Trivia Medium 30 questions · about 45 minutes · free PDF

NBA and Basketball Trivia Questions

Thirty questions on the NBA and basketball, from James Naismith's original rules to the shot clock, the Finals, legendary players and coaches.

The last round is all about the Olympics and the 1992 Dream Team. Every answer has a fun fact underneath, so the host has something to say after each question.

Play online → Download the host sheet

The online version marks itself. The sheets are yours to print.

Print it

Three PDFs, A4, black and white on purpose — the right answer is marked with a filled box and bold text, not with colour, so it survives an office printer.

Host sheet

Every question with the answer under it, plus a line of context to say out loud once the answer is in. Keep it face down.

PDF, 57 KB

Question sheet

The same quiz without the key — for anyone who would rather read along than listen.

PDF, 49 KB

Team answer sheet

Numbered lines and a tick box. Print one per team, and one more for the swap at the end of each round.

PDF, 27 KB

What This Quiz Covers

Origins, rules and equipment
Franchises, the Finals and trophies
Legends, coaches and terminology
Olympic basketball and the 1992 Dream Team

All 30 questions and answers

Each answer is hidden until you open it, so you can read the questions out or test yourself first. The line under each answer is the fun fact to share once it is in.

Round 1 · Origins, Rules & Equipment

1
Who invented the game of basketball in 1891?
- AAmos Alonzo Stagg
- BLuther Gulick
- CJames Naismith
- DWalter A. Brown
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C — James Naismith
Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, was asked to create an indoor game to keep students active during winter.
2
What objects served as the very first basketball 'hoops' in 1891?
- AWooden barrels
- BPeach baskets
- CMetal buckets
- DFishing nets on poles
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B — Peach baskets
Naismith nailed two peach baskets to the gymnasium balcony railing, and because the baskets still had their bottoms, someone had to retrieve the ball after every score.
3
How many original rules of basketball did James Naismith write down?
- A13
- B17
- C11
- D9
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A — 13
Naismith typed out 13 basic rules and pinned them to the gym wall; the original two-page document survives and is one of the most valuable sports artifacts in the world.
4
How many players from each team are on the court at the same time in a standard basketball game?
- A4
- B7
- C6
- D5
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D — 5
Five per side became the standard early in the game's history, even though Naismith's very first game famously used nine players on each team.
5
What is the standard height of a basketball rim above the floor?
- A9 feet (2.74 m)
- B11 feet (3.35 m)
- C10 feet (3.05 m)
- D12 feet (3.66 m)
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C — 10 feet (3.05 m)
The 10-foot height is an accident of history — that was simply how high the balcony railing was in the Springfield gym where Naismith hung the peach baskets.
6
How long is one quarter in an NBA regular-season game?
- A8 minutes
- B12 minutes
- C10 minutes
- D15 minutes
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B — 12 minutes
Four 12-minute quarters give the NBA a 48-minute game, longer than FIBA's four 10-minute quarters (40 minutes) used in international play and the Olympics.
7
How long is a single overtime period in the NBA?
- A10 minutes
- B3 minutes
- C7 minutes
- D5 minutes
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D — 5 minutes
Each NBA overtime lasts five minutes, and as many are played as needed because basketball rules do not allow a tie to stand.
8
How many personal fouls does it take for a player to foul out of an NBA game?
- A6
- B4
- C5
- D7
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A — 6
The NBA allows six personal fouls because of its longer 48-minute game, while FIBA and college basketball disqualify a player after five.
9
In which year did the NBA introduce the 24-second shot clock?
- A1961
- B1970
- C1954
- D1946
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C — 1954
Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone pushed the clock through for the 1954–55 season to stop teams from stalling, and scoring averages jumped immediately.
10
As of 2026, how many seconds does an NBA team have to advance the ball past midcourt after gaining possession in its backcourt?
- A8 seconds
- B6 seconds
- C10 seconds
- D5 seconds
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A — 8 seconds
The NBA cut the backcourt limit from 10 seconds to 8 starting in the 2001–02 season to speed the game up and match the FIBA standard.
11
In which season did the NBA first use the three-point line?
- A1986–87
- B1979–80
- C1972–73
- D1967–68
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B — 1979–80
The NBA borrowed the three-pointer from the rival ABA, adopting it for 1979–80 — Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics is credited with the league's first three-point field goal.
12
As of 2026, how far is the NBA three-point line from the basket at the top of the arc?
- A22 feet 0 inches
- B22 feet 6 inches
- C24 feet 3 inches
- D23 feet 9 inches
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D — 23 feet 9 inches
The arc measures 23 feet 9 inches at the top but shrinks to 22 feet in the corners, which is why the 'corner three' is considered the most efficient shot on the floor.
13
How many points is a successful free throw worth?
- A2 points
- B1 point
- CIt depends on the foul
- D3 points
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B — 1 point
A free throw is worth one point and is taken unguarded from the line 15 feet from the backboard, nicknamed the 'charity stripe'.

