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50 free NBA Draft trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
The NBA draft is two rounds, sixty names and decades of second-guessing. Portland took Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. Detroit took Darko over Carmelo, Bosh and Wade. Kobe went 13th, Giannis 15th, Jokić 41st during a Taco Bell ad, and the last pick of 2011 nearly won an MVP. The lottery exists because teams were accused of losing on purpose for a coin flip, and the 'frozen envelope' theory is still argued about forty years later. These 50 questions cover the rules and the legends: how many balls are in the machine, what the Stepien Rule forbids, what a territorial pick was, the first No. 1 in 1950, Baylor, Kareem, Bird waiting a year, Magic, the 1984 coin flip, Len Bias, David Robinson's Navy years, Shaq, Garnett's prep-to-pro leap, Iverson as the shortest No. 1, Nowitzki's trade, the worst class of 2000, Kwame Brown, Yao, LeBron, Bargnani, Oden over Durant, Rose, Curry at seven, Kyrie, Draymond, Davis, Bennett and Wiggins, Simmons, Dončić, Zion, Cunningham, Banchero, Wembanyama and Flagg. Easy questions stick to LeBron and Shaq; the hardest ask about pick numbers and franchise records. Every answer is cited to a page we checked, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss. Play it solo or print it for draft night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In what year was the first NBA draft held?
1947
It has been an annual event ever since; the first BAA drafts are counted in the league's history.
Q 02How many rounds does the NBA draft have today?
Two
It has been two rounds since 1989; the 1960 and 1968 drafts ran to 21 rounds.
Q 03How many players are selected in each NBA draft?
60
Each of the 30 teams starts with one pick per round, though picks are often traded.
Q 04In which month does the NBA draft usually take place?
June
The lottery that sets the order is held in the third or fourth week of May.
Q 05Since the 2006 draft, how far removed from high school must American players be?
One year
They must also turn 19 in the calendar year of the draft, which created the 'one-and-done' era.
Q 06In what year did the NBA introduce the draft lottery?
1985
It replaced a coin flip between the worst teams, which was accused of encouraging tanking.
Q 07Which team won the very first draft lottery in 1985?
New York Knicks
They used the pick on Patrick Ewing, spawning the 'frozen envelope' conspiracy theory.
Q 08Since 2019, how many of the top picks does the lottery determine?
Four
The three worst teams now share equal 14% odds at the first pick.
Q 09How many numbered ping-pong balls are used in the NBA draft lottery machine?
14
1,000 four-digit combinations are assigned among the 14 non-playoff teams.
Q 10Which regulation requires a team to own a first-round pick in every other draft?
The Stepien Rule
It is named for a Cavaliers owner who traded away a string of future firsts in the early 1980s.
Q 11What were 'territorial picks', used from 1956 to 1965?
Forfeiting a first-rounder to take a local player
Teams could claim a nearby college star to boost fan interest; the 1966 draft is seen as the first modern one.
Q 12Which franchise has held the first overall pick the most times?
Washington Wizards
Seven times, counting their Bullets years; Kwame Brown and John Wall were two of them.
Q 13Who was the first-ever No. 1 pick in the inaugural 1950 NBA draft?
Chuck Share
The Boston Celtics took the Bowling Green centre.
Q 21Which 1986 No. 2 pick died two days after the draft?
Len Bias
The Celtics draftee died of a cocaine-induced cardiac arrhythmia.
Q 22Why did the Spurs wait two years for 1987 No. 1 pick David Robinson?
Navy service duty
'The Admiral' finally debuted in 1989 and was Rookie of the Year.
Q 23Which team drafted Shaquille O'Neal first overall in 1992?
Orlando Magic
He was Rookie of the Year and reached the Finals with them in 1995.
Q 24Kevin Garnett's 1995 selection was notable for what?
Q 14Which team took Elgin Baylor first overall in 1958?
Minneapolis Lakers
They had drafted him in the 14th round two years earlier, but he stayed in school.
Q 15Which one-season-old franchise drafted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar first overall in 1969?
Milwaukee Bucks
The New York Nets also took him first in the ABA draft, but he chose the NBA.
Q 16Larry Bird was drafted sixth overall in 1978 but did what?
Stayed in college a year
Boston waited a season for him to finish at Indiana State, then won three titles with him.
Q 17Who went first overall to the Lakers in 1979 after winning an NCAA title at Michigan State?
Magic Johnson
He led the 'Showtime' Lakers to five championships.
Q 18Who was the first overall pick in the famous 1984 draft?
Hakeem Olajuwon
Houston won a coin flip for the pick; Jordan went third to Chicago.
Q 19Which team picked Sam Bowie second in 1984, just ahead of Michael Jordan?
Portland Trail Blazers
Sports Illustrated later called him the biggest draft bust in NBA history.
Q 20With which pick was Michael Jordan taken in 1984?
Third
Olajuwon and Bowie went ahead of him.
First prep-to-pro pick in 20 years
Minnesota took him fifth, reopening the prep-to-pro pipeline that Kobe and LeBron followed.
Q 25Which team originally drafted Kobe Bryant 13th in 1996 before trading him to the Lakers?
Charlotte Hornets
The deal sent Vlade Divac to Charlotte.
Q 26At 6 feet tall, who became the shortest No. 1 overall pick ever in 1996?
Allen Iverson
Philadelphia took the Georgetown guard; the 1996 class produced three MVPs.
Q 27Which team drafted Dirk Nowitzki ninth in 1998 before trading him to Dallas?
Milwaukee Bucks
Steve Nash came to Dallas in the same multi-team deal.
Q 28Which draft class is widely considered the worst in NBA history?
2000
Only three of its picks, led by Kenyon Martin, ever played in an All-Star Game.
Q 29Who was the first player drafted No. 1 straight out of high school?
Kwame Brown
Washington took him in 2001; he never became a star.
Q 30Who was the first international player without US college experience to go No. 1?
Yao Ming
Houston took the Shanghai Sharks centre in 2002 after China's basketball association gave permission on draft morning.