Twenty-one questions on NBA legends, records, the draft and the rules of the pro game. Records that can still change are dated, so the answers stay right.
Which NBA franchise has won the most championships, as of 2025?
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Boston Celtics
The Celtics won their 18th title in 2024. The Lakers are second with 17.
Question 2
As of 2025, who is the NBA's all-time leading scorer?
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LeBron James
LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38,387 points in February 2023 and has kept adding to it.
Question 3
Who scored 100 points in a single NBA game in 1962?
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Wilt Chamberlain
Chamberlain did it for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962. Kobe Bryant's 81 in 2006 is the closest anyone has come.
Question 4
With which team did Michael Jordan win all six of his NBA titles?
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Chicago Bulls
Jordan won two three-peats with the Bulls, 1991–93 and 1996–98. He finished his career with the Wizards.
Question 5
Who is the shortest player in NBA history?
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Muggsy Bogues
Bogues stood 5 feet 3 inches and played 14 seasons, mostly with the Charlotte Hornets. Spud Webb, at 5 feet 7, won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest.
Question 6
Which player won the most NBA championships?
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Bill Russell
Russell won 11 titles with the Celtics in 13 seasons, the last two as player-coach. The Finals MVP award is named after him.
Question 7
What was the NBA called when it was founded in 1946?
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The Basketball Association of America
The BAA merged with the rival National Basketball League in 1949 to form the NBA.
Question 8
Which signature shot made Kareem Abdul-Jabbar famous?
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The skyhook
He released the hook shot from high above his head, which made it almost impossible to block.
Question 9
Which team drafted Kobe Bryant in 1996, before trading him to the Lakers?
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Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte took him 13th overall and traded his rights to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. Bryant played all 20 seasons in Los Angeles.
Question 10
How long is the NBA shot clock?
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24 seconds
The 24-second clock was introduced in 1954 to stop teams from stalling. College basketball uses 30 seconds.
Question 11
How high is a regulation basketball rim?
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10 feet
The height has been 10 feet since James Naismith nailed peach baskets to a balcony railing in 1891.
Question 12
Which is the only NBA team based outside the United States, as of 2025?
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Toronto Raptors
The Raptors joined in 1995 with the Vancouver Grizzlies, who moved to Memphis in 2001. Toronto won the title in 2019.
Question 13
Which player was nicknamed "The Mailman"?
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Karl Malone
Because he always delivered. Malone and John Stockton ran the pick-and-roll for the Utah Jazz for 18 seasons.
Question 14
The 1992 US Olympic basketball "Dream Team" played at which Games?
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Barcelona
It was the first Olympics open to NBA players. The team, with Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, won its games by an average of about 44 points.
Question 15
Who was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft?
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LeBron James
The Cleveland Cavaliers took James straight out of high school in nearby Akron, Ohio. Miličić went second.
Question 16
Which coach won 11 NBA championships?
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Phil Jackson
Jackson won six with the Bulls and five with the Lakers. Red Auerbach won nine with the Celtics.
Question 17
How many teams are in the NBA, as of 2025?
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30
The league reached 30 teams when the Charlotte Bobcats joined in 2004. The NFL has 32.
Question 18
Which team drafted Stephen Curry in 2009?
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State took him seventh. Curry, son of NBA player Dell Curry, changed how the game uses the three-point shot.
Question 19
With which team did Shaquille O'Neal begin his NBA career in 1992?
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Orlando Magic
Orlando drafted him first overall. He moved to the Lakers in 1996 and won three titles there with Kobe Bryant.
Question 20
Which player is widely said to be the silhouette in the NBA logo?
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Jerry West
The NBA has never officially confirmed it, but the logo's designer, Alan Siegel, has said he based it on a photo of West.
Question 21
How many personal fouls disqualify a player in an NBA game?
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Six
Fouling out takes six in the NBA. College and international games use five.
Key numbers
Questions
21
Format
Multiple choice, 4 options
Explanations
Every question
Answers
Hidden until you open them
What this NBA quiz covers
The set runs from the league's founding as the Basketball Association of America in 1946 to the modern era: Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Bill Russell's 11 rings, Michael Jordan's two three-peats with the Bulls and LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer. A handful of rules questions, like the length of the shot clock and the number of fouls before you're out, give casual fans a fair chance.
Why some questions say "as of"
NBA records move. The scoring record, the number of titles each franchise has won and the size of the league can all change, so those questions carry a date. Draft picks, historic games and retired players' careers can't change, which is why most of the set is built on them.
Hardest questions in the set
Most players miss the team that drafted Kobe Bryant (the Charlotte Hornets, who traded him to the Lakers on draft night) and the original name of the league. The Jerry West logo question is a good one for arguments: the league has never confirmed it, but the designer has.
Using it on game night
Read a question at each timeout or during halftime, and give a bonus point for naming the year. For a full sports round mixing the NBA with baseball, hockey, golf and the Olympics, see our sports trivia; for football, try the NFL quiz.
Questions people ask
What are good NBA trivia questions for casual fans?
Questions about the biggest names and the basic rules: Michael Jordan's team, the height of the rim, the length of the shot clock. This quiz starts with those and adds harder draft and history questions.
Who has the most NBA championships as a player?
Bill Russell, with 11 titles for the Boston Celtics in 13 seasons between 1957 and 1969.
Is this NBA quiz up to date?
Records that can change, such as the all-time scoring leader and franchise titles, are dated 'as of 2025' and updated when they change. The rest are historical facts.