Can You Pass the Hardest NBA Quiz We Have Ever Written?

By: Jonnathan Chadwick
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass the Hardest NBA Quiz We Have Ever Written?
Image: Wiki Commons by Rose White

About This Quiz

For about 75 years the NBA has been entertaining people around the world with high-flying dunkers, lightning-quick dribblers, lock-down defenders and surgical shooters. It all started in a YMCA in Springfield, MA for Americans privileged enough to join the club, but basketball games soon began popping up all over the country. By the mid 20th century a professional league was officially created and foreign-born players were already joining. Today it is the most global of all the professional sports. Football in America isn't played around the world, and football around the world (soccer) isn't popular in America. Hockey and baseball don't come close to the global popularity of the NBA.

With all of its popularity comes a ton of legends, stats and history, and only the most avid of fans can even think of keeping up with all of it. Do you know which player has the most championships in NBA history? Do you know who has the most MVP Awards? If you do, that's great. If you don't, you may want to brush up before you try this quiz because it's our hardest one yet. You'll have to know which conference has the most championships and how many players have won back-to-back MVPs if you want to get every question right. If you think you know the NBA, it's time to put your skills to the test.

What year was the NBA founded?
1870
1946
1917
1955
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The NBA was founded in New York City in June of 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949 the league merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) and began calling itself the National Basketball Association (NBA).

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How many NBA teams were created this millennium?
Five
Four
Three
Two
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Seattle SuperSonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, the Charlotte Hornets eventually became the New Orleans Pelicans in 2007 and the Vancouver Grizzlies became the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001.

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Which of these teams was never part of the NBA?
Washington Bullets
Vancouver Grizzlies
Seattle SuperSonics
Dallas Rockets
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Dallas Rockets was never an NBA team. The Houston Rockets were once called the San Diego Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks have been in Dallas since 1980. The only other rockets in the league were the Denver Rockets from 1967-74.

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Who holds the record for most free-throws made in a row?
Steve Kerr
Micheal Williams
Reggie Miller
Steph Curry
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Michael Williams made 97 free throws in a row for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1993 over two seasons. He hit 84 of them consecutively in a single season, and the second-place leader (Calvin Murphy in 1981) hit 78 in a row.

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Which of these musical artists has recorded a song with Shaquille O'Neal?
Jay-Z
The Notorious B.I.G.
Michael Jackson
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Shaquille O'Neal is not only Superman on the hardwood but also Superman in the entertainment industry. He released five studio albums, and his 1993 debut album went platinum. He's made songs with a number of legendary musicians.

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Who is the NBA's all-time leading scorer?
Wilt Chamberlain
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kobe Bryant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The NBA's all-time leading scorer is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387 points. LeBron James is the only current player in the top five and needs more than 6,000 points to catch Jabbar. Karl Malone is in second place and Michael Jordan is in fifth.

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How many three-pointers has Shaq made?
0
1
2
3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Shaq has only hit one three-pointer in his entire career. He only attempted 22 in 20 seasons in the league. He shot 11 in his first four years in Orlando and hit one. He shot four his first year with the Lakers and only shot seven over the next 15 seasons.

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What team featured both the tallest and shortest NBA players to ever play?
Chicago Bulls
Washington Bullets
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The 1987-88 Washington Bullets starred both Muggsy Bogues (the shortest player in NBA history at 5'3'') and Manute Bol (tied for the tallest player in NBA history at 7'7''). Bogues went to the Charlotte Hornets the next year.

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Who is featured in the NBA logo?
Jerry West
Bill Russell
Michael Jordan
Wilt Chamberlain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1969 an up-and-coming communications specialist founded a branding firm called Siegel + Gale, and one of his first clients was the NBA. He was tasked with designing a logo, and he used a silhouette of Lakers great Jerry West to do so.

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How many quadruple-doubles have happened in NBA history?
One
Two
Three
Four
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There has never been a quintuple-double in the NBA, and there have only been four quadruple-doubles. Nate Thurmond (1974), Alvin Robertson (1986), Hakeem Olajuwon (1990) and David Robinson (1994) are the only players to do it.

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Besides Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, who has the highest-scoring game in NBA history?
Shaq
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Bill Russell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Only six players in NBA history have ever scored 70 or more points, and Kobe Bryant has the second-highest scoring game in NBA history with 81 points in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. Wilt Chamberlain is in first and third place with 100 and 78 points.

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Who has made the most three-pointers in NBA history?
Steph Curry
Reggie Miller
Ray Allen
Larry Bird
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ray Allen holds the record of most career three-pointers with 2,973. Reggie Miller is in second place with 2,560, and Steph Curry and Kyle Korver have 2,483 and 2,351, respectively, and are still actively playing.

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What is a territorial draft pick?
Drafting a professional player from a foreign territory
Drafting a location to build a new arena
Drafting a player based on the country they were born
Drafting any player within a 50-mile territory
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Until 1966, the NBA offered teams the chance to forfeit their first-round draft pick and pick any player within a 50-mile radius of the team's headquarters before the draft began. Both Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson were territorial draft picks.

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Who was the first non-white player in the NBA?
Wataru Misaka
Julius Erving
Earl Lloyd
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wataru Misaka is a Japanese-American former professional basketball player who played three games for the New York Knicks in the 1947-48 season, making him the first non-white person to play in the NBA.

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Who was the first black player in the NBA?
Julius Erving
Earl Lloyd
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Three black players were selected in the 1950 NBA draft: Earl Lloyd to the Washington Capitals, Chuck Cooper to the Boston Celtics and Nat Clifton to the New York Knicks. Lloyd's game was played one day before the others.

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What is the longest NBA career ever?
21 seasons
20 seasons
22 seasons
18 seasons
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Robert Parish was the first player ever to play 21 seasons in the NBA, and there is a total of six players who have done so. If Vince Carter of the Atlanta Hawks plays one more year, he will have played 22 seasons.

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How many white players have won the MVP Award?
7
11
17
22
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the entire history of the NBA (the MVP Award began in 1955), there have only been seven white players to win the MVP Award. Larry Bird won it three times in a row, and Dirk Nowitzki won it for the 2006-07 season.

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Who is the only woman to ever be officially drafted by an NBA team?
Rebecca Lobo
Lisa Leslie
Lusia Harris
Sue Bird
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The New Orleans Jazz drafted Luisa Harris in the seventh round of the 1977 draft, making her the first and only woman to officially get drafted to the NBA. She declined interest and didn't attend tryouts because she was pregnant at the time.

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Which conference has won the most championships?
Eastern Conference
Southern Conference
Western Conference
Northern Conference
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There have been 72 NBA Championships in the league's history. Western Conference teams won 34 of them and Eastern Conference teams won 38 of them. There is no such thing as the Northern or Southern Conference.

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How many times did Wilt Chamberlain foul out of a game in his entire career?
0
17
32
103
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wilt Chamberlain holds a lot of records in the NBA. If you're not impressed by his 100-point game, or his 55-rebound game or any one of his 72 NBA records (which is a record amount of records), maybe you'll be surprised to know he never fouled out in his entire career.

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Which of these players has won the most MVP awards in a row?
Larry Bird
Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain
They've all won the same number in a row
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A lot of players have won back-to-back MVP Awards, but Bird, Russel and Wilt are the only three to three-peat the award. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the most MVPs with six. Russell has five, Wilt has four and Bird has three.

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How many players have won back-to-back MVP awards?
9
13
11
17
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eleven players have won back-to-back MVP awards in the history of the NBA, including three players who won back-to-back-to-back awards. LeBron, Jordan and Kareem, among others, have done it more than once.

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What were the first basketball hoops made out of?
Milk crates
Mop buckets
Peach baskets
Chicken wire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The game of basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith was a YMCA instructor and was looking for physical activity to keep his students busy. The first hoops he used were peach baskets.

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Who is the NBA all-time leader in blocked shots?
Patrick Ewing
Shaq
Hakeem Olajuwon
Dikembe Mutombo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hakeem Olajuwon holds the record for most career blocked shots with 3,830 over 18 seasons in the NBA. Dikembe Mutombo is a close second with 3,289. Dwight Howard is the only active player in the top 20 leaders.

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Which team has won the most games in a row?
Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks
Boston Celtics
Miami Heat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Los Angeles Lakers went on a 33-game winning streak during the 1971-72 season when they went on to a 69-13 regular season record and an NBA championship. The Warriors won 28 in a row over two seasons and the '96 Bulls won 18 in a row when they went 72-10.

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What is the record for most rebounds in a game?
43
49
55
61
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wilt Chamberlain has the record for most rebounds in a game when he grabbed 55 against the Boston Celtics in 1960. Chamberlain went on to average more than 27 rebounds per game that season. The Celtics went on to win the championship.

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Which team has the best regular-season record of all time?
Chicago Bulls
Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Golden State Warriors won the first 24 games of the 2015-16 season where they went on to win 73 games with only nine losses. The 1995-96 Bulls had a record of 72-10 for the league's previous best.

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Who holds the record for most points per game?
Wilt Chamberlain
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Bill Russell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Michael Jordan just barely beat out Wilt "The Stilt" for most career points per game with an average of 30.12 ppg. Wilt averaged 30.07 in his career. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the only active players in the top 10 with 27.16 and 27.02 ppg, respectively.

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How many teams have had the same name and location since the NBA's founding?
Eight
Six
Four
Two
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are the only two teams that have never relocated or changed names since 1946. The Knicks are technically called the Knickerbockers — named after the style of pants Dutch settlers wore in the 1600s (aka knickers) — but nobody calls them that.

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According to Shaq, which of these players never dunked on him?
Tim Perry
Michael Jordan
Yao Ming
Derrick Coleman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you've ever watched a basketball game, you know that getting dunked on can be quite subjective. Did they get dunked on? Or was the dunk just near them? According to Shaq, Derrick Coleman, Tim Perry and Michael Jordan are the only players who dunked on him, and Coleman is the only person he admits "posterized" him. The next time they played each other, Shaq dunked so hard he ripped the rim off the backboard.

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Which former NBA player owns a trademark on the term "three-peat"?
Magic Johnson
Pat Riley
Larry Bird
Jerry West
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the 1988-89 season the LA Lakers were on the verge of winning three championships in a row. Lakers guard Byron Scott coined the phrase "three-peat" and shortly thereafter, Lakers coach Pat Riley trademarked the phrase to be used on merchandise. The Lakers did not three-peat that year.

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When did Michael Jordan get drafted?
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the biggest regrets in the history of sports is not drafting Michael Jordan first overall and then not even drafting him second. He went third overall - behind Sam Bowie and Hakeem Olajuwon - to the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 draft. Today he is considered the greatest to ever play the game.

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Which of these states has the fewest NBA teams?
California
Texas
Florida
North Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

North Carolina only has one NBA team — the Charlotte Hornets. California has the most of any state with the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers and the Sacramento Kings. Texas has three and Florida has two.

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Which of these players has the biggest shoe size?
Yao Ming
Shaq
DeAndre Jordan
Wilt Chamberlain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Legend has it that Shaq has the biggest shoe size in NBA history. He wears a size 22 shoe but sometimes can wear a size 24-EEE shoe, which is about double the size of the average male. He weighed 370 pounds at one point in his career and is seven feet tall.

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Which team has won the most NBA championships?
Los Angeles Lakers
Chicago Bulls
Boston Celtics
San Antonio Spurs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Boston Celtics have won the most NBA championships with 17. The Los Angeles Lakers are close behind with 16 rings, furthering the rivalry between the two organizations. The Bulls and Spurs are third and fourth with six and five championships, respectively.

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Wiki Commons by Rose White