NBA Crossword Puzzles: Free Printable and Online

From Boston Garden to the Kingdome, NBA crossword puzzles cover team nicknames and their cities, Hall of Fame legends, championship dynasties, draft-night picks, court slang, and iconic moments from Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point night to Kawhi Leonard's four-bounce winner.

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NBA: Iconic Moments in League History

Hard · 11×11 · 14 words
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  1. 1. First name of the player-coach who retired after his eleventh championship in 1969
  2. 5. Brown who won the 1991 dunk contest with a forearm covering his eyes
  3. 6. Willis ___, who turned a pregame limp into a 1970 Game 7 legend
  4. 9. Hershey's 1962 centurion, with no chocolate medal required
  5. 11. An angler by surname, he reeled in a 2004 playoff victory with only 0.4 on the clock
  6. 12. First name of the 5-foot-9 leaper who became the first three-time dunk contest champion in 2010
  7. 13. First name behind the 1995 warning, 'Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion!'

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  1. 2. Defender left on the floor beneath the famous 2001 Finals stepover
  2. 3. Four rim bounces later, his 2019 Game 7 buzzer-beater finally said yes
  3. 4. Grief, or Miami's reserve center with five blocks in the 2006 title clincher
  4. 6. Cincinnati's pioneer of the season-long triple-double average, achieved in 1961-62
  5. 7. The ___, ESPN's 2010 special announcing a superstar's move to South Beach
  6. 8. First name of Miami's corner marksman with 5.2 seconds left in regulation of Game 6, 2013
  7. 10. Chicago's championship-winning jumper in 1997 came from this future championship coach

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NBA: Draft History and Famous Picks

Medium · 11×11 · 15 words
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  1. 3. Maryland star Boston chose second overall in 1986
  2. 4. Australian center Milwaukee made the top pick in 2005
  3. 6. Colorful surname of Draymond, Golden State's second-round find in 2012
  4. 9. Georgetown shot-blocker Denver selected fourth overall in 1991
  5. 11. Fifth pick in 2008, sent from Memphis to Minnesota on draft night
  6. 12. Florida center Chicago selected ninth overall in 2007
  7. 14. Six championships followed this forward's 1987 draft-night move from Seattle to Chicago
  8. 15. Orlando's first overall pick in 1992, later nicknamed the Big Aristotle

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  1. 1. Wake Forest point guard New Orleans selected fourth in 2005
  2. 2. Akron phenom chosen first overall by Cleveland in 2003
  3. 5. Lamar ___, the Clippers' fourth overall selection in 1999
  4. 7. Navy service delayed this 1987 No. 1 pick's pro debut until 1989
  5. 8. Chicago's third overall pick in 1984, later the face of Air footwear
  6. 10. Portland's second overall choice in 1984, a 7-foot-1 Kentucky center
  7. 13. Duke standout Grant ___, taken third overall by Detroit in 1994

NBA: Basketball Terms and Slang

Medium · 11×11 · 15 words
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  1. 1. Nothing but net, in one satisfying sound
  2. 4. Whistle-worthy illegal contact
  3. 7. Violation that gives 'taking too many steps' an athletic meaning
  4. 8. Allen Iverson used this change-of-hand dribble against Michael Jordan in 1997
  5. 14. One-on-one offensive setup that clears space for a single attacker
  6. 15. Orange iron that a made basket must pass through

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  1. 2. Emphatic rejection of an opponent's attempt, informally
  2. 3. Violation for touching a descending attempt above hoop level while it could still go in
  3. 5. Pass lofted over a defender for a teammate to catch
  4. 6. Construction material that doubles as slang for an ugly miss
  5. 9. Vince Carter's gravity-defying specialty in the 2000 contest
  6. 10. Ten cents' worth of slang for a crisp scoring feed
  7. 11. Defense that assigns areas instead of individual opponents
  8. 12. Use the glass to make a basket
  9. 13. Curved boundary separating two-point tries from three-point attempts

NBA: Famous Arenas Past and Present

Medium · 11×11 · 14 words
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  1. 2. Boston's demolished basketball landmark with a horticultural name
  2. 5. Surname of the former mayor honored by St. Louis's NBA home from 1955 to 1968
  3. 6. Flower in the original name of Portland's basketball venue that opened in 1995
  4. 8. Ohio location of Cleveland's NBA home from 1974 to 1994
  5. 10. Michigan city where Detroit's NBA team played in a football stadium from 1978 to 1988
  6. 13. Middle word in the name of the Toronto venue that hosted the BAA's first game
  7. 14. Florida city whose pink-walled NBA venue opened in 1988

