Basketball #4 Trivia Quiz

Answer: 4

Reed had bad knees, and had torn a muscle in one of his legs in game five of the series. He missed most of that game and the entire game six. Not expected to play in game seven, Reed did not appear on the court with his teammates during pre-game warm ups. Rather, Reed was in the locker room getting an injection for the pain. Hobbling onto the court at Madison Square Garden just before tip-off, Reed electrified the crowd.

He was placed in the game as a starter and scored the first two baskets of the game, which proved to be his entire game output.

He spent much of the rest of the game as a cheerleader on the sidelines, watching his team defeat the Lakers 113-99, taking the series in seven games.

Answer: Jumping Joe

Jumping Joe Fulks played for the Philadelphia Warriors from 1946 to 1953 (in both the BAA and the NBA). The nickname 'Jumping Joe' was given to Fulks because of his quick moves and athleticism. Fulks revolutionized the game with his one-handed shooting style (he was ambidextrous). Fulks averaged 24 points a game at a time when there was no shot clock, and entire teams were averaging in the 50s and 60s. His highest scoring game came against the Indianapolis Jets on Feb. 9, 1949, when he poured in a stunning 63 points.

Answer: Wilt Chamberlain

Rick Barry's career shooting average from the free throw line was a whopping 90%, second all-time for NBA players. Wilt Chamberlain's average wasn't so stellar, however. He shot a lowly 51% from the free-throw line during his career. Chamberlain tried other styles as well, one-handed, two-handed, nothing seemed to work. By the way, when I was a kid, we called the underhanded style the 'grannie' shot. What about you?

Answer: Larry Johnson

Former Charlotte Hornet and New York Knick (and UNLV Rebel) Larry Johnson did a series of Converse advertisements where he played himself and his grandmother, 'Grandmama'. His offcourt persona, Grandmama, became such a media phenomenon that he even made a guest appearance in his elderly, feminine guise on the television show 'Family Matters' in 1993.

Answer: George Mikan

Former Minneapolis Laker center George Mikan served as the first ABA commissioner from 1967 to 1969. A basketball hall-of-famer, Mikan played for the Chicago Gears for a season before moving to the Minneapolis Lakers where he played from 1947 to 1956 (in the NBL, the BAA and the NBA). At 6-10, he was the first of many dominant centers in the NBA.

Answer: Utah Jazz

Naturally, a Utah Jazz question (what did you expect?) The Jazz played in the Salt Palace from the time they moved to Utah in 1980 until 1992, when the Delta Center was opened. The Salt Palace still exists in downtown Salt Lake City, but the original basketball arena is now gone, replaced by a convention center. Ah, the memories...

Answer: Mehmet Okur

Okur, who played for the Pistons during their 2003-4 championship season, hails from Turkey. The names Hedo Turkoglu and Mirsad Turkcan kind of give away the former two players' country of origin, don't they? Turkoglu (whose first name is actually Hidayet) has played for the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings, while Turkcan has been the Bucks and the Knicks (but was drafted by the Rockets). Turkey is a team to watch on the international stage!

Answer: San Antonio Spurs

Jerry Tarkanian had a great amount of success coaching Long Beach St. and UNLV in the college ranks, including a national title with the Rebels in 1990, but had some troubles with the NCAA over recruiting irregularities (hey, it's Vegas!) Tarkanian was selected to coach the Spurs in 1992, but only lasted 20 games before he was fired...they were 9-11. Tarkanian returned to college basketball in 1995, coaching Fresno St.

His problems with 'irregularities' continued in Fresno...ahem!

Answer: 2001

The first game of Jordan's streak occurred on March 22, 1986 against the Cavaliers, one of Jordan's favorite targets throughout his career. Another team that considered the Bulls a nemesis, the Indiana Pacers, were finally able to shut Jordan down in a game in 2001 against the Jordan-led Wizards. Jordan only scored six points in that game. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Answer: No

Eddie Gaedel, who appeared for one at bat in a 1951 Cleveland Browns game (a Bill Veeck publicity stunt), stood 3 ft. 7 inches. Tyrone 'Muggsy' Bogues would tower over poor Eddie at 5 ft. 3 inches tall. Bogues was no publicity stunt, playing 14 years in the NBA from 1987 to 2001 for several teams, most notably the Charlotte Hornets. I hope you enjoyed this quiz and thank you for playing.