers general manager was behind Trust the Process?
Sam Hinkie (2015)
Philly won 47 games total over three seasons.
Where did Karl-Anthony Towns play college basketball?
Kentucky (2015)
He was part of the 38-1 team.
How many three-pointers did Stephen Curry make in 2015-16?
402 (2016)
Curry broke his own record of 286 and became the first unanimous MVP.
How many points did Kobe Bryant score in his final NBA game?
60 (2016)
He took 50 shots in a win over the Utah Jazz.
Jamal Murray was drafted 7th in 2016 by which team?
Denver Nuggets (2016)
He won the 2023 title alongside Nikola Jokic.
Kevin Durant announced his move to Golden State in 2016 through which outlet?
The Players' Tribune (2016)
The post was titled My Next Chapter.
The 2015-16 Warriors started with how many straight wins?
24 (2016)
It's the best start in North American major sports history.
Where did Jaylen Brown play college basketball?
California (2016)
He went third overall to Boston.
Devin Booker scored 70 points in 2017 against which team?
Boston Celtics (2017)
He was 20 years old, the youngest player to score 60 or more.
Donovan Mitchell was drafted 13th in 2017 by which team before a trade to Utah?
Denver Nuggets (2017)
Utah sent Trey Lyles and the 24th pick to Denver.
Where did Donovan Mitchell play college basketball?
Louisville (2017)
He played two seasons.
Luka Doncic was drafted 3rd in 2018 by which team?
Atlanta Hawks (2018)
Atlanta traded him to Dallas for Trae Young and a future first.
Who was drafted 2nd overall in 2018, one spot ahead of Luka Doncic?
Marvin Bagley III (2018)
Deandre Ayton went first to Phoenix.
Where did Jalen Brunson play college basketball?
Villanova (2018)
He won two national titles.
Damian Lillard's series-ending deep three and wave goodbye in 2019 came against which team?
Oklahoma City Thunder (2019)
The shot came from 37 feet over Paul George.
Tyler Herro was drafted 13th in 2019 by which team?
Miami Heat (2019)
He won Sixth Man of the Year in 2022.
Who averaged 36.1 points per game in 2018-19?
James Harden (2019)
Harden scored 30 or more in 32 straight games that season.
Where did Anthony Edwards play college basketball?
Georgia (2020)
He was a freshman when Minnesota took him first overall.
Russell Westbrook broke whose career triple-double record in 2021?
Oscar Robertson (2021)
Robertson's 181 triple-doubles had stood for decades.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 in the title-clinching Game 6 of the 2021 Finals against which team?
Phoenix Suns (2021)
It was Milwaukee's first title since 1971.
Stephen Curry broke whose career three-point record in 2021?
Ray Allen (2021)
Allen had passed Reggie Miller in 2011.
Which number was retired across the NBA in 2022?
6 (2022)
It honored Bill Russell.
Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren played college basketball at which school?
Gonzaga (2022)
He went second overall to Oklahoma City.
Which team reached the 2023 Finals as an eighth seed out of the play-in?
Miami Heat (2023)
Miami lost the Finals to Denver in five games.
Which of these teams has Kevin Durant NOT played for?
Los Angeles Clippers (2025)
Durant has also played for the Thunder, Warriors and Rockets.
Who was the 2026 NBA Finals MVP?
Jalen Brunson (2026)
Brunson scored 45 in the Game 5 clincher, tying Michael Jordan's Finals record for points on the road in a series-clinching game.