FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

The Infamous 1986 NBA Draft Trivia Quiz

If you look at the different player drafts of the major US professional sports leagues, you'd be hard pressed to find a draft with more failure, tragedy, and odd characters in it, than the 1986 NBA draft.

A multiple-choice quiz by BaronTR. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
BaronTR

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
109,730

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
5

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
3 / 5

Plays
1476

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 5

1. The second overall pick was Len Bias. He remains the most tragic of the group, as he died of a cocaine overdose 48 hours after being drafted. What team drafted him? Hint

Boston

Golden State

Cleveland

Houston

NEXT>

Question 2 of 5

2. The third pick, was Chris Washburn from North Carolina State. He would eventually be suspended for drug use, but gained particular infamy in college, when it was revealed that he scored how much on the SAT college entrance test? Hint

600

470

375

800

NEXT>

Question 3 of 5

3. William Bedford was the 6th overall pick in the draft. What was his career scoring average? Hint

10.2 ppg

6.7 ppg

8.9 ppg

4.1 ppg

NEXT>

Question 4 of 5

4. Roy Tarpley was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks as the 7th overall pick, but a knee injury and medication abuse left him with a disappointing career as well. Did Roy Tarpley win the 6th man of the year award in the NBA?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 5 of 5

5. This draft also included a player that was taken in the 2nd round, and became known not only for his ability to rebound while playing for multiple championship teams, but was also known for kicking a cameraman, wearing a wedding dress, and flaunting team rules. Who is he?

Answer: (Full name or just surname)

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The second overall pick was Len Bias. He remains the most tragic of the group, as he died of a cocaine overdose 48 hours after being drafted. What team drafted him?

Answer: Boston

The Celtics had drafted him with the plan to build the franchise around him as Larry Bird began to "slow down" (the Celtics had won the just completed 1985-86 season and Bird had won his 3rd straight MVP award as well as being named Finals MVP - that was the last year he played all 82 regular-season games).

After getting back to Maryland the next night, he went out to party, and sometime after midnight, ingested what would become a fatal dose of cocaine.

Answer: 470

To put that into perspective, a person who registers for the test starts with 400 pts before answering any questions. After being drafted by Golden State, he would only play 72 games in the NBA before his career was derailed.

3. William Bedford was the 6th overall pick in the draft. What was his career scoring average?

Answer: 4.1 ppg

His career rebounding average was 2.4 boards a game. He was a career backup for multiple teams, most notably the Detroit Pistons team that won the 1990 NBA Championship, but also had drug issues along the way.

Answer: Yes

Tarpley won the award for the 1987-88 season, as Dallas made it to the Western Conference finals, for the only time in the 80's or 90's, losing to L.A. in 7 games. He would both blow out a knee, and get the first of multiple drug suspensions in the next season. He would be kicked out of the league in 1991, and again in 1995, this time for good.

Answer: Dennis Rodman

For all the issues that would get him waived by Los Angeles and Dallas at the end of his career, he was an important player, both on the Piston teams that won NBA titles in 89-90, and the Bulls championship teams in 96-98. He would also lead the league in rebounding 7 straight years, and average over 13 rebounds a game for his career.

Source: Author BaronTR

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.