32 Basketball Quiz Questions with Answers (Trivia)

32 basketball quiz questions with answers, from the rules of the game to NBA records and nicknames. The full answer key sits at the end.

Every question comes with three options and keeps the correct one behind a reveal button, so you can keep an honest score. If you would rather have the basketball trivia questions and answers in one place, the answer key under the scoring table lists all 32 in order. Read the questions about basketball out loud and the same set works as a quiz round for a team or a classroom, which is how most of these basketball quiz questions get used.

1. What year did James Naismith invent basketball?

A) 1891
B) 1896
C) 1900

2. How many points is a free throw worth in basketball?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3

3. What is the maximum number of players a team can have on the court during a basketball game?

A) 4
B) 5
C) 6

4. Which player has the record for the most points scored in a single NBA game?

A) Michael Jordan
B) Kobe Bryant
C) Wilt Chamberlain

5. What is the regulation height of a basketball hoop?

A) 9 feet
B) 10 feet
C) 11 feet

6. What is the term for the offensive strategy of continuously passing the ball to advance it up the court?

A) Pick and Roll
B) Fast Break
C) Give and Go

7. Which team won the first-ever NBA Championship in 1947?

A) Boston Celtics
B) Philadelphia Warriors
C) Minneapolis Lakers

8. How many personal fouls does it take to be disqualified from an NBA game?

A) 5
B) 6
C) 7

9. Which NBA team won the most championships?

A) Chicago Bulls
B) Los Angeles Lakers
C) Boston Celtics

10. Who was nicknamed “The Round Mound of Rebound”?

A) Shaquille O’Neal
B) Charles Barkley
C) Karl Malone

11. Who is the NBA's all-time leading scorer?

A) LeBron James
B) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
C) Karl Malone

12. Which player was the first to average a triple-double for a full NBA season?

A) Wilt Chamberlain
B) Oscar Robertson
C) Magic Johnson

13. What does the term ‘Airball’ mean in basketball?

A) A shot that misses the rim and the backboard
B) A shot that bounces off the rim
C) A shot that only hits the backboard

14. What is the common term for regaining possession of the ball after a missed shot?

A) Rebounding
B) Stealing
C) Blocking

15. What is the NBA event that decides the draft order for the teams that missed the playoffs?

A) The Draft Combine
B) The Draft Lottery
C) The Summer League

16. In which city is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame located?

A) Chicago, Illinois
B) Indianapolis, Indiana
C) Springfield, Massachusetts

17. What famous NBA player is known as “The King”?

A) Michael Jordan
B) LeBron James
C) Kobe Bryant

18. How many minutes are in a standard NBA game?

A) 40 minutes
B) 48 minutes
C) 60 minutes

19. What is the most points an individual player has scored in a single quarter of an NBA game?

A) 29 points
B) 33 points
C) 37 points

21. Which NBA player was nicknamed “Magic”?

A) Larry Bird
B) Magic Johnson
C) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

22. Who is the youngest player to score 30,000 points in their NBA career?

A) LeBron James
B) Kobe Bryant
C) Michael Jordan

23. Which position is traditionally responsible for bringing the ball up the court and running the offense?

A) Point guard
B) Center
C) Power forward

24. In what year did the three-point line get introduced into the NBA?

A) 1968
B) 1979
C) 1984

25. Which team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008, changing their name in the process?

A) Seattle SuperSonics
B) Seattle Storm
C) Seattle Reign

26. Who holds the NBA record for most blocked shots in a career?

A) Hakeem Olajuwon
B) Dikembe Mutombo
C) Shaquille O’Neal

27. Who was the first player to be drafted straight out of high school in the NBA?

A) Kobe Bryant
B) LeBron James
C) Moses Malone

28. What was the original name of the NBA before it became the National Basketball Association?

A) Basketball Association of America
B) American Professional Basketball League
C) National Basketball League

29. Which NBA team plays their home games at Madison Square Garden?

A) Brooklyn Nets
B) New York Knicks
C) Chicago Bulls

30. Which college did Michael Jordan play for before entering the NBA?

A) Duke University
B) University of North Carolina
C) Georgetown University

31. Who is the all-time leading scorer in the WNBA?

A) Diana Taurasi
B) Tina Charles
C) Candace Parker

32. What is the name of the trophy awarded to the winner of the NBA Finals?

A) Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Trophy
B) Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy
C) Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Trophy

33. Who is the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made?

A) Ray Allen
B) Reggie Miller
C) Stephen Curry

Results

# of Correct Answers	Percentage Range	Label	Description
0-	0-49%	BenchwarmerArmchair Athlete	You've got some learning to do, but don't worry, there's always the next game!
-	50-64%	Rookie ShooterRookie Runner	Not bad! Keep practicing, and you'll be a sports trivia champ in no time.
-	65-79%	Jump Shot JourneymanMidfield Maestro	Impressive! You're getting closer to the top, keep up the good work.
-	80-94%	Court ContenderAll-Star Striker	Wow, you really know your sports trivia! You're a force to be reckoned with.
-32	95-100%	Slam Dunk SuperstarLegendary Champion	Unbelievable! You're a true sports trivia master. Your knowledge knows no bounds!

