Now that the NBA season is underway, this is a good time to bone up on your NBA facts and trivia. That way, you can amaze and astound your friends the next time you are watching a ball game. Just don't be too obnoxious about it - nobody likes a smarty-pants. Test yourself with all of these facts:

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Most rebounds in an NBA game? - Wilt Chamberlain had 55 in 1960

Most free throws in an NBA game? - Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley both had 28

Longest NBA playoff non-appearance streak? - The Portland Trail Blazers have missed the playoffs five straight seasons

Longest current NBA playoff appearance streak? - San Antonio Spurs have appeared in 11 straight playoffs

Longest all-time NBA playoff appearance streak? - The Syracuse Nationals, which became the Philadelphia 76ers, made the playoffs 22 straight years ending in 1971

First minority player in the NBA? - Japanese player Wataru Misaka. He played three games for the Knicks in 1947 after a strong collegiate career at Utah.

Oldest NBA player? - Nat Hickey played for the Providence Steamrollers when he was 46 in 1948, but he was only active for one game. 44 year old Kevin Willis played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

Youngest player to be named NBA rookie of the year? - LeBron James was 19, three months younger than Kevin Durant

Longest NBA winning streak? - The Lakers won 33 straight games in 1971 and 1972

Longest NBA losing streak? - The Grizzlies in 1995-96 and the Nuggets in 1997-98 each lost 23 games in a row

Most NBA wins in a season? - The Bulls won 72 games in 1995-96. They won the NBA title that year.

Most NBA losses in a season? - Philadelphia lost 73 games in 1972-73. They made the playoffs three years later, and the NBA Finals the year after that.

Who was the first player to average a triple-double? - In the 1961-62 season, Oscar Robertson averaged 30.8 ppg, 11.4 assists and 12.5 rpg

Whose silhouette was used for the NBA logo? - Jerry West

Has there ever been a quadruple-double? Yes. The NBA has officially recognized four by David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Alvin Robertson and Nate Thurmond. The league only started counting blocks and steals in 1973, so it wasn't possible to get a quadruple-double before then. It's speculated that Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West all had unofficial quadruple-doubles. There has never been a quintuple double, and there may never be. The term five-by-five refers to a player who gets at least five of each of the five statistical categories in one game. There have been 14 five-by-fives since 1987. Hakeem Olajuwon leads the way with six, while Andrei Kirilenko has three. Kirilinko had two in one week in 2003, and has the most recent five-by-five in the league, occurring on Jan. 3, 2006.

When was the NBA established? - In 1948 when the Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League.

When was the NBA founded? - 1949

When was the first NBA game played? - 1949

What are the educational requirements for the NBA? - Players cannot join the NBA until one year after their graduating class has finished high school. They must also be 19 by the end of their draft year.

How long is the NBA shot clock? - 24 seconds

What year was the NBA invented? - 1949

When is the NBA trade deadline? - Typically it is the second last Thursday in February.

What does NBA stand for? - National Basketball Association

Who is the highest paid NBA player? - Kevin Garnett, $24.75 million

Which team has the most NBA championships? - Boston Celtics with 17

Who won the first NBA championship? - Minneapolis Lakers

Who was the tallest NBA player? - Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan were both 7'7" tall

Who is the commissioner of the NBA today? - David Stern

When are the NBA Finals? - The Finals typically start early in June

How does the NBA Draft work? - There are two rounds. The teams that don't make the playoffs enter the Draft Lottery. The worse a team is the better chance they have of winning the lottery. The lottery determines the draft order of the 14 non-playoff teams. After that, teams draft in reverse order of record, with the two finalists getting the last two picks. Teams can pick any eligible player who has been out of high school for at least one year.

When do the NBA Playoffs start this year? - The season ends April 15, 2009, and the playoffs start soon after

Who is the heaviest NBA player? - Shaquille O'Neal at 325 pounds

How many teams play in the NBA? - 30

Which NBA team includes the most Big Ten players? - The Knicks and the Clippers each have three

After completing this article view our NBA predictions page. When it comes to betting NBA our NBA spreads feature is a must for any NBA fan. Doc's NBA betting 101 resource is a must read for NBA wagering. Keep abreast of all the NBA topics as well as free picks and predictions on Doc's home page - check it out after reading this article.

Who is the shortest player in the NBA? - Nate Robinson is 5 feet 9 inches

What year did Michael Jordan join the NBA? - 1984

Who was the first black coach in the NBA? - Bill Russell

Who is LeBron James' agent? - Leon Rose