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This basketball trivia for kids quiz has 49 free questions with answers and covers the game the way a young fan learns it: how many players are on the court, what a dribble and a rebound are, who invented the sport with a peach basket, and the stars kids actually talk about, from Michael Jordan and Kobe to LeBron, Steph Curry, Giannis, Wemby, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. There are questions on the NBA and WNBA, March Madness, the Dream Team, Space Jam, Air Jordans and the Harlem Globetrotters too. Everything is answerable by kids aged about 7 to 12 who watch some basketball, and the hardest questions are the kind an older sibling or a coach might know. Use it at practice, on the drive to a game, or as a family challenge at halftime. Every answer has been checked against Wikipedia's article on the player, team or rule, and each question shows its source once you have answered.
30 of 49 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01How many players from each team are on the court at the same time in basketball?
Five
Each of the five has a position, from point guard to center.
Q 02How many points is a normal shot from inside the arc worth?
Two
A shot from inside the arc is worth two points; only shots from behind the three-point line are worth three.
Q 03How many points is one free throw worth?
One
A free throw is worth one point; it is shot unguarded from the foul line, nicknamed the 'charity stripe'.
Q 04Who invented basketball?
James Naismith
James Naismith, a physical-education teacher at a YMCA training school, wrote the game's original 13 rules in December 1891.
Q 05What did the very first basketball hoops actually look like?
Peach baskets
The inventor nailed two peach baskets to the gym balcony; they kept their bottoms at first, so someone had to fish the ball out after every score.
Q 06In which country was basketball's inventor born?
Canada
Basketball's inventor was born in 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, and moved to the United States in 1890, later founding the University of Kansas basketball program.
Q 07What is it called when a player bounces the ball while moving?
Dribbling
Bouncing the ball while moving is dribbling; you must use one hand at a time, and bouncing with both hands at once is a double dribble.
Q 08What is a 'rebound' in basketball?
Grabbing a missed shot
A rebound is grabbing a missed shot after it bounces off the rim or backboard; both the offense and the defense can get one, and tall centers usually lead the count.
Q 09What is it called when a player runs with the ball without bouncing it?
Traveling
Taking steps without bouncing the ball is traveling; moving your pivot foot or taking more than two steps after picking the ball up is the violation, and the other team gets possession.
Q 10What is a slam dunk?
Jamming the ball into the hoop
A slam dunk means jamming the ball into the hoop from above with one or two hands; dunking was banned in college and high school games from 1967 to 1976.
Q 11How many teams played in the NBA in the 2024-25 season?
30
The NBA had 30 teams in 2024-25: 29 in the United States plus the Toronto Raptors, the league's only team outside the US.
Q 12How many games does each NBA team play in a regular season?
82
Each team plays 82 regular-season games, 41 at home and 41 away, from October to April before the playoffs begin.
Q 13Which team had won the most NBA championships, 18, by the end of the 2024-25 season?
Boston Celtics
The Celtics had 18; the Lakers were second with 17.
Q 14Which team did Michael Jordan win six championships with?
Q 21How tall is Shaquille O'Neal?
7 feet 1 inch
Shaquille O'Neal stands 7 feet 1 inch and played at about 325 pounds; the center nicknamed 'Diesel' won four championships.
Q 22Which team drafted Shaquille O'Neal first overall in 1992?
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic took Shaquille O'Neal first overall in 1992; he was Rookie of the Year and took the Magic to the 1995 Finals before signing with Los Angeles in 1996.
Q 23Which WNBA team drafted Caitlin Clark first overall in 2024?
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark first overall in April 2024; she set the WNBA single-season assists record as a rookie and was named Rookie of the Year.
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan won all six of his titles with the Chicago Bulls, two three-peats in the 1990s, and was named Finals MVP every time.
Q 15In the movie Space Jam, Michael Jordan plays basketball with which cartoon characters?
The Looney Tunes
In Space Jam (1996) Jordan teams up with the Looney Tunes — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and friends — to beat the Monstars, aliens who stole NBA players' talent.
Q 16Which shoe company makes Michael Jordan's famous sneaker line?
Nike
The first pair was made for Jordan in 1984; the 'Jumpman' logo comes from a photo taken before the 1984 Olympics.
Q 17Which team picked LeBron James first in the 2003 draft, straight out of high school?
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers took LeBron James first overall in 2003 from St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, about 40 miles from Cleveland; he won the 2016 title with them.
Q 18Which team drafted Stephen Curry seventh overall in 2009?
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors picked Curry seventh in 2009 out of Davidson College; the point guard famous for three-pointers won four titles with them between 2015 and 2022.
Q 19What was Kobe Bryant's nickname?
The Black Mamba
He played all 20 of his seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers and won five titles.
Q 20Which team did Kobe Bryant play for his entire career?
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant spent all 20 of his seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers; the Charlotte Hornets drafted him 13th in 1996 and traded him to Los Angeles almost immediately.
Q 24Which college did Caitlin Clark star for?
Iowa
Caitlin Clark starred for Iowa from 2020 to 2024, leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship games and passing Pete Maravich as NCAA Division I's all-time leading scorer.
Q 25What is Giannis Antetokounmpo's nickname?
The Greek Freak
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Greek Freak: born in Athens to Nigerian parents, the 6-foot-11 forward won the 2021 title with the Milwaukee Bucks and two MVP awards.
Q 26Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-plus star picked first in 2023, comes from which country?
France
Victor Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, near Paris, France, and played for Metropolitans 92 before the draft; he led the NBA in blocks as a rookie and was unanimous Rookie of the Year.
Q 27Which team drafted Victor Wembanyama?
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs won the 2023 draft lottery and picked Victor Wembanyama first overall; his nicknames are 'Wemby' and 'the Alien'.
Q 28Which famous team plays funny trick-shot exhibition games and usually beats the Washington Generals?
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters began in Chicago in 1926 under promoter Abe Saperstein; their comic exhibitions against the Washington Generals have taken them to well over 100 countries.
Q 29What is the famous whistled theme song of the trick-shot team from Harlem?
Sweet Georgia Brown
'Sweet Georgia Brown', a 1925 jazz standard, has been their theme since 1952, usually heard in Brother Bones's whistling version.
Q 30What is the nickname of the big college basketball tournament held every spring?
March Madness
March Madness is the nickname of the NCAA tournament, first played in 1939; the phrase was popularised by broadcaster Brent Musburger during CBS coverage in 1982.