Are you a basketball enthusiast eager to showcase your knowledge? Dive into our collection of NBA trivia questions and answers and see how much you really know about the league’s legends, records, and epic moments.
Whether you’re playing solo to brush up on your facts or challenging friends on game night, these questions will both educate and entertain, offering a slam dunk way to deepen your appreciation for the game. Get ready to test your skills and learn some fascinating facts along the way!
NBA History Trivia Questions and Answers
1. Who was the first player to score 100 points in a single NBA game?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain
2. What year was the NBA founded?
Answer: 1946
3. Which team won the first NBA championship?
Answer: Philadelphia Warriors
4. Who holds the record for the most career points in NBA history?
Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Which NBA player has won the most MVP awards?
Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6. What is the original name of the Los Angeles Lakers?
Answer: Minneapolis Lakers
7. Who was the first player to officially record a quadruple-double in an NBA game?
Answer: Nate Thurmond
8. Which NBA team ended the Boston Celtics’ eight-year championship streak in 1967?
Answer: Philadelphia 76ers
9. Who was the youngest player to score 10,000 points in the NBA?
Answer: LeBron James
10. Which team drafted Michael Jordan?
Answer: Chicago Bulls
11. Which player holds the record for most points in a playoff game?
Answer: Michael Jordan (63 points)
12. What team holds the longest winning streak in NBA history?
Answer: Los Angeles Lakers (33 games)
13. Who was the first African American head coach in the NBA?
Answer: Bill Russell
14. Which player won the first ever NBA Three-Point Contest?
Answer: Larry Bird
15. Which NBA team was the first to win three consecutive titles in the modern era?
Answer: Chicago Bulls
16. How many teams were part of the NBA when it was first established?
Answer: 11 teams
17. What player has the most career assists in NBA history?
Answer: John Stockton
18. Which team holds the record for most points scored in a single game?
Answer: Detroit Pistons
19. Who is the only coach to win both an NCAA and NBA championship?
Answer: Larry Brown
20. What player was nicknamed “The Big Fundamental”?
Answer: Tim Duncan
21. Which player is known as “The Logo” for being the silhouette on the NBA logo?
Answer: Jerry West
22. Who has the most career rebounds in NBA history?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain
23. Which team did the Golden State Warriors play when they broke the single-season win record?
Answer: Memphis Grizzlies
24. Who was the first NBA player to be drafted straight out of high school?
Answer: Moses Malone
25. What team has the most NBA Finals appearances?
Answer: Los Angeles Lakers
26. Who was the first player to make 400 three-pointers in a season?
Answer: Stephen Curry
27. Which NBA team won its first championship while playing as an underdog in 2004?
Answer: Detroit Pistons
28. What controversial game is often referred to as the “Memorial Day Massacre”?
Answer: 1985 NBA Finals Game 1, Celtics vs. Lakers
29. Who was the first guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award?
Answer: Michael Cooper
30. Which player holds the record for the highest scoring average in a single NBA season?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain (50.4 points per game in the 1961-1962 season)
NBA Records Trivia Questions and Answers
1. Which player holds the NBA record for most career assists?
Answer: John Stockton
2. Who scored the most points in a single NBA game?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain with 100 points
3. What is the highest number of rebounds recorded in one NBA game?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain grabbed 55 rebounds
4. Which player has the most career steals in NBA history?
Answer: John Stockton
5. Who has played the most career games in the NBA?
Answer: Robert Parish
6. Which player has the most career three-point field goals made?
Answer: Stephen Curry
7. Who holds the record for the most points scored in a single NBA season?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain
8. What is the record for the most assists in a single NBA game?
Answer: Scott Skiles with 30 assists
9. Who has the most career blocks in NBA history?
Answer: Hakeem Olajuwon
10. Which player achieved the most steals in a single NBA game?
Answer: Kendall Gill tied with Larry Kenon, both with 11 steals
11. What is the record for the most consecutive free throws made?
Answer: Michael Williams made 97 consecutive free throws
12. Which player has the most triple-doubles in NBA history?
Answer: Russell Westbrook
13. Who holds the NBA record for most points in a playoff game?
Answer: Michael Jordan with 63 points
14. Which player has the highest career points per game average in NBA history?
Answer: Michael Jordan
15. What is the longest winning streak in NBA history?
Answer: The Los Angeles Lakers won 33 consecutive games
16. Who has the most NBA championships as a player?
Answer: Bill Russell with 11 championships
17. What is the most points scored by a rookie in a single game?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain with 58 points
18. Who has the most career rebounds in NBA history?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain
19. Which NBA team scored the most points in a single game?
Answer: The Phoenix Suns scored 173 points in a game
20. What is the largest margin of victory in an NBA game?
Answer: The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat by 68 points
21. Which player has won the most NBA Finals MVP awards?
Answer: Michael Jordan with 6 Finals MVP awards
22. Who holds the record for the most free throws made in a single NBA game?
Answer: Adrian Dantley and Wilt Chamberlain both made 28 free throws
23. What is the record for the most rebounds in an NBA season?
Answer: Wilt Chamberlain with 2,149 rebounds
24. Which player has the most career finals appearances?
Answer: LeBron James
25. What is the fastest triple-double recorded in NBA history?
Answer: Nikola Jokic achieved a triple-double in 14 minutes and 33 seconds
26. Who has the most career minutes played in the NBA?
Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
27. Which NBA player has the most seasons played?
Answer: Vince Carter played 22 seasons
28. What is the record for most blocks in a single NBA game?
Answer: Elmore Smith with 17 blocks
29. Who has the highest single-season free throw percentage?
Answer: José Calderón with 98.1% in the 2008-2009 season
30. Which team holds the record for the longest playoff appearance streak?
Answer: The San Antonio Spurs made the playoffs 22 consecutive times from 1998 to 2019
NBA Playoffs and Finals Trivia Questions and Answers
1. Who has the most career points in NBA playoffs history?
Answer: LeBron James
2. What team holds the record for the most NBA championships won?
Answer: Boston Celtics
3. Which player has the most NBA Finals MVP awards?
Answer: Michael Jordan with 6 Finals MVP awards
4. What is the highest number of points scored in a single NBA Finals game?
Answer: Elgin Baylor scored 61 points in 1962
5. Who hit the game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals Game 6?
Answer: Michael Jordan
6. Which team achieved the first-ever 8th seed upset in the first round of the playoffs?
Answer: The Denver Nuggets in 1994
7. Which player has the most triple-doubles in NBA playoffs history?
Answer: Magic Johnson
8. What is the longest playoff game in NBA history, measured by overtimes?
Answer: Boston Celtics vs. Syracuse Nationals in 1953, which went to 4 overtimes
9. Which NBA team has the record for the most wins in a single postseason?
Answer: The 2001 Los Angeles Lakers
10. Who has the most career rebounds in NBA playoffs history?
Answer: Bill Russell
11. Which team holds the record for the highest playoff winning percentage in one season?
Answer: The 2001 Los Angeles Lakers
12. Who is the youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA playoff game?
Answer: Rick Barry
13. What was the first year the NBA introduced the three-point line in the playoffs?
Answer: 1980
14. Which player scored the most points in a single playoff run?
Answer: Michael Jordan in 1992
15. Who has made the most three-pointers in NBA Finals history?
Answer: Stephen Curry
16. Which team made a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals?
Answer: The Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016
17. What is the record for the most blocks in a single NBA Finals game?
Answer: Dwight Howard with 9 blocks in 2009
18. Which player holds the record for the most steals in a single NBA playoffs game?
Answer: Allen Iverson
19. Which team scored the fewest points in an NBA playoff game?
Answer: The Utah Jazz with 54 points in 1998
20. Who is the only player to average a triple-double in the NBA Finals?
Answer: LeBron James in 2017
21. Which player has the most assists in a single NBA Finals game?
Answer: Magic Johnson
22. What is the largest point differential in an NBA Finals game?
Answer: 42 points by the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz in 1998
23. Who was the first player to win an NBA Finals MVP from the losing team?
Answer: Jerry West in 1969
24. Which NBA team has the most consecutive Finals appearances?
Answer: The Boston Celtics with 10 from 1957 to 1966
25. Who holds the record for the most consecutive free throws made in NBA Finals?
Answer: Dirk Nowitzki
26. What is the record for most points scored by a team in an NBA Finals game?
Answer: The Boston Celtics with 148 points in 1985
27. Which player has played in the most NBA Finals games?
Answer: LeBron James
28. Which player holds the record for the most points in a single postseason quarter?
Answer: Sleepy Floyd with 29 points
29. Which NBA team was the first to sweep the Finals 4-0?
Answer: The Philadelphia Warriors in 1956
30. What is the longest streak of consecutive NBA Finals appearances by a player?
Answer: LeBron James, with 8 consecutive Finals appearances from 2011 to 2018
Current Stars and Recent Seasons
1. Who won the NBA MVP award in 2021?
Answer: Nikola Jokic
2. Which team won the NBA championship in 2020 and where was it held?
Answer: The Los Angeles Lakers, held in the Orlando bubble
3. What player broke the record for most triple-doubles in a season in 2017?
Answer: Russell Westbrook
4. Who was the number one draft pick in the 2020 NBA Draft?
Answer: Anthony Edwards
5. Which player scored 70 points in a game in 2017, becoming the youngest ever to do so?
Answer: Devin Booker
6. What team set the record for the longest winning streak to start a season?
Answer: The Golden State Warriors (24 wins in 2015-16)
7. Who won the NBA Three-Point Contest in 2021?
Answer: Stephen Curry
8. Which player won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020?
Answer: Giannis Antetokounmpo
9. Which two players were the first to ever be co-MVPs of the NBA All-Star Game?
Answer: Elgin Baylor and Bob Pettit in 1959
10. Who is the current NBA player with the highest single-game scoring total in the 2020s decade?
Answer: Damian Lillard
11. Which player set the record for the highest average points per game in a single postseason (minimum 15 games)?
Answer: Donovan Mitchell in 2020
12. Who won Rookie of the Year in 2021?
Answer: LaMelo Ball
13. Which team made a historic playoff run as the 8th seed to the NBA Finals?
Answer: The 2021 Phoenix Suns
14. What significant rule change affected NBA gameplay starting in the 2021-2022 season?
Answer: A change in the interpretation of offensive fouls, particularly on non-basketball moves used to draw fouls
15. Which player was the first to return from a ruptured Achilles tendon and win an NBA title?
Answer: Kevin Durant
16. Who was the oldest player in the NBA during the 2020-2021 season?
Answer: Udonis Haslem
17. What NBA player became prominent for his performance in the “NBA Bubble” playoffs?
Answer: Jamal Murray
18. Which NBA player changed teams in 2021 and dramatically improved their new team’s performance?
Answer: Chris Paul moving to the Phoenix Suns
19. Who led the NBA in assists per game in the 2021 season?
Answer: Russell Westbrook
20. What was unique about the 2020 NBA Draft?
Answer: It was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
21. Which player broke the record for most three-pointers made in a season?
Answer: Stephen Curry in 2016
22. Which NBA team lost the most games in the 2020-2021 season?
Answer: The Houston Rockets
23. What unusual achievement did Nikola Jokic accomplish in the 2020-2021 season?
Answer: He played every single game of the season, rare for an MVP
24. Who scored the most total points in the 2020-2021 NBA season?
Answer: Stephen Curry
25. What was controversial about the 2021 NBA All-Star Game?
Answer: It was held despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, against many players’ preferences.
26. Which team had the best regular-season record in the NBA in 2021?
Answer: Utah Jazz
27. Which player achieved a 50-point triple-double in the playoffs?
Answer: Luka Doncic
28. Who was named the Most Improved Player in 2021?
Answer: Julius Randle
29. Which NBA player set a record for most points in a debut playoff game?
Answer: Ja Morant
30. What team achieved a comeback from a 3-1 playoff series deficit in recent years?
Answer: The Denver Nuggets in 2020 against the Utah Jazz
Fun NBA Trivia Questions and Answers
1. Which NBA player is known for his extensive sneaker collection?
Answer: P.J. Tucker
2. What unusual hobby does Tim Duncan have that involves characters and storytelling?
Answer: Dungeons and Dragons
3. Which NBA player starred in a film with Bugs Bunny?
Answer: Michael Jordan in “Space Jam”
4. Who is the NBA player known for his love of cooking and has his own YouTube cooking show?
Answer: Serge Ibaka
5. What unique pre-game ritual does Kevin Garnett have involving a basketball hoop?
Answer: He headbutts the padding under the basketball hoop.
6. Which NBA player is known for his interest in weather and wanted to be a meteorologist?
Answer: Kevin Durant
7. Who has a fear of sharks that affects his beach vacations?
Answer: John Wall
8. Which NBA player once missed a game due to an allergic reaction to avocado?
Answer: Al Horford
9. What NBA star is also known for his skill in chess?
Answer: Kyrie Irving
10. Which player famously said he wanted to become an “astronaut” after retiring from basketball?
Answer: Shaquille O’Neal
11. Which NBA player is known to be vegan?
Answer: Chris Paul
12. What former NBA player has his number retired by the Miami Heat, despite never playing for them?
Answer: Michael Jordan
13. Which NBA player is known for his love of skateboarding?
Answer: Shaun Livingston
14. Who was known for changing hairstyles frequently, including a rainbow-colored style in the playoffs?
Answer: Dennis Rodman
15. What NBA legend owns a massive car garage and has over 100 cars?
Answer: Jay Leno
16. Which current NBA player has a mini-pig as a pet?
Answer: JaVale McGee
17. Which player turned part of his house into a nightclub?
Answer: Joe Johnson
18. Who is known for having a pet alligator?
Answer: Gilbert Arenas
19. What player made a cameo in the movie ‘Trainwreck’ directed by Judd Apatow?
Answer: LeBron James
20. Which NBA player claims to have never drunk or smoked in his life?
Answer: Karl Malone
21. Which retired player became famous for his role as an analyst using peculiar catchphrases like ‘BBQ Chicken’?
Answer: Shaquille O’Neal
22. Which player regularly uses yoga and meditation in his training routine?
Answer: LeBron James
23. Who is the NBA player that famously saved someone from drowning?
Answer: Carmelo Anthony
24. What NBA player has an interest in art and often visits galleries and museums?
Answer: Russell Westbrook
25. Which player released a rap album under the name “Dame D.O.L.L.A.”?
Answer: Damian Lillard
26. What NBA legend claims to have seen a UFO?
Answer: Baron Davis
27. Which NBA player has a tattoo inspired by Harry Potter?
Answer: DeAndre Jordan
28. Who is the NBA player known for his philanthropy work in Africa, building hospitals and schools?
Answer: Luol Deng
29. What player has a twin who also played in the NBA?
Answer: Robin Lopez (his twin brother, Brook Lopez, also plays)
30. Which NBA player competed in the World Series of Poker?
Answer: Paul Pierce
