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158 NBA Historical Trivia Questions & Answers

    NBA Historical
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There are 158 questions on this topic. Last updated Mar 28 2024.
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1 Which NBA team played at Amway Arena 1989-2010?
Answer: Orlando Magic

The Magic began at what was then called the Orlando Arena (1989-1999). That became the TD Waterhouse Centre (1999-2006) and The Arena In Orlando (2006) before being called the Amway Arena (2007-2010). The team then moved to the Amway Center in 2010.
trivia question Quick Question
How many NBA titles did Magic Johnson win in his career with the Lakers?




2 In Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 20 years in the league, which teams did he play for?
Answer: Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is known as one of the best centers in the history of the NBA, scoring 38,387 total points in his entire career. He played six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1969-1975 before joining the L.A. Lakers to play 14 seasons until he retired in 1989.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA History.
3 The Atlanta Hawks franchise joined the NBA in 1950. What was their franchise name in 1950?
Answer: Tri-Cities Blackhawks

Their first season in 1950-51 saw them as the Blackhawks. The following season, the team moved and became the Milwaukee Hawks until 1956. They then were the St. Louis Hawks where they won the franchise's first NBA Finals in the 1957-58 season. The franchise moved to Atlanta in 1969.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA Memories.
4 Who was the player who led the BAA in scoring in the league's very first season?
Answer: Joe Fulks

The BAA or "Basketball Assocation of America" is now known to many as the NBA (National Basketball Assocation). Fulks played for the Philadelphia Warriors avearging 23.2 ppg in the BBA's very first season(1946-1947). The Warriors won the BAA championship over the Chicago Stags 4-1 in the best of seven series.
5 What was the first team to have both the Slam Dunk contest and Three-point shootout champions in the same year?
Answer: Miami

During the 1995 All-Star Weekend, Glen Rice (then in his dominant years with the Heat) won the shootout and Harold Miner (aka Baby Jordan) won his second dunk contest in three years.
6 Who was the first player to record back-to-back 50 point games in the 2000s?
Answer: Antawn Jamison

Jamison recorded back-to-back 50 point games in the 2000-2001 season, while playing for the Golden State Warriors. The second of his two 50 point games came against the Lakers, in which Kobe Bryant also scored 50 points.
7 Which two teams selected players ahead of Michael Jordan?
Answer: Houston and Portland

The year was 1984. Houston selected Hakeem Olajuwon, who went on to become great, and Portland selected Sam Bowie, who was plagued by injuries and never became an effective player. Jordan was selected third by Chicago and the rest is history.
Question Reference: Quiz: Old School NBA.
8 Six players won the NBA scoring title for three or more consecutive years, two of which were Micheal Jordan (1987-1993) and Wilt Chamberlain (1960-1966). Who were the other four?
Answer: George Gervin, Neil Johnston, Bob McAdoo, George Mikan

Little known Neil Johnston of the Philadelphia Warriors won the NBA scoring title in 1953-54-55. The first NBA legend George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers won the title in 1949-50-51. The great Bob McAdoo of the Buffalo Braves won the title in 1974-75-76. The smooth George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs won the title in 1978-79-80. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Milwaukee Bucks won the title in 1971 and 1972, and Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks won the title in 1956 and 1959. Paul Arizin of the Philadelphia Warriors won the title in 1952 and 1957.
9 Who was the first ever NBA lottery pick?
Answer: Patrick Ewing

1985 was the first year for the lottery. Before that they did a coin toss to determine one and two.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA Masters.
10 How many rules did Dr. Naismith start the game of basketball with?
Answer: 13

Some rules that seemed weird have been carried over, include the 5 men per team at all times rule. Therefore, if out of a team's 12 players, 7 foul out, and another person gets 6 fouls, he would be required to stay in the game. If due to injuries, a team cannot present 5 players, they cannot play 4 on 5, but rather forfeit the game. Last note: his original rules did not allow dribbling.
11 What is Wilt Chamberlain's record for most points in a game?
Answer: 100

Wilt set the record for most points on March 2, 1962 in Hershey, Pensylvania, vs. the New York Knicks.
12 What team won the 1956-57 championship?
Answer: Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics won by 4 games to 3.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA Historical.
13 What was the original name of the NBA?
Answer: BAA

It is a little known fact that the NBA was called the Basketball Association of America until the early 1950's.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA Facts.
14 Which team did Brian Shaw never play for in the first 13 seasons of his career?
Answer: Utah Jazz

Also played for Sixers, Lakers, Magic, and the Heat.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA History.
15 Between 1989 and 1998, how many different players won the NBA's rebounding title?
Answer: Three

Hakeem Olajuwon (1989-90), David Robinson (1991), and Dennis Rodman(1992-1998) were the only winners during this time.
16 What was the best record in the regular season in the NBA before the Warriors broke the record in 2015-16?
Answer: 72-10

Chicago Bulls in the 1995-96 NBA season went 72-10. Golden State Warriors finished the 2015-16 with a win-loos record of 73-9.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA History.
17 Who was the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season?
Answer: George Yardley

George Yardley of the Detroit Falcons with 2,001 points in the 1957-58 season.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA 101.
18 Why was the 1998 NBA Christmas Day game cancelled (the first-ever Christmas Day game that was cancelled)?
Answer: Lock Out

The NBA experienced a lockout in 1998, the third in its history, over the salary cap and players' wages. From July 1, 1998 - January 20, 1999, the owners staged a lockout and ultimately the season was shortened to 50 games. Another lockout occurred in 2011; that year the first NBA game of the season was played on Christmas Day.
19 In 1999, the Denver Nuggets shifted from McNichols Sports Arena to which facility?
Answer: Pepsi Center

Before the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets played at McNichols from 1975-1999. They were at the Denver Arena Auditorium 1967-1975. The Tacoma Dome was home to the Seattle Super Sonics 1994-1995. The Brooklyn Nets moved into Barclays Center in 2012.
20 Which two teams played against each other in the 1997 NBA Finals?
Answer: Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz

In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls squared off with the Utah Jazz, as the Bulls won the championship after beating Utah four games to two. Michael Jordan was named the Finals MVP. It was also Chicago's fifth title in franchise history.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA History.
21 Who was the first NBA player to win five season MVP awards?
Answer: Bill Russell

The MVP Award began in the 1955-56 season. By the time that Russell of the Celtics won his fifth MVP in 1965, basketball great Wilt Chamberlain had won it only once.
Question Reference: Quiz: NBA Memories.
22 Who was the only player who scored in the very first basketball game ever played with Dr. James Nasmith original 13 rules in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Answer: William R. Chase

Out of the original 18 players, Chase was the only player to score.
23 In 1998, the Phoenix Suns roster had the #2 picks from the 1994 and 1995 draft (Jason Kidd and Antonio McDyess, respectively). Meanwhile, another team had the #3 picks from those very same drafts. Which team was it?
Answer: Detroit

The Pistons had Grant Hill (3rd pick in 1994) and Jerry Stackhouse (3rd in 1995), who had just come over in a trade from Philadelphia.
24 Who scored the first points of the millennium?
Answer: John Amaechi

Playing on New Year's Day 2000, the first game of the new millennium, the Miami Heat hosted the Orlando Magic. Magic center John Amaechi recorded the first basket of the game and millennium, and his jersey and shoes were taken to the Hall of Fame after the game.
25 Who was the first player to average a triple double thoughout an entire regular season?
Answer: Oscar Robertson

"The Big O" is considered one of the best all around players ever in the league. He and Kareem Abdul Jabar led the Bucks to and NBA championship in 1971.
Question Reference: Quiz: Old School NBA.