Image: Milwaukee Bucks / Los Angeles Lakers / Indiana Pacers / Utah Jazz / NBA
About This Quiz
When the Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, they took their team name with them. Two years later, the city that lost that franchise — Charlotte — started a new one and named it the Bobcats. Fast-forward to 2019 and the Hornets are now the Pelicans, and the former Hornets turned Bobcats ... are now Hornets again! Phew!
Luckily, name changes are a rarity in the National Basketball Association, but with expansion teams joining the league occasionally, new names pop up from time to time. Dating back to the 1950s, you had the Celtics, Warriors, Knicks and Cavaliers. All team names you recognize that are still hanging around today. Then came the Rochester Royals, who are now the Sacramento Kings, and the Syracuse Nationals, who became the Philadelphia 76ers.
Today, there are 30 NBA teams whose names range from types of birds to historical references. So, don’t be alarmed when you hear that the Trailblazers are duking it out with the Cavaliers!
How basketball savvy are you? Can you name all 30 NBA teams if their letters are mixed up? Unscramble these franchise names, but don’t be “Cavalier.” We want you to be an NBA quiz “Maverick.” Give it your best shot!
Swans
Whales
Sharks
Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks’ history goes all the way back (and north) to New York when the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons. It picked up the Hawks nickname when the club moved to Milwaukee in the 1950s.
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Rockets
The Houston Rockets come by their name honestly. Originally based in San Diego, the Rockets are now at home in Houston, which is also the home of NASA’s Mission Control. Houston, we (don’t) have a problem!
Parrots
Pockets
Strikers
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Blues
Sables
Sullies
Bulls
Michael Jordan, who some would argue is the best basketball player of all time, made the Chicago Bulls a household name after he was drafted by the franchise in 1984. Jordan retired for the final time in 2003.
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Stans
Nets
The Nets, of Brooklyn fame, struck a deal with Kevin Durant after the conclusion of the 2018-19 season that moved the small forward to New York City. Durant previously played for Golden State.
Tens
Sents
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Siphons
Pistons
The Detroit Pistons come by their name honestly. The team’s original owner was also the owner of a piston manufacturing company. The Pistons have been in existence since 1941 when they started in Indiana.
Pythons
Stonies
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Skunks
Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks hit the draft lottery when they picked up Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round of the 2013 draft. The Bucks became part of the NBA as an expansion team added in 1968.
Sucks
Scubas
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Runters
Hundred
Thunder
Oklahoma City inherited the Seattle SuperSonics in the late 2000s, changing its name to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The “Thunder” nickname is shared between Oklahoma’s wild weather and its distinction as the site of the military’s Thunderbirds.
Trundle
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Rixers
Scissors
Twixers
Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers, also known as the Sixers, are named in honor of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, all the way back on July 4, 1776. Philadelphia is home to numerous historic sites important in U.S. history.
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Slippers
Canapes
Sleppians
Pelicans
New Orleans is known as the Pelican State, thanks to the large number of those birds that frequent the area. That makes it a logical choice for an NBA franchise name, which the team adopted at the end of the 2012-13 season.
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Trailblazers
The Portland Trailblazers have a historical meaning to their name. Situated near the end of the Oregon Trail, a 2,170-mile route across the United States that started in Missouri, the team is named for individuals who helped keep the route clear for travelers.
Bailers
Railroaders
Brawlers
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Purrs
Spurs
The Spurs are San Antonio’s only major professional sports team from among the four pro leagues: NBA, NFL, MLB and MLS. The team actually got its start in Dallas as the Chaparrals.
Rupes
Usurps
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Shards
Wizards
The Washington Wizards, led by point guard John Wall, have represented the nation’s capital since 1974 when they relocated as the Bullets from Chicago. Even Michael Jordan enjoyed a stint as a Washington Wizard!