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  1. 1. Atlanta team whose downtown NBA home was imploded in 1997
  2. 3. Rounded roof shape of Seattle's NBA home during the early 1980s
  3. 4. San Antonio's first NBA arena took its name from this 1968 world's fair
  4. 7. Philadelphia arena that opened in 1967 and housed the 1983 NBA champions
  5. 9. Mineral in the name of Utah's NBA home from 1979 to 1991
  6. 11. Atlanta's futuristic former arena, whose name comes from a prefix meaning 'all'
  7. 12. Bovine first word in the name of the Daly City arena where the San Francisco Warriors played

NBA: Championship History and Dynasties

Medium · 11×11 · 14 words
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  1. 1. Cigar-lighting coach Auerbach's colorful nickname
  2. 5. Johnson who jumped at center to open the title-clinching game in 1980
  3. 6. Rival league that sent four teams into the older circuit in 1976
  4. 8. Golden State franchise that won three titles from 2015 through 2018
  5. 11. First name of the six-time champion known for the skyhook
  6. 12. Boston's 'Larry Legend,' by surname
  7. 13. Ruling house, or a team that dominates across several title runs

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  1. 1. Barry who shot free throws underhand and led Golden State to the 1975 title
  2. 2. League formed by the BAA-NBL merger in 1949
  3. 3. John whose steal prompted Johnny Most's famous 1965 playoff call
  4. 4. Cleveland club that erased a 3-1 deficit to win the 2016 championship
  5. 7. Houston's 'The Dream,' on a first-name basis
  6. 9. Short name for Philadelphia's 1983 champions
  7. 10. Bryant who earned five titles with Los Angeles

NBA: Retired Legends and Hall of Famers

Easy · 11×11 · 14 words
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  1. 1. Atlanta legend Dominique, nicknamed the Human Highlight Film.
  2. 4. Jerry's last name, belonging to the Los Angeles guard whose silhouette inspired the NBA logo.
  3. 5. Georgetown great Patrick ___ became New York's longtime basketball star.
  4. 6. Four-letter nickname of Hall of Fame big man O'Neal.
  5. 9. Hakeem ___ led Houston to consecutive NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.
  6. 12. Dwyane's last name, shared by the Miami guard nicknamed Flash.
  7. 13. Canadian point guard Steve who won league MVP awards in 2005 and 2006.

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  1. 2. Philadelphia guard nicknamed the Answer who won league MVP in 2001.
  2. 3. First name of Thomas, the Detroit point guard who won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.
  3. 6. Retired guard John, holder of the NBA career records for assists and steals.
  4. 7. Hall of Fame forward Charles, also known as Sir Charles.
  5. 8. San Antonio's Tim, nicknamed the Big Fundamental.
  6. 10. Elvin's surname, carried by the Hall of Fame forward nicknamed the Big E.
  7. 11. Houston's 7-foot-6 Hall of Famer from China.

NBA: Basketball Positions and Roles

Easy · 11×11 · 14 words
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  1. 2. Three-letter award title for the NBA's most valuable performer.
  2. 5. An NBA athlete in their first season.
  3. 6. Area near the basket where taller athletes often receive the ball.
  4. 10. Table official who records baskets, points, and fouls during a basketball game.
  5. 12. Short name for a replacement entering a basketball game.

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  1. 1. Defensive support provided when a teammate cannot stop an opponent alone.
  2. 3. Short term for a basketball athlete paid to compete.
  3. 4. Traditional No. 5 position famously played by Shaquille O'Neal.
  4. 7. Someone whose main basketball skill is making baskets from a distance.
  5. 8. An experienced NBA athlete with several seasons behind them.
  6. 9. Official who calls fouls and enforces basketball rules.
  7. 10. ___ forward: the traditional No. 3 position.
  8. 11. An athlete who sends the basketball to a teammate.
  9. 13. Informal basketball term for a tall athlete who usually plays near the basket.

NBA: Team Nicknames and Cities

Easy · 11×11 · 16 words
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  1. 5. Miami ___, the franchise that won its first NBA title in 2006.
  2. 6. Musical nickname of Salt Lake City's NBA team.
  3. 7. Phoenix franchise that began play in 1968.
  4. 8. Brooklyn franchise that moved from New Jersey in 2012.
  5. 11. Birds with large throat pouches that give New Orleans its NBA nickname.
  6. 13. Japan's capital, site of the NBA's first regular-season games outside North America in 1990.
  7. 14. Nebraska city that shared an NBA franchise with Kansas City in the 1970s.
  8. 15. Milwaukee's NBA team, named for male deer.
  9. 16. Cowboys' boot attachments that give San Antonio its NBA nickname.

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  1. 1. Popular Golden State nickname derived from the pronunciation of the letter W.
  2. 2. Oklahoma City's NBA nickname, meaning the sound after lightning.
  3. 3. State represented by the NBA franchise based in Salt Lake City.
  4. 4. NBA franchise that moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960.
  5. 9. Engine parts behind the nickname of Detroit's NBA team.
  6. 10. Toronto's dinosaur-inspired NBA nickname.
  7. 12. Four-letter name Dallas fans use for their NBA team.
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