There's No Way You Can Name 100% Of These 90s NBA Point Guards

It's a fun time to be an NBA point guard. Kyrie Ivring is going to miss the rest of this season, Stephen Curry is hurt and will miss the first round of the playoffs, and we're not too far from yet another starting point guard winding up out for the postseason. If I was going to place actual wagers, I'd be an awful person for betting on people's health.

As we "mourn" those who are out indefinitely and whose absences will definitely hurt their teams from making the NBA Finals, let's try to get nostalgic about the 1990s. AKA the time of Michael Jordan and friends on the Chicago Bulls. Today, you're going to look at some point guards from the 1990s and try to identify them based on a picture and a brief clue.

There's no tricks or any true ground rules other than all of these guys are identifiable for their efforts in the 1990s. There's no foreign star who never made it to the NBA on here, nor is there someone who debuted in the 1999-00 season and did all their damage in the 2000s and 2010s. Someone like Steve Francis is a no because they weren't really a 1990s NBA point guard.

Question 1

Former Jazz point guard

There's certain players on this quiz that because they're in the Hall of Fame, they're naturally going to be more recognizable. This former Jazz star is one of them to the point where if you get this wrong, we're naturally concerned about why you're taking a quiz like this. Not that you should quit or anything. Actually, pretend we said anything and keep chugging on through the quiz. If you get this wrong, we're sure that you'll figure it out.

Question 2

You really shouldn't have problems here

Even if this point guard didn't play as much in the 90s as he did in the 80s because of health issues - and revealing what it was would be even more of a spoiler than the gold Lakers jersey and the number #32 on his chest - this guy still saw plenty of time on the court. He even made it back to the All-Star Game after dealing with those fairly obvious health issues. Do you know who this is?

Question 3

They called him "Penny"

Yeah, we're going to make you figure out Penny Hardaway's real name. As no, Penny Hardaway was not born Penny Hardaway. He had a different first name, but we all just called him Penny because that's a cool nickname. Not that we don't like this guy's real name and we don't like people who have that name. You know what we're trying to say about this former Orlando Magic star, so go and try to figure out what Penny's real name was.

Question 4

Let's make things a bit harder

We started this quiz off with some early ones, so let's up the ante a bit to make you really think. Let's also talk about those awesome retro New Jersey Nets jerseys while you try to remember this point guard who led the way before the likes of Jason Kidd or Deron Williams. The blue meshes so well with the red there that it's hard to really hate any of it. And get this right or we'll hate you. We're joking, but get it right.

Question 5

One of the Toronto Raptors' first stars

Given that he was the first-ever draft pick of the Toronto Raptors, this guy kind of had to be a star. We still see his name on those old purple throwback jerseys that college kids are always rocking to parties and the like. The Raptors have turned into a fine franchise in the past 23 years largely because they had momentum from this point guard way back in 1995 and the years after. Have you figured out who this is?

Question 6

Even Knick fans should have no problems here

I'm smirking after writing that. Knick fans want nothing to do with this Hall of Fame point guard who later went on to run the Knicks as both a coach and an executive. If you really want to make a Knick fan angry, bring up guys like Eddy Curry or Jerome Jeffries. That's even better than asking Knicks about what happened in the 2009 NBA Draft. All of that should be a clear indicator as to who this former Piston is.

Question 7

Far from a tall point guard

We say that ironically because this guy is actually the shortest player in NBA history at only five feet three inches, which is shorter than even me. (I'm 5'9", which is short enough for me to get good-natured jokes about it.) But to be that short and have that much of a physical handicap at the professional level and still play 14 seasons, ten of which came with he Hornets, shows how awesome this guy really was. Who was this?

Question 8

The single-game assists king

Of all the legendary point guards who have played this game, would you expect this All-Star to have been the one who set the single-game record for most assists in a game with 30? If so, you know exactly who this is and should move onto the next question. If not, it's surprising, isn't it? It's not Chris Paul or John Stockton, but this former Orlando Magic star. Good on him for still holding the record as of when we publish this.

Question 9

A former NBA head coach who deserves another chance

Knicks fans want this former point guard to replace Jeff Hornacek, Suns fans want him to fill the void left by Earl Watson, and I'm sure his name will continue to pop up throughout the next few weeks. Some people may be afraid to hire him because of how religious he is, but the guy seemed to do fairly well at his last coaching stop. Before all that, he was a fine point guard throughout the 1990s. Who was this?