Drawers
Drizzles
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Victors
Mavericks
Dončić joined the Mavericks in 2018, after originally being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. He promptly went on to earn “Rookie of the Year” honors, finishing that season with a 22-points-per-game average.
Sidekicks
Magicks
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Razz
Zazz
Jazz
The Utah Jazz, once the New Orleans Jazz, held onto its team name even after it relocated in 1979. The name was originally selected as an homage to the jazz music culture of the Big Easy.
Mraz
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Raptors
The Raptors earned their franchise’s first-ever NBA title in 2019 — and the first NBA title awarded to a team outside of the United States. Toronto was led by Kawhi Leonard, who played one season with the team and helped lead them to a title.
Parrots
Trappers
Stoppers
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Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies were originally the Vancouver Grizzlies when the team joined the NBA as an expansion franchise in the mid-1990s. Just a few short years later, the team relocated to Tennessee.
Fuzzies
Zanies
Greazies
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Nuns
Suns
You’ve heard of people moving or retiring to Phoenix, and for a good reason — the weather there is on point nearly year-round. While you’re there, you can enjoy the play of the Phoenix Suns, the city’s official NBA franchise.
Nuss
Unes
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Marges
Crags
Grimes
Magic
The Orlando Magic are just down the road from the “Happiest Place on Earth,” otherwise known as the Magic Kingdom. Magic officials also considered “Juice” and “Tropics,” before settling on the current name.
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Teas
Hate
Sheet
Heat
That was a pretty simple one, huh? Not only because it’s a relatively short nickname, but because of the presence of the “Big 3” on the same team for a short stint: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
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Grins
Skins
Sings
Kings
From Royals to Kings, the Sacramento Kings may have changed nicknames, but kept with their “monarchs” category. They weren’t always in Sacramento, though; the team has been in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City in its history.
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Cricks
Kicks
Knicks
The New York Knicks are, indeed, known more formally as the Knickerbockers, a name derived from a type of clothing once worn by immigrants to the United States. The Knicks play at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.
Slicks
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Pacers
The Pacers played the first few years of their existence at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, before moving into its downtown arena. The team is named for its association with the Indianapolis 500.
Spaces
Capers
Racers
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Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves handily beat out the Minnesota Polars for officially team nickname. Makes sense, since Minnesota is home to the largest population of the species in the contiguous United States.
Timberlands
Werewolves
Timberswolfs
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Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are named after the Colorado gold rush of the 1850s, but they weren’t the first NBA Nuggets. An original version of the Denver Nuggets was formed as part of the National Basketball League.
Staggers
Stunners
Gregorys
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Swans
Racers
Warriors
The Golden State Warriors, which play in San Francisco, have been the home team of the duo known as the Splash Brothers for several years. Together, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have teamed up to win multiple NBA titles.
Warmers
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Skaters
Packers
Snakers
Lakers
You surely guessed “Lakers,” right? And, no, it doesn’t make sense for the arid Los Angeles climate ... until you remember that the Lakers were once hosted in Minneapolis, inside the state known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”
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Stoners
Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets lost their team — and their nickname — when the franchise was relocated to New Orleans. But after New Orleans adopted the “Pelicans” moniker, they returned the “Hornets” name to Charlotte. Isn’t that nice?
Bobcats
Stormers
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Tickles
Celtics
The Boston Celtics’ name and mascot (Lucky the Leprechaun) are a nod to the Irish population that lives in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. The Celtics, which were birthed in the late 1940s, are one of the league’s original teams.
Sticklers
Steelers
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Chippers
Slippers
Skippers
Clippers
The Clippers’ history dates back to its founding in New York in the 1970s. When the team moved to the port city of San Diego, it adopted a more water-friendly name — the Clippers, the name for a type of boat.
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Salivas
Silvers
Cavaliers
The team in question is the Cleveland Cavaliers and that No. 1 draft pick turned out to be none other than LeBron James, who attended nearby St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. James is from Akron.
Carvers
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You Got:
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