Answer: Willis Reed
Willis Reed won his first NBA Finals MVP award in 1970 and his second in 1973, playing for the New York Knicks both times. He also played against the same team, Los Angeles Lakers, in each Finals.
From Quiz: Some Firsts in the NBA Finals
Answer: Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat
While the Lakers and Celtics have probably played each other in the Finals several times, this wasn't their year in either case. However, they did in both 2008 and 2009 with each team winning the championship once. The 2010-11 season pitted the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, which was a repeat of the 2006 NBA Finals.
From Quiz: NBA Finals 2011
Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem averaged 26.6 points and had 17 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Julius Erving was drafted by the 1972 Bucks, but ended up in the ABA. What a dynasty this might have been.
From Quiz: NBA Finals History
Answer: Houston Rockets
Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon was the finals MVP. The Rockets had won the year before, also.
From Quiz: NBA Champions
Answer: 10
They met in 1959 (Lakers were in Minneapolis), 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984, 1985, and 1987.
From Quiz: Lakers v. Celtics : Hardwood Wars
Answer: Washington Capitols
They lost to the Minneapolis Lakers 4-2 in the NBA Finals. Red Auerbach was the coach of the Capitols then.
From Quiz: NBA Eastern Conference Champions
Answer: Baltimore Bullets
They beat the Philadelphia Warriors 4-2 in the NBA Finals.
From Quiz: NBA Western Conference Champions
Answer: 20
The Sonics crushed the Rockets making 20 3-pointers, and then won the series 4-0.
From Quiz: Best NBA Postseasons
Answer: John Starks
John Starks, now with the Utah Jazz, also missed a 3 pointer in Game 6 which would have won the championship for the Knicks.
From Quiz: Memorable NBA Playoff Moments
Answer: Kyrie Irving
Irving had been nursing a nagging leg injury before the NBA Finals and he ended up fracturing his left kneecap in Game 1. Kevin Love also missed the NBA Finals as he had dislocated his left shoulder in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.
From Quiz: 2015 NBA Finals
Answer: Jerry West
Jerry West won the NBA Finals MVP award in 1969 (which was also the first year the award was handed out). It wasn't until 1972 that Jerry West won an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
From Quiz: Some Firsts in the NBA Finals
Answer: Dirk Nowitzki
While Jason Terry was the story of Game 6 behind his 27-point effort, Dirk Nowitzki won the Finals MVP award with plenty of 4th quarter efforts and heroics, plus making 45 of 46 attempts at the free throw line. Dwyane Wade was named 2006s Finals MVP with Miami's win in that respective series.
From Quiz: NBA Finals 2011
Answer: Lakers
The Lakers were in Minneapolis from the 1951-52 to the 1953-54 seasons. They defeated Max Zaslofsky and the New York Knicks in the first two, then the Syracuse Nationals in the third. The Boston Celtics were the second team to three-peat.
From Quiz: NBA Finals History
Answer: Chicago Bulls
Michael returned from his first retirement and decided that the NBA trophy looked better in the Windy City than in Texas, where it had resided for the previous two seasons. This was his fourth ring.
From Quiz: NBA Champions
Answer: Frank Selvy
Selvy was known as a great shooter; he once scored 105 points in a college game. But he missed this potential series winner.
From Quiz: Lakers v. Celtics : Hardwood Wars
Answer: Syracuse Nationals
They lost to the Minneapolis Lakers 4-3 in the NBA Finals. It was the Nationals second of three finals appearances. They won the NBA title the next year.
From Quiz: NBA Eastern Conference Champions
Answer: Minneapolis Lakers
They beat the New York Knicks 4-1 in the NBA Finals. The MINNEAPOLIS Lakers' fourth out of five NBA Titles.
From Quiz: NBA Western Conference Champions
Answer: 8
After a timeout, Reggie made two quick three-pointers to tie the game. Shaken by Miller's shots, John Starks missed two free-throws and Reggie went on the line to sink a pair of free-throws that sealed the game.
From Quiz: Best NBA Postseasons
Answer: 4
Upon Reed's entrance to the court, Madison Square Garden went crazy.
From Quiz: Memorable NBA Playoff Moments
Answer: Both games went into overtime.
Game 1 finished with the Warriors prevailing 108-100 in overtime whereas in Game 2 the Cavaliers prevailed 95-93 in overtime. There were plenty of slam dunks in both games, no player scored over 50 points, and neither head coach was ejected from the games.
From Quiz: 2015 NBA Finals
Answer: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers made appearance in 1949 and 1950 in the NBA Finals. They were also able to win both times.
From Quiz: Some Firsts in the NBA Finals
Answer: Miami Heat
Since Miami had won 58 games in the regular season and Dallas only 57, Miami had home court advantage in these finals. Seedings did not matter as they were in opposing conferences.
