Watching the NBA has always been nerve-wracking and entertaining. The association is getting more attention than ever, thanks to the rise of social media and athletics. The league’s history has undergone several changes, especially in entertainment value, game speed, and intriguing players.
Are you trying to learn more about the league? Then, we’ve prepared a list of 70 NBA trivia questions and answers you should try answering with your friends, family, or colleagues. You will be a certified NBA fan once you have completed this question.
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Easy NBA Trivia Questions
What does NBA stand for?
Answer: National Basketball Association.
In 1949, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League, a competing organization, combined to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).
How many players does an NBA team have on its roster?
Answer: 15.
The maximum number of players on an NBA team’s active roster is 15, consisting of 12 active players and three inactive players.
How many NBA stadiums are there?
Answer: 29.
There are only 29 full-time arenas despite having 30 NBA teams. However, the Clippers plan to open a new arena in Inglewood by 2024.
Where was the league founded in 1946?
Answer: New York City.
The NBA league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946. It was first known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
Who is the 2022 NBA Championship winner?
Answer: The Golden State of Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Championship with a score of 103-90 over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals held at TD Garden Arena.
What is the best nickname for NBA star Kevin Garnett?
Answer: Big Ticket.
Kevin Garnett became a dominant force in Minnesota under that contract, consistently improving his play until he won the league MVP in the 2003-2004 season. It was during this time people started calling him the Big Ticket.
What is the original name of the New York Knicks?
Answer: New York Knickerbockers.
The full name of the New York Knicks Is “New York Knickerbockers.” The “knickerbocker” is an old term used to refer to New Yorkers.
Where are the team Golden State Warriors based?
Answer: San Francisco.
The Golden State Warriors are based out of San Francisco, California. They play at Chase Center, which opened in 2019.
What is Kobe Bryant’s middle name?
Answer: Bean.
Kobe Bryant’s middle name is “Bean.” It was after his father, a basketball player, Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant.
Tim Duncan has this Disney character famously tattooed on his skin. What is it?
Answer: Merlin.
Tim Duncan has a tattoo of the wizard Merlin on the left side of his pecs.
Which player met his wife at the set of a rap video?
Answer: Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant met his wifi Vanessa in 1999 while pursuing a music career and was shooting the video for G’d Up by The Eastsidaz.
Which player had the nickname “The Pink Panther”?
Answer: Toni Kukoc.
Nicknamed “the Waiter,” “Pink Panther,” or “Kuki,” Toni Kukoc was unique and considered the best European player of all time.
Who is referred to as “His Airness” and widely regarded as the best player ever?
Answer: Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan is considered “His Airness” because of his extraordinary leaping ability. He is considered the greatest player of all time due to his immense popularity among other basketball players.
After which player is the Twitter Logo named?
Answer: Larry Bird.
The blue bird on Twitter’s Logo is named after Larry Bird, the hall-of-fame NBA forward who played 13 seasons with Boston Celtics.
What is the name of the championship series where the NBA must hail a winner after the playoffs?
Answer: NBA Finals.
The NBA Finals is a series of basketball games where a team must win four games to become the NBA Champion.
The NBA hosts an event where teams choose players to play for their teams from colleges or other nations before the start of each season. What is the name of this event?
Answer: NBA Draft.
The first draft to be called an NBA Draft occurred in 1950. The first-ever #1 overall pick was Clifton McNeely.
In 2010, which team in the NBA was the only team located outside the United States?
Answer: Toronto Raptors.
The Toronto Raptors are located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Raptors were founded in 1995.
The NBA stages a match between the Eastern and Western Conferences in the middle of the regular season. What is the name of this game?
Answer: NBA All-Star Game.
The first NBA All-Star game took place on March 2, 1951, wherein players were chosen first by fan vote, and then the reserves were chosen by head coaches from the league.
Each year, the NBA awards a player the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Who was the first player born outside the United States to win the NBA MVP award?
Answer: Hakeem Olajuwon.
Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He won the MVP award in the 1993-94 NBA season.
What is the hall of fame for the NBA called?
Answer: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Opening its doors in 1959 was the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It bears the name of its basketball founder, James Naismith.
NBA Players Trivia Questions
Who was the NBA Hall of Fame player appointed in 2022 as Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations?
Answer: Joe Dumars.
Joe Dumars was named Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations by the NBA on May 3, 2022.
Which nation was the birthplace of Nicolas Batum, Boris Diaw, and Dominique Wilkins?
Answer: France.
Boris Diaw was born in Cormeilles-en-Parisis, France. Nicolas Batum was born in Lisieux, France, and Dominique Wilkins was born in Paris, France.
Which NBA player went to medical school before he came to the court?
Answer: Pau Gasol.
After Pau Gasol enrolled in a medical degree at the University of Barcelona, Gasol’s basketball career started to take off, and he left the university.
Who was this teammate of John Stockton who played for the Utah Jazz and wore the number 32?
