NBA and ABA History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Minneapolis Lakers

Wilt left the University of Kansas after his junior year due to frustration over being guarded and fouled by as many as 3 players at one time without the foul calls being made. He briefly toured with the Globetrotters from 1958-59, mostly playing a guard position.

He joined the Phiadelphia Warriors in 1959, staying with them when they moved to San Francisco in 1962-65. In 1965 he was dealt to the Phiadelphia 76ers and played there until 1968, winning an NBA title in 1967. In 1968, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won a championship in 1972.

In 1973, he signed a contract as player/coach for the ABA San Diego Conquistadors. Wilt never played for the Q's (because of legal problems) but did have a 37-47 win/loss record and a play-off record of 1-1 in his only season as a head coach.

Answer: Nate "Tiny" Archibald

In 1972, while playing for the Kansas City/Omaha Kings, "Nate the Skate" averaged 34 points per game and 11.4 assists per game to lead the league in both statistical categories. Nate Archibald was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.

Answer: Milwaukee Bucks

The good "Doctor" was selected by the Bucks with the #12 pick in the 1972 NBA draft. However, Erving left the University of Massachussets after his junior season in 1971, signing with the ABA's Virginia Squires because underclassman were not yet allowed to play in the NBA.

He was subsequently traded in 1973 to the New York Nets [ABA]. When the ABA folded in 1976, the Nets gained entry into the NBA and Dr. J's contract was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers to help Net owner Roy Boe pay the territorial rights fee owed to the NY Knicks. Julius Erving was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Answer: Oscar Robertson

During the 1961-62 season, while playing 79 games for the Cincinnatti Royals, "The Big O" averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. Oscar Robertson was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Answer: Billy Paultz

The 6'11", 255 pound center, who was nick-named the "Whopper", played 6 years in the ABA with the NY Nets and the San Antonio Spurs, and 9 years in the NBA with the Spurs, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and Utah Jazz, participating in the ABA or NBA play-offs every year of his career and winning an ABA championship with the NY Nets in 1974. During his tenure with the Nets [1970 - 1975], the team never had a losing season!

Answer: Rick Barry

During his senior season at the University of Miami [1964-65], Rick led all NCAA Division I players with a 37.4 ppg average. In 1966-67, while playing for the San Francisco Warriors, he led the NBA in scoring with a 35.6 ppg average. In 1968-69, with the ABA Oakland Oaks, he averaged 34 ppg to lead the league in scoring even though he played only 35 games due to a knee injury.

When the ABA went out of business in 1976, Barry's scoring trifecta was guaranteed to be a record that will stand the test of time as unbreakable. Rick Barry was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.

Answer: Wes Unseld

As a 6'7" rookie center for the Baltimore Bullets in 1968-69, Unseld averaged 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds and was named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player while playing against the legendary centers of NBA history: Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Willis Reed, Nate Thurmond, and Walt Bellamy. Wes Unseld was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Answer: Dave DeBusschere

In 1962, DeBusschere signed contracts to play for both the Chicago White Sox [MLB] and the Detroit Pistons [NBA]. He played major and minor league baseball for 4 years, winning 3 games and losing 4 in the majors and going 25-9 in AAA ball. In 1964, at 24 years old, and 18 months out of college, "Big D" was named player-coach for the Detroit Pistons, a position he held for 3 years while compiling a 79-143 record with no play-off appearances.

In 1968, he was traded to the NY Knicks, where he helped win two NBA championships.

After his retirement from the NBA in 1974, DeBusschere was named vice-president and general manager of the ABA NY Nets. In 1975, he assumed the position of ABA commissioner; the ABA folded in 1976 and DeBusschere helped broker the absorption of four ABA teams [the Nets, Indianapolis Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets] into the NBA.

In 1982, he returned to the Knicks as executive vice-president and director of basketball operations. In that position, he made Patrick Ewing the first-ever #1 NBA lottery pick. Dave DeBusschere was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983 and passed away 13-May-2003 at 63 years old.

Answer: Calvin Murphy

In 1980-81, the 5'9" Murphy hit 206 of 215 free-throws, including a then-league record 78 in a row [broken by Michael Williams/97 and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf/81, both in 1993] for a .958 average. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Answer: Gail Goodrich and Jerry West

During the 1971-72 NBA season, in which the Los Angeles Lakers won 33 straight games, went 69-13, and won the NBA championship, Goodrich averaged 25.9 ppg and West averaged 25.8 ppg. Jerry West was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, Gail Goodrich in 1996.

Answer: San Diego Conquistadors

The Conquistadors were an ABA expansion team, competing for the first time during the 1972-73 season and becoming defunct by the end of the 1975 season. Team highlights include the "Q's" being the first team for which K.C. Jones served as head coach and the signing of Wilt Chamberlain away from the L.A. Lakers. "The Big Dipper" never played a game for the Conquistadors due to a lawsuit over his contractural status with the Lakers but he did serve as head coach from 1973-74.

Answer: Connie Hawkins

The plight of Connie Hawkins was documented in his autobiography "Foul: The Connie Hawkins' Story", written by David Wolf. "The Hawk" finally won admittance into the NBA in 1969 at the age of 27 when his ban was lifted as part of an antitrust lawsuit settlement from which he also received one million dollars.

He went on to play for the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Atlanta Hawks. Connie Hawkins was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Answer: False

"The Dipper" NEVER fouled out of a game; however, he was ejected from 2 games. Wilt Chamberlain was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and passed away on 12-Oct-1999 at the age of 63.

Answer: Lenny Wilkens

Lenny Wilkens, who has participated in an NBA record 3300-plus games as a player and coach, entered the Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and as a coach in 1998. He had coached the most wins and losses in NBA history.

Answer: Jerry West

Jerry West played his entire 14 year [1960-74] Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA championship in 1972. In 1976, he became the coach of the Lakers, compiling a 145-101 win-loss record [.569] in 3 years [1978-79]. From 1979-2002, he held managerial/consultant positions with the Lakers, helping guide the team to 8 NBA championships.

In 2002, he became president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies.