Basketball

Question 1

CENTER
BOSTON CELTICS (1960s)
NBA record for player titles, with 11
Great rebounder, like his rival WILT CHAMBERLAIN
NBA Finals MVP award is named for him

Answer 1

BILL RUSSELL

Question 2

CENTER
LA SPARKS (1997-2009)
1st woman to dunk in a pro game

Answer 2

LISA LESLIE

Question 3

CENTER
HOUSTON ROCKETS (2000s)
Chinese (Shanghai-born)
Played for Shanghai Sharks
7’6”
Nicknamed the “Great Wall”

Answer 3

YAO MING

Question 4

Coach
UCLA Bruins (1949-75)
Won 10 national titles between 1964 & 1975
Nicknamed “Wizard of Westwood”
Played for Purdue in college
First person in the Basketball HOF as both player and coach

Answer 4

JOHN WOODEN

Question 5

Coach
CHICAGO BULLS (1990s)
LA LAKERS (2000s)
Played for the NY Knicks (1970s)
Nicknamed “Zen Master”

Answer 5

PHIL JACKSON

Question 6

Coach
DUKE BLUE DEVILS (since 1980)
Nicknamed “Coach K”

Answer 6

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI

Question 7

FORWARD
DETROIT PISTONS (1986-93)
CHICAGO BULLS (1995-98)
Frequently led the NBA in rebounds
Nicknamed “The Worm”
Briefly married CARMEN ELECTRA (in 1998)
Friend of KIM JONG UN
Famously wore a wedding dress

Answer 7

DENNIS RODMAN

Question 8

Center
LSU Tigers
Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavs, & Celtics
Nicknamed “Big Baryshnikov” & “Diesel”, among others
Notorious free throw issues (once went 0/11)
Icy Hot spokesman
Rapper, “____ Diesel” (1993)
Film actor in “Blue Chips” (1994) & “Kazaam” (1996)
7’1”, 325lb, shoe size 23

Answer 8

SHAQUILLE O’NEAL

SHAQ

Question 9

College coach
Tennessee’s Lady Volunteers (“Lady Vols”) 1974-2012
More than 1000 NCAA wins, most of any coach (at least at the time)
Died in 2016

Answer 9

PAT SUMMITT

Question 10

Coach
Boston Celtics (1950s-60s)
Namesake of NBA’s “Coach of the Year” award

Answer 10

RED AUERBACH

Question 11

UCLA’s basketball arena in Westwood
Has a “John Wooden Court” named for the coach

Answer 11

PAULEY PAVILION

Question 12

Basketball move
One player passes
The other jumps and, in midair, catches & dunks the ball

Answer 12

ALLEY-OOP

Question 13

Point guard
SuperSonics (1990s)
“The Glove”

Answer 13

GARY PAYTON

Question 14

76ers (late 1970s)
Known for shattering backboards
“Chocolate Thunder”

Answer 14

DARRYL DAWKINS

Question 15

Shooting guard
Played exclusively for LA Lakers (1996-2016)
Named for beef, and his father Joe’s nickname
Gave name to a Nike shoe

Answer 15

KOBE BEAN BRYANT

Question 16

Shooting guard, #24
2008 MVP
“Black Mamba”
Died in 2020 helicopter crash with daughter Gianna

Answer 16

KOBE BEAN BRYANT

Question 17

Reptilian nickname of Kobe Bryant

Answer 17

BLACK MAMBA

Question 18

Home stadium of LA Lakers & LA Clippers (NBA)
Home rink of LA Kings (NHL)
Usual host of the Grammy awards

Answer 18

CRYPTO.COM ARENA
(Formerly STAPLES CENTER)

Question 19

NCAA’s men’s basketball tournament of 64 teams (since 1985)
Alliterative month
Played in a bracket
Began 1939
Goes to a “Sweet Sixteen”, “Elite Eight”, & “Final Four”

Answer 19

MARCH MADNESS

Question 20

Famed rivals of the 1980s/90s
Co-captains of USA’s Olympic “Dream Team”
Wrote “When the Game Was Ours”
Alternated MVP awards with Michael Jordan
Played for the Celtics & Lakers

Answer 20

LARRY BIRD & EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON

Question 21

Forward, #33
“The Hick from French Lick” (Indiana)
Indiana State
Celtics (1979-92) - 3 championships
NBA MVP 1984, ‘85, & ‘86
Coached Pacers (1997-2000)

Answer 21

LARRY BIRD

Question 22

Point guard, #32
Michigan State
LA Lakers (1979-96) - part of the “Showtime” era
Retired unexpectedly (temporarily) in 1991 after announcing positive HIV/AIDS status
Now co-owns Dodgers

Answer 22

EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON