Quiz for Basketball Fans Who Think They Know the Game

The Charlotte Bobcats, now known as the Charlotte Hornets, set the record for the worst winning percentage in NBA history during the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, winning just 7 of 66 games for a 0.106 winning percentage. Their record established a benchmark for futility in the league and prompted significant franchise changes in subsequent years including a rebrand back to the Hornets name in 2014 when the original Hornets name was reclaimed from the New Orleans franchise.

The answer is True. The NBA introduced the 14-second shot clock reset on offensive rebounds in 2018-19, changing the previous rule which had reset the shot clock to the full 24 seconds. The change was designed to reduce the advantage gained from deliberate offensive rebound situations and to speed up the game. The 14-second reset applies only when the offensive team retains possession following a rebound off their own missed field goal attempt.

Hakeem Olajuwon was selected first overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, ahead of Sam Bowie at second and Michael Jordan at third. The 1984 class is widely considered the greatest in NBA history and the selection of Bowie over Jordan by the Portland Trail Blazers is remembered as one of the most consequential draft decisions of all time. Olajuwon went on to win two championships, two Finals MVP awards, and is regarded as one of the greatest centers in NBA history.

A prayer shot, also commonly called a heave or a Hail Mary in basketball, refers to a desperate shot attempt taken as the shot clock is about to expire or at the end of a quarter. The term reflects the low probability of success and the element of chance involved. Unlike a buzzer beater, which refers to a made shot at the end of a period, a prayer shot describes the attempt itself regardless of outcome and is a widely recognized informal basketball term used by players, coaches, and commentators.

The answer is False. While the NBA did introduce the three-point line in the 1979-80 season, it was not the first major professional basketball league in North America to adopt the rule. The American Basketball Association introduced the three-point line when the league launched in 1967, over a decade before the NBA adopted it. When the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, the three-point line was initially not carried over, but the NBA introduced it three seasons later in 1979-80.

LeBron James was named the 2016 NBA Finals MVP after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their historic comeback from 3-1 down against the Golden State Warriors. James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game and delivered a legendary chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the final minutes of Game 7. The block preserved a tie that Kyrie Irving broke with a three-pointer shortly after, allowing James to add a clinching free throw for the final score.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird defined the NBA rivalry of the 1980s, facing each other in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987. Johnson won the championship in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988 with the Lakers while Bird won in 1981, 1984, and 1986 with the Celtics. Their rivalry is widely credited with rescuing the NBA from declining ratings and interest in the late 1970s and transforming the league into the global entertainment powerhouse it became under Commissioner David Stern.

The answer is True. When a player is fouled in the act of shooting a three-point attempt and the shot goes in, they are awarded one additional free throw for a potential four-point play. This is one of the most exciting and rare plays in basketball. Players such as Jamal Crawford, Damian Lillard, and James Harden have been associated with drawing fouls on three-point attempts through their shooting technique, and the four-point play has become increasingly common in the modern era of the sport.

John Stockton played his entire 19-year career with the Utah Jazz and holds the all-time NBA record for career assists with 15,806, a total that also includes the all-time steals record with 3,265. His partnership with Karl Malone in the pick and roll produced one of the most efficient and celebrated player combinations in basketball history. Stockton and Malone reached the NBA Finals twice, in 1997 and 1998, losing both times to the Chicago Bulls.

A team is eliminated after losing four games in a best-of-seven series, the Finals is best-of-seven, and home court advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record. However, the number one seed does not always face the number two seed in the first round. In the NBA playoffs, the first round matchups are determined by seeding with the number one seed facing the eighth seed and the number two seed facing the seventh seed. The top seeds do not face each other until later rounds.

The Golden State Warriors set the all-time NBA regular season wins record by finishing 73-9 in the 2015-16 season, surpassing the Chicago Bulls' previous record of 72-10 from the 1995-96 season. Despite the historic record, the Warriors lost the NBA Finals that year to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, making their season a cautionary tale about regular season dominance not guaranteeing postseason success. Stephen Curry was named the unanimous MVP that season.

The answer is False. While the NBA All-Star Game was historically played between Eastern Conference and Western Conference all-stars, the league changed the format in 2018 to a non-conference based draft format. Instead of East versus West, the two players who received the most fan votes as the leading vote-getters in each conference serve as team captains and draft their own teams from the pool of All-Star selections regardless of conference affiliation. This draft format replaced the traditional East versus West structure.

Allen Iverson, nicknamed The Answer, won the NBA MVP award in the 2000-01 season and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals where they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Iverson was famous for his crossover dribble, his ability to score despite standing just six feet tall, and his enormous cultural impact on basketball and popular culture. He wore number 3 and was an 11-time All-Star, and his influence on how the game is played and perceived extended far beyond his statistics.

Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to average 50 points per game across an entire season, averaging 50.4 in the 1961-62 campaign. He also holds the single-season rebounding average record at 27.2 per game, set in the same season. Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors, San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers during his career, winning championships in 1967 and 1972. His statistical dominance across multiple categories remains unmatched in the history of professional basketball.

Wilt scored 100 points in 1962, Stockton has 15,806 career assists, and the Warriors went 73-9 in 2015-16, all correct. However, LeBron James broke the all-time scoring record by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career total of 38,387 points, not Michael Jordan's. Jordan's career total of approximately 32,292 points ranks fifth all-time. Confusing Kareem and Jordan as the previous record holder is a common misconception, making option D an inaccurate statement.