How to play

Start a chapter

Choose a chapter and select START CHAPTER. Each round begins with a three-second preparation. When the prompt appears, you have 25 seconds to name one qualifying player or team.

Submit one precise name

Use a full name or a listed alias. Accents, capitalization and punctuation are normalized. The game does not guess which person an ambiguous surname refers to, and it does not automatically turn a misspelling into a different real player.

A recognized answer that meets the question’s conditions ends the round and earns points. A name outside the scope, an ambiguous name or an unrecognized spelling can be retried while time remains. There is no penalty for an unsuccessful attempt beyond the time used.

Read the dates

For season awards, the year is the season-ending year. For example, 2000 refers to the 1999–00 season. Drafts and All-Star events use their calendar years. All date ranges are inclusive. Two-achievement prompts require both achievements inside the stated window.

Continue when you are ready

After each result, select NEXT ROUND. After round seven, select FINAL BUZZER to see your total and full review. A skipped or expired round scores zero. There is no speed bonus or negative scoring.

The shot clock does not pause

Changing tabs, opening an in-game help window or refreshing does not refill a running clock. If a saved round’s deadline has passed, that round expires when you return. The next round will not start until you choose to continue.

Save and replay

When browser storage works, an unfinished run can be resumed with its original chapter, version and deadline. First completions and personal bests are stored separately. Export a backup before clearing browser data or changing devices.

Need a correction?

An answer missing from the dictionary is not automatically a false basketball fact. The report tool records the chapter, question, entered answer and source you provide so an omission can be reviewed.