Question 10

Part of Run TMC

Before the Splash Brothers, Kevin Durant's Decision, or Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors had Run TMC, a group of three players who carried the team to several playoff berths. We can't specify who was what in TMC because that might spoil the question, though the three players are all listed below. That includes Tim Hardaway Sr., a former NBA player who had a son play at the sport's highest level as well. Have you figured out who this is?

Question 11

They call him "The Glove"

This is another one which should be fairly easy if you know basic NBA history, especially if you paid attention to the nickname he has. If Seattle ever gets another professional basketball team, which they really should sooner rather than later, it'll be interesting to see if they name themselves the Sonics and take the team records currently held by the Okalhoma City Thunder. If so, good luck to all those players who will hope to pass this guy's records.

Question 12

His nickname was "Big Balls"

Don't look at us like that - it has nothing to do with anything that adult or graphic. The nickname mostly came from his clutch gene and ability to make big shots late in games, especially on the turn-of-the-century Minnesota Timberwolves teams with Kevin Garnett. And, alright, part of the name may have come from his risk-taking. Given that he's likely headed for a head coaching job sooner rather than later, we'll see if the nickname sticks. Who is this?

Question 13

A pre-Jail Blazer who made Portland games fun

Portland has certainly had some interesting teams over the years, what with those turn-of-the-century Jail Blazers and the current Damian Lillard and C.J., McCollum-led Blazers that always seem ready to pull off major upsets heading into the postseason. This guy helped lead some really good Trail Blazers teams back in the day though none that ever came away winning an NBA Finals in the days of Michael Jordan and those dominant Chicago Bulls teams. Do you remember this Trail Blazer?

Question 14

Well, he's not Michael Jordan

And we mean that in multiple ways, notably that this is a white point guard with hair and not a bald black man who made the Hall of Fame with ease when he finally retired after that forgettable stint with the Washington Wizards that we don't talk about. This point guard was always solid off the bench and did a fine job as a spot starter, later finding success working in front offices and on the sidelines. Who is this?

Question 15

An easy question for any true NBA fan

Even with the hair there for a player who is more known for his shaved head, you shouldn't have any problems guessing the player in the white Mavericks uniform. I know, it's crazy to think he had hair, but even Danny DeVito once had a full head of hair once. Would you rather have this guy or Danny DeVito? It's a tough question, right? Defense found this triple-double machine to be a tough opponent. Do you know who this is?

Question 16

Can the Nets bring these throwbacks back?

I'm one of the few people who still likes the majority of the Nets current uniforms (I do miss the old blue New Jersey ones, for what it's worth as a Nets fan), but I'd definitely love to see these gray jerseys make a return. They work so well with the red trim, even if the Nets have really taken any color that's not black, white, gray, or blue out of their color scheme. Who was this former Nets point guard?

Question 17

Maybe the best Cavalier before LeBron showed up

That may sound like high praise, but the Cavaliers were this guy's team until LeBron came to town in 2003 - and the team didn't look back at all until LeBron left in 2010. This guy could do it all, especially when it came to scoring and getting the job done as the alpha dog in Cleveland. Given that LeBron obviously grew up in Ohio, we're sure he knew from a young age that this was who he wanted to be like. Who is this?

Question 18

The Jet!

Before you ask, this guy is stretching, not suffering from some sort of brutal injury. He's stretching before a playoff game because it's easy to forget how good the Rockets were throughout the 1980s and 1990s. They just get lost in the mix because they weren't Magic's Lakers, Larry Bird's Celtics, or the Chicago Bulls. Houston and other teams were lucky to have this veteran point guard who now is thriving in TV. You've figured out who this is, right?

Question 19

Unappreciated Laker we seem not to talk about

Maybe it's because he was traded shortly into Kobe Bryant's tenure in Los Angeles (well, after Kobe's first two seasons) or because we don't like to think about that period of time between the Showtime Lakers and the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, but we should talk more about what this L.A. point guard was capable of doing in a time when the Lakers were mediocre by their standards. This guy was a budding star before the Lakers sent him to Denver. Who was this?

