NBA Champions Quiz — 7 Free Questions

Question 1

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 2

After being humiliated by 34 points in Game 1, this team recovered to win the 1985 Finals on the parquet floor of Boston Garden, the first time the franchise had ever beaten the Celtics for a title. The 38-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was Finals MVP, ending decades of Finals losses to the same rival. Which team is this?

Question 3

Huge underdogs picked to finish last in their division, this team swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets in the 1975 Finals behind Finals MVP Rick Barry and his underhand free throws. It was the franchise's first crown since 1956, when it played on the other side of the country. Which team is this?

Question 4

This team won the 1997 title over Utah, a series remembered for its star scoring 38 points while visibly ill in Game 5, the so-called 'Flu Game.' Steve Kerr hit the series-winning shot in Game 6 after a pass from the ailing star. Which team is this?

Question 5

In 2023 this team won its first title in franchise history, sweeping through the Western playoffs and beating Miami in five behind a triple-double machine at center. Nikola Jokic, a former second-round pick and two-time league MVP, was Finals MVP; the franchise had never before reached the Finals. Which team is this?

Question 6

This team swept a young LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the 2007 Finals for its fourth championship in nine years, with Tony Parker winning Finals MVP. It was the last title of the Tim Duncan era and the franchise's fourth in nine seasons. Which team is this?

Question 7

This team won the 1981 title in Larry Bird's second season, beating the Houston Rockets after rallying from a 3-1 deficit against Philadelphia in a classic conference final. Reserve forward Cedric Maxwell, not Larry Bird, was named Finals MVP. 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.