Answer: Karl Malone.
The Jazz honored Karl Malone on March 24, 2006, by retiring his No. 32 and unveiling a bronze statue of the power forward who played 18 of his 19 NBA seasons in Utah.
Which country was Steve Nash born in?
Answer: South Africa.
Steve Nash, a basketball player from Canada, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
What college did Michael Jordan attend?
Answer: University of North Carolina.
Michael Jordan started as a freshman at the University of North Carolina. He played there for three years, from the 1981-82 season to the 1983-84 season.
What was the most famous nickname for Sam Perkins?
Answer: Big Smooth.
Sam Perkins was known by his nicknames “Sleepy Sam” and “The Big Easy,” but he was famously called “Big Smooth.”
Which player is known for earning numerous technical fouls?
Answer: Ron Artest.
Throughout his 17-year playing career, Artest picked up plenty of technical fouls, 77 to be exact, and he was known as one of the most bruisingly physical players of all time.
Who was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer that dominated NBA throughout the 1970s and early ’80s?
Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, achieved the most extraordinary personal and team accomplishments throughout NBA history before he left the league in 1989.
Who is the only player to score 100 points in a single game?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain.
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain broke the NBA’s single-game scoring record by scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in a 169-147 victory.
Which player did the Los Angeles Lakers give up for Kobe Bryant?
Answer: Vlade Divac.
In the 1996 draft, Jerry West worked out a deal to send Vlade Divac to Charlotte for the 13th pick, which the Hornets used to select Bryant for the Lakers.
Who was the first player selected out of high school in 20 years when he joined the Timberwolves in the 1990s?
Answer: Kevin Garnett.
In the 1995 NBA draft, Kevin Garnett was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first person in 20 years to be drafted by an NBA team directly from high school.
Which basketball star nearly quit the sport to work as a garbage man but went on to win three NBA titles and MVP awards?
Answer: Larry Bird.
When Larry Bird separated from his wife, he drove a garbage truck to support himself and his daughter. It was when Bill Hodges visited Bird to convince him to play basketball at his school.
Which player is over 7 feet tall and won championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat?
Answer: Shaquille O’Neal.
Shaquille O’Neal’s stood 7 feet 1 inch tall and led the Lakers to championships in 2001, 2002, and 2003. He also led Miami to an NBA championship in 2006.
What Is Michael Jordan’s Middle Name?
Answer: Jeffrey.
Michael Jordan’s full name is Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
Which country was Rick Fox born in?
Answer: Canada.
Rick Fox was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 24, 1969.
Which “Fab Five” player from Michigan began his career with Denver and later moved on to the Indiana Pacers?
Answer: Jalen Rose.
Jalen Rose was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines’ “Fab Five” and most notably played in the NBA as a small forward on the Indiana Pacers.
In the NBA Finals, which player is credited with the “Shot Heard Round the World”?
Answer: Gar Heard.
Gar Heard is best known for a buzzer-beater he made to send Game 5 of the 1976 Phoenix–Boston championship series into a third overtime. This feat is known as “The Shot Heard’ Round the World.”
Who was selected in the second round of the 1996–97 NBA Draft straight out of high school?
Answer: Kobe Bryant.
When Kobe Bryant graduated from high school, the Charlotte Hornets chose him as the 13th pick of the 1996 draft. He was traded to the Lakers and became the second youngest NBA player when the 1996-97 season opened.
Who was the first foreign player to be drafted number one overall?
Answer: Mychal Thompson.
Mychal Thompson became the first player born outside of the United States to be selected first when the Portland Trail Blazers took him to number one in the 1978 NBA Draft.
In the 1980s, the competition between these two players helped the NBA become a popular television program and helped the league secure lucrative TV deals. Who are they?
Answer: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird changed the NBA in the ’80s. They took the basketball game to new heights and helped develop the league at a time when its destiny was in question.
Who was the first African American athlete to sign with a team on a contract?
Answer: Harold Hunter.
Harold Hunter became the first African American to sign a professional contract with an NBA team when he joined the Washington Capitols on April 26, 1950.
Who was the first non-white player in NBA history to formally break the color barrier?
Answer: Wataru Misaka.
In the 1947 BAA Draft, Japanese American Wataru Misaka was selected by New York Knicks as the first non-Caucasian player in NBA history.
Who was the youngest player to be drafted by the NBA number one in the 2003 draft?
Answer: Lebron James.
Lebron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers when he was 18 years old as the 1st overall pick in the 2003 draft.
Who is the only basketball player athlete to become a billionaire?
Answer: Michael Jordan.
Initially, Tiger Woods would have been the only billionaire basketball player. Still, due to his cheating scandal, he lost many sponsors giving the title to Michael Jordan.
NBA History Trivia Questions
Who is the first NBA player to win multiple finals MVP awards?
Answer: Willis Reed.