Question 20

One of the better Mavericks who never gets any love

Given that this guy has his number retired by the Mavericks, the only way we see him not getting any love is because of how consistent Dallas was after he left. Of course, things are now in a rebuilding state and the Mavericks may be facing trouble down the line because of a current sexual misconduct investigation. All aspiring Mavericks should try to bring the same intensity that this guy brought onto the court. Do you remember who he was?

Question 21

The NBA's Colin Kaepernick

When we say that, we don't mean that as a joke or an insult. This guy is the NBA's Colin Kaepernick in terms of he wouldn't stand for the anthem, though it was for religious reasons rather than any type of political statement. Current Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters actually did the same thing as a practicing Muslim back in 2014, the same faith shared by this former Denver Nuggets point guard. Do you think you remember who the "first" Colin Kaepernick was?

Question 22

Another former Timberwolve that we don't talk about

Is it Timberwolve or Timberwolf? Regardless, those that played well for the T-Wolves in their first years of existence don't get talked about because no one really cared about the franchise until the likes of Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell were in town. So if you're a diehard Timberwolves fan and you're just now learning who this is, we're both surprised and yet not too surprised. It'd be like a Yankee fan learning about Bobby Murcer. Do you know who this is?

Question 23

And yet another former Timberwolve we don't discuss

And here we go again with the "because the team was mediocre, their few bright spots don't get remembered at all." How many Warriors fans remember guys like Andris Biedrins or Baron Davis? What about Patriots fans and Ben Coates? Those jokes aren't made just because of bandwagon fans, but because people actually don't know about the so-called "Dark Times" before a team actually got good. We digress, though, because we know that you just want to answer this already.

Question 24

We should appreciate this ex-Bull more

Appreciating important role players on dynasty teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls or the current Golden State Warriors is just so important. Yeah, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are important, but so is David West and so was Harrison Barnes. This Bulls point guard fell into the same mold during the days of Jordan, Pippen, and friends. If you manage to figure out who this is, then good on you. Yes, Bulls fans, the pressure is on you to get all this right.

Question 25

They call him "The Mayor" for a reason

"The Mayor" may not have been his official nickname during his playing days, but we're calling him that because...well, if you don't know the reason, it's because he parlayed his successful NBA career into being the mayor of Sacramento just a few years ago. Alas, political corruption partly did him in and now optimists will only try to think about his best days on the court during the 1990s when he was an All-Star for the Phoenix Suns. Who was this?

Question 26

Will we see this former NBA coach get another job?

It's been a few years since we last saw this former San Antonio Spurs point guard be a head coach in the NBA, though he's now coaching in the collegiate ranks. Teams may decide to consider him with all of the openings there will be this offseason, even if there's a fear that players may not respect him for his high-pitched voice and dismissals from other teams. (Even if he didn't deserve to be let go either time.) Who was this?

Question 27

Do the Dirty Bird! Oh wait, wrong sport

Yeah, the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Hawks are not the same team. So be happy we didn't include Michael Vick or Matt Ryan as an option here because someone definitely would have chosen that as their answer. The Hawks are rebuilding without much other than John Collins right now, especially if Dennis Schroder gets dealt this offseason, so fans of Atlanta's basketball teams should try to remember better days with this former point guard's highlights on YouTube Who is this?

Question 28

A current NBA coach, this was him when he was much younger

There are jokes to be made here, but I don't have any that wouldn't spoil who this is. I would say zoom in and look at the face if you're really that stuck. It's not that difficult to figure out, although I'm also the one writing this quiz, so what do I know? In all seriousness, what you may find to be one of the harder questions on here is actually one of the easier non-Hall of Fame ones. Who is this?

Question 29

Show this former Bull some love

Once again, all that matters with these 1990s Chicago Bulls teams is Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and the occasional other player. So guys like these get left out of the equation more often than not, though we're going to be hopeful that you figure out who this is. It's certainly not Michael Jordan. And it's definitely not Rodman. So which of the following four players is this? Well, that's on you to figure it out, you know. We can't tell you.

Question 30

#TrustTheProcess if you're unsure

Get it? We put #TrustTheProcess because he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, wearing a jersey that we absolutely need the Sixers to bring back in the coming years as a retro. Can you imagine the Sixers entering Game One of the 2019 NBA Finals rocking these jerseys for the first time in so long? You know, before Joel Embiids winds up leaving in the first quarter and Ben Simmons posts a quad-double. We wish you the utmost luck in getting this one correct.

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