NBA Champions Quiz — 7 Free Questions

Question 1

This team went a near-perfect 15-1 through the 2001 playoffs, its only loss an overtime Finals game in which Allen Iverson famously stepped over Tyronn Lue. Its 15-1 postseason is still the best playoff record in league history. Which team is this?

Question 2

This team won eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966 and 11 in 13 seasons, every one anchored by center Bill Russell. No North American major-league team has matched the streak. Auerbach built it through the draft and clever trades, and Russell finished as player-coach. Which team is this?

Question 3

After losing three previous Finals, this team won its only title in 1978, with coach Dick Motta coining the line 'the opera isn't over till the fat lady sings' during the run. The franchise is now the Washington Wizards. Which team is this?

Question 4

Seeded sixth in the West, this team won back-to-back championships in the mid-1990s, sweeping a young Orlando team in the second, all built around Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon. It is still the lowest playoff seed ever to win the NBA title. Which team is this?

Question 5

This team was seconds from losing the 2013 Finals when Ray Allen hit a corner three to force overtime in Game 6, then won Game 7 at home over San Antonio. The tying shot came off an offensive rebound with the team down three in the final seconds. Which team is this?

Question 6

Only three years into its existence, this team swept the Bullets for the 1971 title behind Lew Alcindor, soon to be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and veteran guard Oscar Robertson. The young center was both league MVP and Finals MVP, sweeping every playoff round. Which team is this?

Question 7

This team won the first of six titles in 1991, beating the Lakers in five. Its star's mid-air switch-hand layup in Game 2 became one of the sport's iconic images. It came right after the team finally got past the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals. Which team is this?

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About NBA Champions

Since 1947 the NBA Finals have crowned one champion a year, and a handful of franchises own most of the banners. The Boston Celtics lead with 18 titles, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966 under Red Auerbach and Bill Russell. The Lakers are next with 17, five won in Minneapolis around George Mikan and 12 in Los Angeles across the West, Magic-Kareem, Shaq-Kobe and LeBron eras. The Chicago Bulls went a perfect 6-0 in the Finals in the 1990s with Michael Jordan, and the San Antonio Spurs won five between 1999 and 2014 under Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan.

The Finals themselves supply the memories this quiz is built on. Willis Reed limping out for Game 7 in 1970. The 1976 triple-overtime Game 5 between Boston and Phoenix. Magic Johnson playing center as a rookie in the 1980 clincher. Jordan's shrug in 1992, his flu game in 1997, his last shot as a Bull in 1998. The Pistons' "Bad Boys" sweep in 1989 and the no-star Detroit team that stunned the Lakers in 2004. Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas beating the Miami super-team in 2011. Ray Allen's corner three in 2013. Cleveland erasing a 3-1 deficit against a 73-win Golden State team in 2016, ending a 52-year title drought for the city. Toronto becoming the first champion from outside the United States in 2019. The Bucks winning their first crown in 50 years in 2021, and the Nuggets and the modern Celtics adding new banners.

Every answer in this quiz is the team that won the title. The clue gives you the year, the opponent, the stars and a signature moment; the four options are all franchises. Some questions step back to the bigger picture: most championships, the longest drought between titles, the fastest expansion team to win, the franchise with multiple Finals trips and no ring. Read the clue, pick the champion, and get the full story after each answer.