The Basketball Quiz

[CanadianSteve]

I was inspired by the other Sports quiz to start this. I think there enough NBA followers here to give it a go.

I'll start. Name 5 men who have won NBA championships as both player and head coach, for the same team.

Warning - I like to make up questions the same way I like to answer them, from memory without looking anything up. I've been known, in previous NFL quizzes, to make mistakes in my questions as a result. For example, I started to write this question saying there were 2 men who'd done it, then thought of 3 more. So there may be more, but I don't think so.

 

[CanadianSteve]

This thread is a bit slow taking off. Here's one of the answers - Bill Russell, played for Boston Celtics on 11 championship teams, was a player-coach of the last one in 1969.

 

[El Coconuto]

That's a cracker of a question Steve. Funnily enough the only one I knew was Bill Russel and that's thanks only to old NBA videos I have (NBA guts and glory to be exact).

Perhaps the reason it is moving so slow is because you started off on such a hard question? Hehe anyways...

 

[CanadianSteve]

NBA Guts and Glory - a great tape. I have a bunch of tapes like that, including all the championship tapes of the 1980s, made by NBA Films.

Too hard, ok here's a hint - the other winning players/coaches are from the Celtics (2), Lakers, and 76ers.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Jerry West??

 

[CanadianSteve]

No, Jerry West played on the Lakers 72 title team, and coached the team in the late 70s, but did not win as a coach. He was GM of their championship teams of the 80s.

 

[CanadianSteve]

NBA Guts and Glory - a great tape. I have a bunch of tapes like that, including all the championship tapes of the 1980s, made by NBA Films.

Too hard, ok here's a hint - the other winning players/coaches are from the Celtics (2), Lakers, and 76ers.

Come on guys - what Lakers coach has won a bunch of titles, other than Phil Jackson? And played on the 72 Lakers title team as Jerry West's backup.

The 2 Celtics coaches both played on several championship teams in the 60s. One of them coached the team to 2 titles in the 70s, the other to 2 in the 80s. And the Sixers guy coached in 83, with Dr J and Moses, and played alongside Wilt Chamberlain on the 1967 team.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Well I have no idea about the Lakers or 76ers answer, but I'm pretty sure one of the Celtics answers is Tom Heinsohn.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Well I have no idea about the Lakers or 76ers answer, but I'm pretty sure one of the Celtics answers is Tom Heinsohn.

Heinsohn is correct, coached the 74 and 76 championship teams.

 

[Mighty Tiger]

The only 2 people I can think of are Leonard Wilkins and Don Nelson who could fit into this quiz?

 

[Southernsaint]

Pat Rilley - Lakers...

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[CanadianSteve]

The only 2 people I can think of are Leonard Wilkins and Don Nelson who could fit into this quiz?

Wilkens never won as a player, Nelson has never won as a coach.

 

[CanadianSteve]

Pat Rilley - Lakers...

Cheers,
Ben S.

Yes, as a Laker player in 72 and as a coach in 82, 85, 87 and 88.

Still 2 more names to get.

 

[Southernsaint]

A long shot, but......Chris Ford - Celtics??

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[CanadianSteve]

A long shot, but......Chris Ford - Celtics??

Cheers,
Ben S.

Sorry, he played on 1 or 2 Celtic champs, and coached the team in the early 90s, but never won as a head coach. He was an assistant coach on the 86 champion Celtics, however.