Hall of Fame: Class of 2009 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Springfield, Massachusetts

The James Naismith Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was established in 1959 to honor contributors to the great sport of basketball. The institution is named after James Naismith, the inventor of modern basketball. In most years, the induction ceremony is held in the museum's auditorium, which seats about 300 people.

However, due to the high volume of ticket demand (because of Michael Jordan's induction), the 2009 ceremony was moved to the much larger Springfield Symphony Hall.

The city of Springfield is located in the western part of Massachusetts, about 85 miles west of Boston.

Answer: David Thompson

It is customary at the Naismith Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for each new member to be formally introduced by a Hall of Famer of his or her choice. Many people thought that Michael Jordan would choose his former coach at North Carolina, Dean Smith.

However, Jordan selected David Thompson to introduce him. Jordan said that he greatly admired Thompson's ability on the basketball court while at NC State, as well as Thompson's courage and compassion off the court. Thompson retired from the NBA in 1984 and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1996. Julius Erving attended the University of Massachusetts, George Gervin played ball at Long Beach State and Eastern Michigan, and Clyde Drexler attended Houston.

Answer: Gonzaga

Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, WA, is officially nicknamed the Bulldogs, although many people refer to its athletes as "the Zags". Stockton, a native of Spokane, became the first player in the school's history to score 1000 points and register 500 assists. Stockton then went on to fame and fortune playing for the Utah Jazz for the next 20 seasons. Washington State's nickname is the Cougars, Eastern Washington's teams are called the Eagles, and Puget Sound is called the Loggers.

Answer: San Antonio Spurs

David Robinson played collegiate basketball at the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1987. He then joined the San Antonio Spurs during the 1989-90 season. "The Admiral" was a mainstay with the Spurs until his retirement following the 2002-03 season. Robinson helped San Antonio to win two NBA titles in 1999 and again in 2003.

Answer: 4

Before becoming a Hall of Fame coach, Jerry Sloan had a solid playing career with the Chicago Bulls. His number 4 uniform became synonymous with tough defense and clutch scoring during his 11 seasons with the Bulls. Sloan's number 4 was formally retired in February 1978 by the club at Chicago Stadium. Bob Love wore uniform number 10, Scottie Pippen was number 33, and, of course, Michael Jordan wore number 23.

Answer: Doug Collins

Michael Jordan played with the Chicago Bulls for 13 seasons (1984-1998). During that time, Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA titles. He "retired" after the 1997-98 season but decided to make a comeback with the Washington Wizards during the 2001-02 season. Doug Collins, a player with the Philadelphia 76ers from 1973 to 1981, was Jordan's coach for Michael's last two years in the NBA. Collins had a two-season record of 74-90 with Washington. Overall, Collins compiled an NBA coaching mark of 332-287 with the Bulls, Pistons and Wizards. Bickerstaff and Brovelli were Washington coaches who never played in the NBA. Wes Unseld, a star player for the Bullets, coached Washington from 1987 to 1994.

Answer: Karl Malone

John Stockton very quietly compiled some remarkable scoring statistics during his NBA career with 15,806 assists, 3265 steals, and 19,711 points scored. Stockton's Utah Jazz teammate Karl "The Mailman" Malone was the chief recipient of many of Stockton's assists. Malone scored over 36,000 points during his career, most of them while playing for the Jazz. Quite fittingly, the Jazz honored both Stockton and Malone by placing statues of this dynamic duo outside the Jazz's arena.

Answer: He became the first NBA coach to win 1000 regular season games with one team.

Jerry Sloan started his NBA coaching days with the Chicago Bulls. The team had a record of 30-52 and missed the playoffs. Sloan stayed with Chicago from 1979 to 1982 and then began coaching the Utah Jazz during the 1988-89 season. On November 7, 2008, Sloan became the first NBA coach to win 1000 regular season games with one team when the Jazz defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chuck Daly was the coach of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.

Answer: Center

David Robinson played center throughout his NBA career. Robinson used his height to good advantage. Opponents' shots were often blocked in "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood". Robinson and teammate Tim Duncan formed a powerful front line which provided prolific scoring and solid rebounding.

Answer: Cheyney University

C. Vivian Stringer was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 for her many years of outstanding leadership in women's collegiate basketball. Stringer began her career at Cheyney University in 1972, coaching the Wolves until 1983. In 2000, Stringer became the first coach to lead three different schools (Cheyney, Iowa and Rutgers) to the NCAA Final Four in Division I basketball. Pittsburgh is nicknamed the Panthers, Lafayette is known as the Leopards, and Temple is nicknamed the Owls.