BAA/NBA Formation Years Flashcards
Learn Key Players and Teams (100 cards)
1
Q
Which two teams played the first NBA game? What year was it?
A
November 1, 1946 between the New York Knickerbockers and Toronto Huskies
2
Q
Who scored the first basket in NBA history?
A
Ossie Schectman - NYK
3
Q
Who were the high scorers for the Huskies in the first ever game?
A
Ed Sadowski (18 points) and George Nostrand (16 points)
4
Q
Who led the NYK in scoring in their first ever game?
A
Leo Gottlieb (14 points)
5
Q
Who was the BAA MVP-equivalent before the award existed?
A
No official MVP until 1955-56, but Joe Fulks was the biggest star in early BAA
6
Q
Which original BAA team still exists today under the same name and city?
A
Boston Celtics
7
Q
Which now-defunct team played in the first BAA game and no longer exists?
A
Toronto Huskies
8
Q
What team was known as the “Original Celtics”?
A
A famous barnstorming team, not connected to the Boston Celtics franchise.
9
Q
Who was the top scorer in the 1946–47 BAA season?
A
Joe Fulks (23.2 PPG)
10
Q
What early NBA star was known for his two-handed set shot and led the league in scoring?
A
Joe Fulks (Philadelphia Warriors)
11
Q
Who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in the early NBA?
A
George Mikan
12
Q
What was George Mikan’s nickname?
A
Mr. Basketball
13
Q
Who was the NBA’s first African-American player?
A
Early Lloyd (debuted in 1950)
14
Q
Who were the first Black players in the NBA?
A
Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (all entered in 1950)
15
Q
Which team did George Mikan play for before joining the Minneapolis Lakers?
A
The Chicago Gears (NBL)
16
Q
Who won the first BAA Championship?
A
Philadelphia Warriors (1947)
17
Q
What team dominated the early NBA with 5 titles from 1949–1954?
A
Minneapolis Lakers
18
Q
What team won the final BAA championship before the NBA was formed?
A
Minneapolis Lakers (1949)
19
Q
What position did George Mikan play?
A
Center
20
Q
What rule was added because of George Mikan’s dominance?
A
The goaltending rule and later the widening of the lane (Mikan Rule)
21
Q
Who was the first official Rooke of the Year (1952-53 season)?
A
Don Meineke (Fort Wayne Pistons)
22
Q
What defunct team played in St. Louis and won the 1958 NBA title?
A
St. Louis Hawks (moved to Atlanta)
23
Q
Who coached the first BAA champion?
A
Eddie Gottlieb (Philadelphia Warriors)
24
Q
What team drafted Chuck Cooper, the first Black player drafted?
A
Boston Celtics (1950)
25
What two leagues merged to form the NBA in 1949?
The BAA and the NBL
26
Which team won the first Championship in the NBA?
Minneapolis Lakers
27
How many Championships did the Boston Celtics win between 1957 and 1969?
11
28
Who coached the Celtics during their 11-title run?
Red Auerbach
29
Who broke the Celtics’ streak and won the 1967 NBA title?
Philadelphia 76ers
30
What legendary point guard revolutionized dribbling, passing and flashy play?
Bob Cousy
31
Who was the NBA’s first true superstar and led the league in scoring in the 1950s?
George Mikan
32
Who were the two biggest rivals in the NBA in the 1960s?
Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain
33
Who was the first player to average a triple-double over a season?
Oscar Robertson (1961–62)
34
What was Oscar Robertson's Knickname?
The Big O
35
What team did Elgin Baylor play for during the 1960s?
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
36
Who was known as “Mr. Clutch”?
Jerry West
37
What early Black player became the first Black NBA All-Star in 1953?
Don Barksdale (Baltimore Bullets)
38
What Syracuse Nationals forward was known for his toughness and rebounding in the 1950s?
Dolph Schayes
39
What Hall of Fame point guard led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA Championship?
