About This Quiz
One of the greatest things about organized basketball is that characteristics are assigned by more than just in-game skills. Sure, champions are determined by who wins the game, and being able to shoot and handle the ball consistently are key ingredients for victory. But unlike football, fans can see players and their expressions on the court. Every sneer, laugh and flash of anger is visible to an entire arena full of people and millions more watching at home.
These easily visible characteristics are why we can often assign characteristics to teams beyond their play on the court. The Detroit Pistons squad of the late 1980s were characterized by the "Bad Boys," headlined by the mercilessly physical Bill Laimbeer. His quick elbows and slaps were designed to go unnoticed by the refs but were always noticed by his opponents, often leading to physical altercations.
You can also think about the "Run TMC" era of the Golden State Warriors. This team was headlined by speedsters Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond from 1989 until 1991. The Warriors played so fast that they once scored 162 points in what would go down as the highest-scoring game in NBA history.
We often categorize teams by a notable player, a style of play or even their collective fashion sense. In this quiz, we'll offer three facts, statistics or details of some type about a team. Your job is to tell us which team we are talking about. Think you know ball on a big-league level? Let's find out!
While the team has had several big-name stars, few have done more for the squad or its city than Vince Carter. In 2018, a documentary entitled "The Carter Effect" was produced about his legacy and impact in Toronto.
Coach Mike D'Antoni revolutionized the modern game of basketball with the Phoenix Suns, creating the fast-paced "7 seconds or less" offense. His playcalling was a large reason point guard Steve Nash was able to snag back-to-back MVP awards.
Unlike some other squads that have moved around, this team is truly connected to its home city, which is also where the team was founded. The Bucks were named the white-tailed deer, the official wild animal of the state of Wisconsin.
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Mark Cuban is praised for his business acumen and care for the fan experience, but he's also outspoken. Since buying the team, Cuban has been fined an estimated $2.6 million by the NBA for criticizing its officiating.
In 2014, the Clippers were mired in controversy when owner Donald Sterling was recorded making racist comments to his mistress. He was forced to sell the team that same summer to Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft.
Although the Pacers have enjoyed regular-season success with 32 playoff appearances in 49 seasons (including the ABA years), they are the only team in their division (Central) that has not won at least one championship.
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Besides the three facts above, the Rockets are also known for popularizing advanced metrics across the league. Most notably, they released a memo in 2019 that explained how officiating cost them millions of dollars in revenue and changed the eventual league champion.
Although they still lack a title, the Magic have been one of the league's more successful expansion teams. Since the team's first season in 1989, they have a total of 15 playoff appearances.
Until they finally broke through with a championship in 2004, the Pistons were one of those "almost there" teams. Between 2003 and 2008, they made six straight Eastern Conference Finals.
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The Hornets are one of just three total professional sports teams in either North or South Carolina. The other two are the Carolina Panthers of the NFL and the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.
The Jazz were founded in New Orleans. After facing financial difficulties in the late 1970s, the team moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. They decided to keep their original name and Mardi Gras colors, despite Salt Lake being decidedly less jazz-friendly than the Big Easy.
Much of the Spurs' sustained success is owed to longtime leader Gregg Popovich. Appointed in 1996, he's the longest-serving head coach in all North American professional sports leagues and considered one of the greatest coaches in history.
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They had a run of success in the early 2000s but have recently fallen on hard times. The Kings have not made the playoffs since 2006, and during that 13-year postseason drought, they have only finished higher than 11th place in the Western Conference twice.
Not only was franchise point guard Russell Westbrook traded during the wild summer of 2019, but the Thunder also moved star wing Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. After 11 seasons with Westbrook, the Thunder enter a new era in 2019-2020.
Besides all the championship appearances, the Warriors also set the record for most wins in a single season. They won 73 games in the 2015-2016 season before ultimately falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals.
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The lone championship the Trail Blazers can claim was won in 1977, thanks to the talents of their rising star center Bill Walton. He would go on to win a second title in 1986 with the Boston Celtics, something that his former team has not yet accomplished.
The 76ers in 2019 have quite an international presence. Besides the two stars referenced, they also have Furkan Korkmaz from Turkey and Al Horford from the Dominican Republic on their roster.
After a difficult 2018 season highlighted by star big man Anthony Davis requesting a trade, the Pelicans received a karmic reward by receiving the first overall draft pick in 2019. They took generational prospect Zion Williamson, who many expect to become a star in the NBA.
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Led by mastermind executive Pat Riley, many feel that this team ushered in the "Superteam" era when hometown star Dwyane Wade persuaded Chris Bosh and LeBron James to play with him in Miami. The squad made four total NBA Finals and won two of them.
The Nets' transition to Brooklyn in 2012 was actually their second move to the Empire State. In 1967, they played one season in the ABA as the New Jersey Americans before moving to Long Island, where they became the New York Nets.
Another co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks is Jesse Itzler, an entrepreneur who got his start as a rapper and went on to help establish both a private jet company and a coconut water brand. The latter was acquired by Coca-Cola.
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After winning the title in 1978 and making the conference finals in 1979, the Wizards (then Bullets) went on a run of futility. Since the 1978-1979 season, the team has not made it beyond the conference semifinals.
The LeBron James era in Cleveland allowed the Cavs to make four straight appearances in the NBA Finals. They played the Golden State Warriors in the Finals every year from 2015 through 2018.
A combination of factors led the Grizzlies to relocate from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001: A weak Canadian dollar, attendance issues and poor player development were among the primary reasons for the move.
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When legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal teamed up and coach Phil Jackson was brought on in 1999, everything clicked for the Lakers. They dominated the league, winning the championship every year from 2000 through 2002.
In 2016, Kevin Durant told the media that the presence of Tom Brady at a meeting with the Boston Celtics almost made him sign with the team. He went on to join the Warriors that summer and win two titles in Golden State before going to the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.
Knicks owner James Dolan famously feuded with former star Charles Oakley in 2017. Dolan had Oakley arrested and placed in handcuffs by Madison Square Garden security officers and later accused him of having a problem with anger and alcohol.
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Many fans in Seattle are still bitter with businessman Clay Bennett, who led the purchase of the SuperSonics from business mogul Howard Schulz. The city of Seattle filed a lawsuit in 2007 to stop the move but was ultimately unsuccessful.
The Bulls' record for single-season wins was set with an all-time lineup that included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. All three would go on to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Though they've had talented players on their roster, in their 30 seasons in the NBA, the Timberwolves have only made it past the first round of the NBA playoffs once. That happened in 2004 when renowned power forward Kevin Garnett brought the squad all the way to the Conference Finals.
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Not everyone knows that the Wizards, the team's current name, is actually its fourth. When the team was founded in Chicago in 1961, they were known as the Packers. The next year, they were renamed the Zephyrs, before moving to Baltimore in 1963 and becoming the Bullets.
Between 2005 and 2007, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina forced the Hornets to play in Oklahoma City for two years. They were renamed after the team was purchased by Tom Benson in 2012.
One of the biggest proponents of moving the Nets to Brooklyn was the rapper Jay-Z. Hov was a minority owner in the team, and though his stake was relatively small at just 0.07%, he was crucial in helping rally public support for the franchise relocation.
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The original Charlotte Hornets franchise moved to the city of New Orleans in 2002, as a result of declining attendance. The new NBA team created in Charlotte to fill the void was called the Bobcats until the name was changed back after the 2013-2014 season.
The team's original name was the Denver Larks, after the Colorado state bird. Despite multiple name changes, the team appears to like its host city; in 2019, it was announced that the Nuggets would stay in Denver through at least 2040.