With nearly a billion fans worldwide, the National Basketball Association is one of the most popular sports to watch. But who really knows their stuff? Find out by checking out these NBA basketball trivia questions and answers. The NBA has always been exciting to watch with players like Jordan, Magic and Shaq of the past, and Lebron, James Harden and Kyrie Irving of the present. All have been vital in forming basketball into what it is today—pure entertainment! The dunks! The rejections! What's not to love? But, seriously, how well do you think you know the sport? We may just stump even the most hardened NBA fan into learning something new about basketball. (They, of course, can then take that knowledge and stump all of their friends!) So, sit back and read through our comprehensive list of 110 NBA trivia questions, along with their answers—and see if you, yourself, can claim the title of "NBA superfan."Related: Will You Get a Slam Dunk? Test Yourself With These 110 WNBA Trivia Questions and Answers
1. Who is the only team to defeat the Celtics at Boston (Madison Square) Garden during the 1985-1986 season?Answer: Portland Trail Blazers2. George Gervin's 'most points scored in a quarter' record was broken in 2015 by this player—who still holds the record today. (Bonus points if you know how many points he scored!)Answer: Klay Thompson (37 points) 3. The first NBA game was played between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Huskies in what year?' Answer: 19464. Not only was he the first African American drafted into the NBA, but he was also the first official NBA player by a signed contract.Answer: Chuck Cooper5. The National Basketball Association was originally called what?Answer: The Basketball Association of America6. Held in Boston Madison Square Garden Club, the first NBA All-Star game took place in what year?Answer: 1951Related: Caitlin Clark's Net Worth and How Much the WNBA Star Makes Compared to Her Male Peers
Trivia Questions and Answers About NBA Finals
Photo by choness from Getty Images/Canva
7. Which NBA team has made the most appearances in the finals?Answer: Los Angeles Lakers (32 appearances)
8. Which NBA team has won 18 Championships?Answer: Boston Celtics
9. Who is the only active NBA franchise with multiple Final appearances with no losses?Answer: Chicago Bulls
10. In 1995, this 6-seed was the lowest-seeded team in NBA history to win a Championship.Answer: Houston Rockets
11. The first and only team based outside the United States to win an NBA title or reach the NBA Finals.Answer: Toronto Raptors
12. Which player has the most career blocks in the Finals?Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
13. This player has the most turnovers in the Finals.Answer: LeBron James
14. In one series, who had the most steals?Answer: Isaiah Thomas (20) 1988
15. This player had the most 3-point field goals during one series of the Finals.Answer: Steph Curry (32) 2016
16. Who is the player that led in overall career point tally in the Finals?Answer: Jerry West (1,679)
17. What NBA team has made the most franchise Final appearances without winning a title?Answer: Phoenix Suns
18. They are the only franchise to move from the ABA to the NBA and subsequently win a championship?Answer: San Antonio Spurs
19. Which player managed to win the NBA Finals MVP Award, even though they were on the losing team?Answer: Jerry West
20. Which was the first team to make it to the NBA finals ten years running?Answer: Boston Celtics (1959-1969)
21. A legendary player, he had the most NBA Finals appearances. **(Bonus: How many of those were championships?)Answer: Bill Russell (12) **(Bonus: He had 11 championships!)