Slater Martin
40
Who was the power forward and MVP of the 1958 NBA Finals?
Bob Pettit
41
Which player was known as the “Kangaroo Kid” for his leaping ability in the 1950s?
Billy Cunningham
42
What defensive-minded Celtics player was often tasked with guarding the other team’s best perimeter player?
Satch Sanders
43
Who was the All-Star shooting guard who teamed with Oscar Robertson on the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960s?
Jack Twyman
44
Who was the Lakers center before Wilt Chamberlain and known for his hook shot?
Clyde Lovellette
45
Who was the Minneapolis Lakers forward who hit the game-winning shot in the 1954 Finals?
Jim Pollard
46
What New York Knicks guard was a prolific scorer in the early 1950s and known for his underhanded free throws?
Carl Braun
47
What St. Louis Hawks player was known for his flashy play and three-time All-Star appearances?
Cliff Hagan
48
What Celtics role player and bench leader was known for his gritty hustle and defense in the 1960s?
K.C. Jones
49
Which All-Star guard played alongside Wilt Chamberlain with the Warriors and was known for his scoring?
Guy Rodgers
50
Which Cincinnati Royals guard was a prolific scorer and key teammate of Oscar Robertson?
Adrian Smith
51
What Detroit Pistons guard was known for his leadership and made 3 All-Star teams in the 1960s?
Dave Bing
52
Who was the Baltimore Bullets guard who earned multiple All-Star appearances in the 1960s?
Don Ohl
53
What Knicks guard averaged 22.9 points in the 1967–68 season and helped lead their turnaround before the 70s dynasty?
Dick Barnett
54
Who was the Hawks’ playmaking guard in the early 60s, often overshadowed by Pettit and Hagan?
Lenny Wilkens
55
Which Celtics sharpshooting guard is in the Hall of Fame and known for clutch performances in the 1960s?
Sam Jones
56
How many rings did Sam Jones win in his career?
10
57
Who was the first foreign-born player drafted #1 overall (1963) and came from the Bahamas?
58
What Hall of Fame forward, born in Lithuania and raised in Canada, played for the Knicks in the 1940s and early 50s?
Hank Biasatti (Note: Biasatti was one of the first foreign-born NBA players — Italian-Canadian)
59
What team played in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and was part of the NBA’s first season in 1949–50?
Sheboygan Red Skins
60
What early team was based in Anderson, Indiana, and played only one season in the NBA?
Anderson Packers
61
What franchise eventually became the Atlanta Hawks, originally starting in the Tri-Cities area?
Tri-Cities Blackhawks
62
What early NBA team played in Waterloo, Iowa, and lasted only one season (1949–50)?
Waterloo Hawks
63
What team became the Washington Wizards after originally being called the Chicago Packers in 1961?
Chicago Packers → Zephyrs → Baltimore Bullets → Capital Bullets → Washington Bullets → Wizards
64
Which team started in Fort Wayne and moved to Detroit in 1957?
Fort Wayne Pistons
65
How many NBA teams were there at the start of the 1969-1970 season?
14 (Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trailblazers were added the following years)
66
What Seattle SuperSonics forward was known for his scoring and made multiple All-Star teams in the early 70s?
Spencer Haywood
67
Which landmark Supreme Court case is Haywood known for?
Haywood v. NBA, where the supreme court ruled against the NBA's requirement that players could not be drafted until four years after graduating from High School.
68
What Phoenix Suns forward was a versatile scorer and averaged over 20 PPG during much of the 1970s?
Walter Davis
69
What San Antonio Spurs guard (starting in ABA) was one of the best 2-way players of the decade?
James Silas
70
What was Silas's nickname and why?
"Captain Late" for his clutch play
71
What forward-center helped lead the Warriors to the 1975 NBA Championship with his rebounding and inside play?
Clifford Ray
72
Which other defensive anchor together with Ray helped the warriors win the 1975 NBA Title?