From Quiz: NBA Finals 2011
Answer: Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers took out Boston in the Eastern Division Finals, four games to one, including a game five win of 140-116 to end the Celtics' run. Wilt Chamberlain with Philadelphia saw to that, averaging almost 22 points per game, along with 29 rebounds in the playoffs. The Finals would be his Philadelphia 76ers against the San Francisco Warriors. The 76ers won it four games to two, but Rick Barry of the Warriors was still the Finals MVP.
From Quiz: NBA Finals History
Answer: Chicago Bulls
During the 90's it was pretty much a contest to see who would lose to the Bulls. This year's lucky winner was the Utah Jazz. Jordan and company made short work of Stockton and Malone.
From Quiz: NBA Champions
Answer: Sam Jones
Jones was near the end of his careeer, but he still had this one clutch shot left in him.
From Quiz: Lakers v. Celtics : Hardwood Wars
Answer: Boston Celtics
They lost 4-2 to the St. Louis Hawks in the NBA Finals. Boston won the NBA title the year before and won the NBA title ten times in the next eleven years.
From Quiz: NBA Eastern Conference Champions
Answer: Milwaukee Bucks
They were defeated by the Celtics in the NBA Finals 4-3. Finals MVP was Celtics' John Havlicek. And Milwaukee was in the Western Conference back then. Then they moved to the Eastern Conference.
From Quiz: NBA Western Conference Champions
Answer: Jalen Rose
After crossing the midcourt Jalen Rose saw Reggie Miller running to the three-point line after several screens. Rose had an assist on that play.
From Quiz: Best NBA Postseasons
Answer: Gar Heard
Gar Heard's goal on the buzzer, for the Suns, sent the game against the Celtics into triple overtime. He did not win many games as the head coach of the Washington Wizards.
From Quiz: Memorable NBA Playoff Moments
Answer: Matthew Dellavedova
Dellavedova had a stellar college career at St. Mary's but he was not drafted by an NBA team. He joined the Cavaliers in 2013 and took on the role of starting point guard in the NBA Finals when Kyrie Irving was injured in Game 1.
From Quiz: 2015 NBA Finals
Answer: Baltimore Bullets
The Baltimore Bullets are also the first defunct team to play in the NBA and win the NBA Finals, doing so in 1948. The first NBA finals was held in 1947 in the leagues first season.
From Quiz: Some Firsts in the NBA Finals
Answer: 46
Memphis had a regular season record of 46-36, and were the 8th seed in the West. Indiana was the 8th seed in the East and was the winner of 37 of their 82 games. Houston won more than they lost and did not qualify for the playoffs, winning 43. Forty-one is half of the games in a regular season.
From Quiz: 2011 Western Conference Playoffs
Answer: 6
A series has to go at least four games. Dallas vs Los Angeles in the playoffs had Dallas winning in four games. Miami won game 1 at home and game 3 away against Dallas.
From Quiz: NBA Finals 2011
Answer: Chicago Bulls
The Jazz fell to the Bulls once again (in a repeat of the 1996-97 finals), yet this would be the last year of the Chicago dynasty.
From Quiz: NBA Champions
Answer: Philadelphia 76ers
They beat the SF Warriors 4-2 in the NBA Finals. The Sixers used to be called the Syracuse Nationals, but it's still the SIXERS first trip to the finals.
From Quiz: NBA Eastern Conference Champions
Answer: Phoenix Suns
They lost to the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the NBA Finals. MVP of the Finals was Jo Jo White. Game 5 was known as "The Greatest Game Ever". It was a triple overtime game when John Havlicek hit a jumper with a second left in double overtime so the crowd went crazy and stormed the court thinking it was over. But it wasn't so Gar Heard hit a desperation shot to force the game into triple overtime. But the Celtics went on to win the game and the series.
From Quiz: NBA Western Conference Champions
Answer: Rex Chapman
With a couple of seconds left the ball was inbounded to Rex Chapman, who made an incredible running 3-pointer to force the overtime.
From Quiz: Best NBA Postseasons
Answer: Andrew Bogut
Although he hadn't started a single game in the regular season, Andre Iguodala replaced Bogut for the last three games of the series. The smaller lineup of the Warriors allowed them to play with a quicker tempo that the Cavaliers couldn't quite match.
From Quiz: 2015 NBA Finals
Answer: New York Knickerbockers
The New York Knicks made appearances in the NBA Finals in 1951-52-53 and lost the first two to the Minneapolis Lakers and the third to Fort Wayne Pistons.
From Quiz: Some Firsts in the NBA Finals
Answer: American Airlines
Not only was American Airlines the sponsor of the Mavericks (American Airlines Center), but they were also the sponsor of the Miami Heat (American Airlines Arena). The Target Center was in Minneapolis, MN. Staples was the sponsor of both Los Angeles teams as they played at the Staples Center, and AT&T was the sponsor of the San Antonio Spurs.
From Quiz: NBA Finals 2011