22. The last team to sweep their opponent in a Final.Answer: Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 (2018)
23. This team has the best winning percentage in the Finals.Answer: Chicago Bulls 24-11 (.686 winning percentage)
24. During the finals, this player held the highest points per game (ppg) average (calculated from a minimum of 10 games). (Hint: It wasn't Michael Jordan!)Answer: Rick Barry
25. Which team won the first NBA Championship?Answer: Philadelphia Warriors (1946-47)
Related: MVP of Life! These 50 Inspirational Michael Jordan Quotes Prove He's the GOAT
Trivia Questions and Answers About NBA Teams
Photo by Dmytro Aksonov from Getty Images Signature/Canva
26. Name one of the two possible teams with the most MVPs awarded.Answer: Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics - (Both with 17)
27. What NBA team was the first to win 70 games in one season?Answer: Chicago Bulls
28. The first team to hire a woman on their coaching staff?Answer: San Antonio Spurs (Becky Hammon, 2014)
29. In 2004, an altercation occurred mid-game between two teams in an incident that became known as 'Malice at the Palace.' Which two teams were involved?Answer: Indiana Pacers & Detroit Pistons
30. How many championships did the Boston Celtics win from 1957 to 1969?Answer: The Boston Celtics (11 championships in 13 seasons)
31. This Miami team joined the NBA in 1988.Answer: Heat
32. What team plays at the Target Center?Answer: Minnesota Timberwolves
33. Known as the Chicago Packers until 2008, when they became this NBA franchise?Answer: Washington Wizards
34. Name one of the two original roster NBA teams to have never changed names or moved location.Answer: Boston Celtics or New York Knicks
35. Which team did Larry Bird coach during the 1997-98 season?Answer: Indian Pacers
36. This famous rapper is often seen courtside at which NBA team's games?Answer: Drake, Toronto Raptors
37. Kevin Garnett, in the 1990s, was the first player in 20 years drafted straight from high school by this teamAnswer: Minnesota Timberwolves
38. Which team beat the 1996 Chicago Bulls record 72 wins in a season?Answer: Golden State Warriors (2016)
39. Golden State Warriors were originally from what city?Answer: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
40. The Detroit Pistons were originally called what?Answer: Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons
41. What is the name of the arena that hosts both LA-based teams?Answer: Crypto.com Arena
42. What team ended the Phoenix Suns' run and knocked them out of the 2006 NBA Playoffs?Answer: Dallas Mavericks
43. What was the team famously named that America sent to the 1992 Olympics when professionals were allowed to play?Answer: The Dream Team
44. Which 8th-seeded team became the only team to reach the NBA Finals?Answer: New York Knicks
Related: 'Brack to the Future' and 'Hoop, There It Is'—We've Got 75 Funny NCAA March Madness Bracket Names
Trivia Questions and Answers About NBA Players
Photo by skynesher from Getty Images Signature/Canva
45. Who was the shortest player to ever win the Slam Dunk contest?Answer: Spud Webb (5' 6")
46. Which player attempted a record number of free throws (39) in an NBA post-season game?Answer: Shaquille O'Neal
47. Who was the first player to win the MVP in consecutive seasons?Answer: Bill Russell (1961-62 & 1962-63 seasons)
48. Who was the legendary player known as 'The Mailman'?Answer: Karl Malone
49. Which basketball players retired from the NBA with the highest career-scoring ppg average?Answer: Michael Jordan (30.12 ppg)
50. Which basketball player is credited with the introduction of the one-handed shot?Answer: Hank Luisetti
51. Who was the first to receive the NBA "Rookie of the Year" award?Answer: Don Meineke - Fort Wayne Piston (1952-53)
52. Ah, the headband. Who was the player credited with starting the iconic trend?Answer: Nate "Tiny" Archibald
53. Who was the first player in the NBA to hit an elusive triple-double season?Answer: Oscar Robertson (1961-62)
54. The first NBA athlete to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year titles in the same season?Answer: Wilt Chamberlain
55. In 1993, this NBA player took a break from basketball to play baseball in the minors, returning in 1995 to the NBA. Who was it?Answer: Michael Jordan
56. Out of the following NBA players, which one did NOT win the Rookie of the Year award: Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson or David Robinson?Answer: Magic Johnson
57. Who said, "If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest of my life."Answer: Isiah Thomas
58. What active NBA player holds the single-game record for the most shot attempts without making a basket?Answer: Tim Hardaway
59. Back in 1993, the Dallas Mavericks had the 'Triple J's'. Who were these three players?Answer: Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson, Jamal Mashburn.
60. Current NBA player with the highest 3-point field goal percentage?Answer: Luke Kennard - Memphis Grizzlies (48.7%)
61. Who is the player that still holds the scoring record for a single game, set by making 100 points?Answer: Wilt Chamberlain