Rick Barry
73
Who was the high-scoring Denver Nuggets guard in the late 70s, originally from the ABA?
David Thompson
74
What is David Thompson's most famous game?
When he scored 73 points in a 139-137 loss to the Detroit Pistons?
75
Who did Thompson ultimately lose the scoring title to in 1978?
George "The Iceman" Gervin
76
What Washington Bullets forward was a strong rebounder and part of their frontcourt in the 1970s Finals runs?
Elvin Hayes
77
What shooting guard helped lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 1976 "Miracle of Richfield" playoff run?
Austin Carr
78
What Boston Celtics forward was key in their 1974 and 1976 championship runs with his defense and hustle?
Paul Silas, defensive anchor and elite rebounder
79
What rugged Knicks power forward was known for his rebounding and toughness during their 70s playoff runs?
Dave DeBusschere
80
Who was the Buffalo Braves (now Clippers) star guard who was a 3-time All-Star in the 70s?
Randy Smith
81
What Boston Celtics point guard succeeded Jo Jo White and helped bridge the 70s and 80s teams?
Don Chaney
82
What center led the Washington Bullets in the late 70s with his inside scoring and rebounding?
Wes Unseld
83
What year did the NBA and ABA merge?
1976
84
What high-flying forward starred for the Indiana Pacers in the ABA and continued success post-merger?
George McGinnis (Played for Pacers and 76ers—ABA champion and NBA All-Star)
85
What sharpshooting guard joined the Nuggets from the ABA and was known for long-range shots before the 3-point line existed?
Dan Issel
86
What Kentucky Colonels center was known for strength and power, winning ABA MVP in 1975?
Artis Gilmore
87
Which team did Artis Gilmore go on to become an All-Star with?
The Chicago Bulls
88
What guard nicknamed "The A-Train" dominated in both leagues and is now often overlooked in discussions of great centers?
Artis Gilmore (yes, again—worth two flashcards!)
89
What team, now the Clippers, was known as the Buffalo Braves in the 1970s?
A: Buffalo Braves
Buffalo Braves
90
What ABA team was originally based out of Teaneck, NJ before joining the NBA in 1976 and relocating to Long Island, NY?
New York Nets (ABA) → NBA in 1976 → now Brooklyn Nets
91
What team won the 1975 NBA title in a huge upset sweep over the Bullets?
Golden State Warriors
92
What team did the Portland Trail Blazers defeat to win their only championship in 1977?
Philadelphia 76ers
93
Which team moved from San Diego to Houston in 1971?
The Rockets
94
What Milwaukee Bucks guard was a deadly shooter and consistent scorer throughout the 1970s, often overshadowed by Kareem and Oscar Robertson?
Bob Dandridge (Key contributor to the Bucks’ 1971 title and Bullets’ 1978 title)
95
What Chicago Bulls forward was known for his defense and rebounding in the 70s, playing a major role in the team’s playoff runs?
Chet Walker
96
What Atlanta Hawks forward-center was a key interior presence and multiple-time All-Star during the early to mid-70s?
Lou Hudson (teamed up with Pistol Pete Maravich and was a smooth mid-range scorer
97
What Kansas City–Omaha Kings guard was a reliable scorer and passer in the mid-to-late 1970s?
Phil Ford (1979 Rookie of the Year and a key piece of the Kings’ offense)
98
What Portland Trail Blazers forward was known for his defense and hustle, helping the team win the 1977 championship?
Maurice Lucas (Nicknamed “The Enforcer,” vital to Portland’s toughness and chemistry)
99
What Cleveland Cavaliers center was a defensive anchor during their “Miracle of Richfield” 1976 playoff run?
Jim Chones (Also played in the ABA; critical piece of the Cavs' short-lived dominance)
100
What Phoenix Suns forward was a clutch performer in the 1976 NBA Finals and later became a respected coach?
Gar Heard, known for “The Shot Heard ’Round the World” in triple OT vs. Boston in Game 5.