Round 2 · Franchises, the Finals & Trophies

14
Which NBA franchise plays its home games at Madison Square Garden?
- ABrooklyn Nets
- BPhiladelphia 76ers
- CBoston Celtics
- DNew York Knicks
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D — New York Knicks
The Knicks have called Madison Square Garden home since the franchise's founding in 1946, making it one of the most famous arenas in sports — 'The World's Most Famous Arena.'
15
Which rival league merged with the NBA in 1976, sending four of its teams into the NBA?
- AThe ABA (American Basketball Association)
- BThe ABL (American Basketball League)
- CThe NBL (National Basketball League)
- DThe CBA (Continental Basketball Association)
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A — The ABA (American Basketball Association)
The ABA merger brought the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs into the NBA, along with ABA innovations like the three-point shot and the Slam Dunk Contest.
16
What is the name of the trophy awarded to the NBA champion?
- AThe Naismith Cup
- BThe Commissioner's Cup
- CThe Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
- DThe Maurice Podoloff Trophy
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C — The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy
The trophy was renamed in 1984 for former commissioner Larry O'Brien; before that it was called the Walter A. Brown Trophy.
17
Since 2009, the NBA Finals MVP award has officially been named after which legendary player?
- AWilt Chamberlain
- BBill Russell
- CJerry West
- DOscar Robertson
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B — Bill Russell
Russell won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics, the most by any player, so the league attached his name to the Finals MVP trophy in 2009.
18
The first game in the history of the Basketball Association of America (the league that became the NBA) was played on November 1, 1946, in which city?
- AToronto
- BNew York
- CBoston
- DChicago
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A — Toronto
The Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, meaning the league's very first game was played in Canada — Naismith's home country.
19
The silhouette in the NBA's logo is widely reported to be based on which player?
- AElgin Baylor
- BOscar Robertson
- CJerry West
- DBob Cousy
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C — Jerry West
Designer Alan Siegel used a photo of Jerry West for the 1969 logo, which is one reason West earned the nickname 'The Logo'.

Round 3 · Legends, Coaches & Terminology

20
Which jersey number is most associated with Michael Jordan during his years with the Chicago Bulls?
- A12
- B33
- C6
- D23
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D — 23
Jordan wore No. 23 for nearly all of his Bulls career, and the Bulls retired it in 1994 — he briefly wore 45 after his first comeback.
21
In which year did Wilt Chamberlain score 100 points in a single NBA game?
- A1962
- B1958
- C1967
- D1971
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A — 1962
Chamberlain scored 100 for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pennsylvania — a game that was never televised and has no known film.
22
Which player's signature shot was the unblockable 'skyhook'?
- APatrick Ewing
- BKareem Abdul-Jabbar
- CHakeem Olajuwon
- DBill Walton
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B — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Abdul-Jabbar released the skyhook high above his head with his body shielding the ball, which made it practically impossible to defend over a 20-season career.
23
Which coach led the Boston Celtics to their run of championships in the late 1950s and 1960s and famously lit a victory cigar on the bench?
- AJohn Kundla
- BAlex Hannum
- CRed Auerbach
- DRed Holzman
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C — Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach won nine titles as Celtics head coach and would light a cigar once he was sure the game was won, a gesture that infuriated opponents.
24
Who coached the Los Angeles Lakers' 'Showtime' teams to multiple titles in the 1980s?
- AJack Ramsay
- BChuck Daly
- CPhil Jackson
- DPat Riley
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D — Pat Riley
Riley took over the Lakers in 1981 and guided the fast-breaking 'Showtime' era led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Phil Jackson's Lakers titles came later, starting in 2000.
25
In which city is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame located?
- AChicago, Illinois
- BSpringfield, Massachusetts
- CLawrence, Kansas
- DIndianapolis, Indiana
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B — Springfield, Massachusetts
The Hall of Fame sits in Springfield because that is where Naismith invented the game in 1891; its building is topped by a giant basketball-shaped dome.
26
In basketball terminology, what is a 'triple-double'?
- ADouble figures in three statistical categories in one game
- BScoring 30 or more points in three straight games
- CThree made three-pointers in a row
- DThree consecutive double-overtime games
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A — Double figures in three statistical categories in one game
A triple-double means reaching 10 or more in three categories — usually points, rebounds and assists — and the term was popularized by a Lakers PR staffer tracking Magic Johnson.

Round 4 · The Olympics & the 1992 Dream Team

27
In which city did the 1992 USA 'Dream Team' win Olympic gold?
- AAtlanta
- BSeoul
- CLos Angeles
- DBarcelona
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D — Barcelona
Barcelona 1992 was the first Olympics with NBA professionals, and the Dream Team won every game so easily that coach Chuck Daly never called a timeout all tournament.
28
Who was the head coach of the 1992 USA Olympic 'Dream Team'?
- ABobby Knight
- BPat Riley
- CChuck Daly
- DLenny Wilkens
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C — Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly, fresh off back-to-back titles with the Detroit Pistons, was chosen partly for his skill at managing superstar egos.
29
Which member of the 1992 Dream Team was still a college player at the time of selection?
- AShaquille O'Neal
- BChristian Laettner
- CGrant Hill
- DAlonzo Mourning
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B — Christian Laettner
Duke's Christian Laettner filled the single roster spot reserved for an amateur, chosen after leading the Blue Devils to back-to-back NCAA titles.
30
In which Olympic Games did men's basketball first appear as an official medal sport?
- A1924 Paris
- B1904 St. Louis
- C1948 London
- D1936 Berlin
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D — 1936 Berlin
Basketball debuted as a medal sport in Berlin in 1936, where the final was played outdoors on a dirt court in the rain and James Naismith himself presented the medals.

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