62. This player played the fewest minutes in an NBA game before fouling out.Answer: Bubba Wells (3 minutes!)
63. Kobe Bryant scored a whopping 81 points in a 2006 NBA game, but who was the last player to reach the 70-point range in a game?Answer: David Robinson
Related: Michael Jordan's Net Worth and How Much He Made From Nike, the NBA and More
Trivia Questions and Answers About NBA Team Owners
Photo by DNY59 from Getty Images Signature/Canva
64. Who owns the New York Knicks?Answer: James Dolan
65. Who owns the Los Angeles Lakers?Answer: Jeanie Buss
66. Who owns the Boston Celtics?Answer: Wyc Grousbeck
67. Who owns the Chicago Bulls?Answer: Jerry Reinsdorf
68. Who owns the San Antonio Spurs?Answer: Peter Holt
69. Who owns the Golden State Warriors?Answer: Joe Lacob
70. Who owns the Houston Rockets?Answer: Tilman Fertitta
71. Who owns the Philadelphia 76ers?Answer: Joshua Harris
72. Who owns the Phoenix Suns?Answer: Mat Ishbia
73. Who owns the Portland Trail Blazers?Answer: Paul Allen
74. Who owns the Milwaukee Bucks?Answer: Marc Lasry, Jamie Dinan, Jimmy Haslam and Junior Bridgeman
75. Who owns the Atlanta Hawks?Answer: Tony Ressler
76. Who owns the Brooklyn Nets?Answer: Joseph Tsai
77. Who owns the Charlotte Hornets?Answer: Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall
78. Who owns the Cleveland Cavaliers?Answer: Dan Gilbert
79. Who owns the Denver Nuggets?Answer: Stanley Kroenke
80. Who owns the Detroit Pistons?Answer: Tom Gores
81. Who owns the Orlando Magic?Answer: Rich DeVos
82. Who owns the Dallas Mavericks?Answer: Mark Cuban
Related: Charles Barkley's Net Worth in 2025 Is a Slam Dunk
Trivia Questions and Answers About NBA Basketball Rules and Regulations
Photo by ChristianChan from Getty Images/Canva
83. How many personal fouls does it take to get ejected from an NBA basketball game?Answer: Six
84. When was the shot clock introduced into NBA regulation?Answer: 1954-55 season
85. The three-point line is how many feet from the hoop?Answer: 23' 9"
86. How tall is the hoop in the NBA?Answer: 10 feet
87. How long does a team have to get the ball into play from out-of-bounds?Answer: Five seconds
88. Once a team has inbounded the ball and play begins, how much time do they have to advance the ball past half-court?Answer: 10 seconds
89. What is it called if a player interferes with a ball's downward trajectory after it has been shot?Answer: Goaltending
90. A player may not linger in the "paint" or "key" area under the basket for more than how many seconds?Answer: Three seconds
91. What does the term 'one and one' mean?Answer: It means for every free throw a team shoots, if they make it, they will get to throw another one after they make it to bonus shooting.
92. How many team fouls will give the opposing team a "double bonus" or two free throw chances?Answer: 10 team fouls
93. What is the penalty called for illegal contact?Answer: Personal foul
94. A personal foul that has gotten to the point it may cause harm to another player is then called what?Answer: Flagrant foul
95. With the referee and two players, an NBA game is started with a what?Answer: Jump ball
96. There is no limit to how many overtime periods are played between teams, but each overtime session is limited to how many minutes each?Answer: Five minutes
97. When a team is granted a time-out, play will resume only when?Answer: The time-out clock has expired
98. Which team gets the ball after two players tie up the ball and a "jump ball" is called?Answer: The team that has the possession arrow pointing to them.
99. Progressing in any direction in excess of the prescribed limits, normally two steps, while holding the ball is called?Answer: Traveling
100. A strategy used by a team based on speed is called?Answer: Fastbreak
101. What is the maximum time a player can hold the ball once past half-court?Answer: Five seconds
Related: LeBron James' Net Worth and How the Olympic U.S. Flag Bearer Became a Billionaire
Basketball Trivia Questions and Answers
Photo by triloks from Getty Images Signature/Canva
102. When was basketball invented?Answer: 1891
103. Who invented the sport of basketball?Answer: James Naismith
104. What's it called when someone throws the ball close to the net and another player dunks it in?Answer: An alley-oop
105. How many points is a free-throw worth?Answer: one point
106. What happens after a player double-dribbles?Answer: The other team gets the ball
107. What is a "brick" in basketball?Answer: A shot that bounces off the rim or backboard and does not go in
108. When was basketball first introduced into the Olympics?Answer: 1936
109. When basketball was first invented, what were the baskets that were used?Answer: Two half-bushel peach baskets.
110. What is the average length of a basketball game?Answer: Around two hours (although each quarter is 12 minutes)
And there you have it!
Up Next:
Related: 'Don't Make Excuses, Make Your Free Throws!' 75 Basketball Instagram Captions For Your Next Post
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Prove You're the Biggest NBA Superfan With These 110 Trivia Questions and Answers )
Also on site :
- Trump cuts tariffs on U.K. cars, steel and aluminum but keeps 10% base duty while Britain trims its taxes on 2,500 U.S. products
- ‘We don’t socialise’: Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer get frank about their offscreen relationship
- Broadway playwright reveals Sadie Sink’s criteria for first project after Stranger Things