Basketball Quiz Answers: The Full Answer Key

Every question in this basketball quiz with its correct answer, in the order the questions appear above. Check your score against the table, or use the list as a set of basketball trivia questions and answers for a quiz night of your own.

#	Question	Answer
1	What year did James Naismith invent basketball?	A) 1891
2	How many points is a free throw worth in basketball?	A) 1
3	What is the maximum number of players a team can have on the court during a basketball game?	B) 5
4	Which player has the record for the most points scored in a single NBA game?	C) Wilt Chamberlain
5	What is the regulation height of a basketball hoop?	B) 10 feet
6	What is the term for the offensive strategy of continuously passing the ball to advance it up the court?	B) Fast Break
7	Which team won the first-ever NBA Championship in 1947?	B) Philadelphia Warriors
8	How many personal fouls does it take to be disqualified from an NBA game?	B) 6
9	Which NBA team won the most championships?	C) Boston Celtics
10	Who was nicknamed "The Round Mound of Rebound"?	B) Charles Barkley
11	Who is the NBA's all-time leading scorer?	A) LeBron James
12	Which player was the first to average a triple-double for a full NBA season?	B) Oscar Robertson
13	What does the term 'Airball' mean in basketball?	A) A shot that misses the rim and the backboard
14	What is the common term for regaining possession of the ball after a missed shot?	A) Rebounding
15	What is the NBA event that decides the draft order for the teams that missed the playoffs?	B) The Draft Lottery
16	In which city is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame located?	C) Springfield, Massachusetts
17	What famous NBA player is known as "The King"?	B) LeBron James
18	How many minutes are in a standard NBA game?	B) 48 minutes
19	What is the most points an individual player has scored in a single quarter of an NBA game?	C) 37 points
20	Which NBA player was nicknamed "Magic"?	B) Magic Johnson
21	Who is the youngest player to score 30,000 points in their NBA career?	A) LeBron James
22	Which position is traditionally responsible for bringing the ball up the court and running the offense?	A) Point guard
23	In what year did the three-point line get introduced into the NBA?	B) 1979
24	Which team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008, changing their name in the process?	A) Seattle SuperSonics
25	Who holds the NBA record for most blocked shots in a career?	A) Hakeem Olajuwon
26	Who was the first player to be drafted straight out of high school in the NBA?	C) Moses Malone
27	What was the original name of the NBA before it became the National Basketball Association?	A) Basketball Association of America
28	Which NBA team plays their home games at Madison Square Garden?	B) New York Knicks
29	Which college did Michael Jordan play for before entering the NBA?	B) University of North Carolina
30	Who is the all-time leading scorer in the WNBA?	A) Diana Taurasi
31	What is the name of the trophy awarded to the winner of the NBA Finals?	B) Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy
32	Who is the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made?	C) Stephen Curry

Test your knowledge of the sport, and then learn more about the most important basketball tournaments to challenge your understanding further.

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FAQ

How many questions are in this basketball quiz?

There are 32 questions. Each one gives three options, and the correct answer sits behind the reveal button under the question.

Where can I find the basketball trivia questions and answers together?

The answer key near the bottom of the page lists all 32 questions with their correct answers in the order they appear, so you can mark a whole round at once.

Are these basketball trivia questions hard?

They are mixed. The opening questions cover rules and measurements that any player knows, while the later ones move into records, draft history and franchise trivia.

Can I use these basketball questions for a pub quiz or a team night?

Yes. Read the question and the three options out loud, let everyone write down a letter, then work through the answer key and count the correct ones.

Is there a basketball quiz for kids?

The first ten questions work well for younger players because they stick to the rules, the court and famous nicknames. The record questions later on suit adults.

What is a good score on this basketball quiz?

Half the questions is a solid result. The scoring table turns your number of correct answers into a rank, from Benchwarmer at the bottom to Slam Dunk Superstar at the top.

What are some good questions to ask about basketball?

The ones that work best have a single clear answer: who invented the game, how high the hoop is, which team has the most titles. Every question here is built that way.