Willis Reed was the first player ever to win the MVP, NBA championship, and Finals MVP in the same season.
In what year did the NBA get its official start?
Answer: 1946.
The NBA league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946.
The NBA was initially called by another name. What was it?
Answer: The Basketball Association of America.
NBA was initially called the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It was changed to National Basketball Association when BAA merged with its rival, National Basketball League (NBL), in 1976.
The Fort Wayne Pistons’ owner is credited for rescuing the NBA from its early financial troubles. Who is he?
Answer: Frank Zollner.
Frack Zollner, the founder of Fort Wayne Pistons, is crucial in bringing together leaders of the NBL and the BAA to merge and form the NBA.
Who was the first black player to play in an NBA match?
Answer: Earl Lloyd.
Earl Lloyd made history on October 31, 1950, when he entered the Washington Capitols’ season-opening game as the first African American to participate in an NBA game.
When was the iconic NBA logo featuring Jerry West created?
Answer: 1969.
Created in 1969 by brand consultant Alan Siegel, the NBA logo inspired by a photo of Jerry West playing has been a staple of the association for over 50 years.
This NBA commissioner helped the NBA rise as a basketball league and an international entertainment company in the 1980s. Who is he?
Answer: David Stern.
Despite NBA’s financial crisis in the early 1980s, it rebounded under the leadership of David Stern, the 1984 NBA commissioner who helped transform the NBA into an international entertainment company.
Which team dominated the early decades of the NBA?
Answer: Minneapolis Lakers.
The Minneapolis Lakers’ golden era, highlighted by its great George Mikan, occurred in the early years of the NBA.
Which two teams have won the most titles in NBA history?
Answer: Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have won the most championships in the NBA, with the Celtics have won 17, and the Lakers have won 16.
Which team signed the first African American man in NBA history?
Answer: Washington Capitols.
Washington Capitols picked Earl Lloyd in the ninth round of the NBA 1950’s draft. Two other Black players joined NBA that season. Still, they started in November, so Lloyd became the first African-American to debut in the NBA.
Who was the first NBA player to score 2000 points in a season?
Answer: George Yardley.
George Yardley scored 2001 points for the Detroit Falcons in 1957-58.
When did the Oklahoma City Thunder win an NBA championship?
Answer: 1979.
In 1979, Oklahoma City Thunder won their NBA championship while playing as the Seattle Supersonics with coach Lenny Wilkins against the Washington Bullets.
Who is the shortest person to play in the NBA?
Answer: Muggsy Bogues.
Standing just five feet three inches tall, Muggsy Bogues was a point guard for 14 seasons in the NBA.
They are the tallest players in NBA. Who are they?
Answer: Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan.
Playing for several teams over his 10-year NBA career, Manute Bol towered over everyone at 7’7″, and Gheorghe Muresan was also at 7’7″ tall.
Where did the first-ever All-Star game take place?
Answer: The Boston Garden.
The Boston Garden was chosen as the location for the first-ever All-Star game in 1951.
Who has the best free-throw percentage in NBA history?
Answer: Stephen Curry.
Stephen Curry has the best free throw percentage in NBA history at 90.69%.
Which team won the very-first NBA Championship in 1950?
Answer: Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 116 to 98 to win the inaugural championship of the fledgling sports league.
What is Toronto’s first basketball team?
Answer: Toronto Huskies.
The Toronto Huskies was a forerunner team based in Toronto, but they only lasted one year, playing the 1946- 1947 season before disbanding.
Who passed Kobe Bryant as the leading scorer in NBA All-Star history?
Answer: LeBron James.
LeBron James is the all-time leader for points scores in NBA All-Star Game history. His 413 points through 18 games are over 100 more than second-placed – the late great Kobe Bryant.
Who was the first Turkish-born player in NBA history?
Answer: Hedo Turkoglu.
In his 14-season professional career, the 6-foot-10-inch tall player, currently the president of the Turkish Basketball Federation, played for six different teams.
Who was the first NBA player to miss 5000 free throws throughout his career?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain.
The NBA’s first player to ever miss 5,000 free throws was Wilt Chamberlain. Of his 11,862 free throw tries over his career, 5,805 were cut.
Stephen Curry led all rookies in which category for the 2009- 2010 NBA season?
Answer: Steals .
Stephen Curry won the NBA Skills Competition, Steals in 2011.
How many NBA franchises are there?
Answer: 30.
As of the 2019-20 season, there are 30 NBA franchises. There are 15 in the Western Conference and 15 in the Eastern Conference.
Which NBA player is ambidextrous and shoots with his non-dominant hand?
Answer: Lebron James.
Lebron James is left-handed, but he uses his right hand when shooting to imitate his idols, Penny Hardaway and Michael Jordan.
Who has the most blocked shots in a single game in NBA?
Answer: Elmore Smith.
In October 1973, Elmore Smith of the LA Lakers posted an unimaginable statline with 17 blocks, a record he still holds.
