Puzzle #1 · Wednesday, September 30

Eight players.
Where does each one fit?

Put each player in the category where it scores best, from his NBA regular seasons: one to a category, in the lineup's order, so plan for the ones still to come. The better the fit, the bigger the trick, and five judges score each wave out of 10, for up to 80.0 in all.

Michael Jordan“His Airness” · Bulls, Wizards
Moses Malone“Chairman of the Boards” · Braves, Rockets, 76ers, Bullets and more
Klay ThompsonWarriors, Mavericks, Heat
Alperen Şengün“Baby Shaq” · Rockets
Tacko FallCeltics, Cavaliers, Kings, Rockets and more
Scottie Pippen“Pip” · Bulls, Rockets, Trail
Gheorghe MureșanWizards, Nets
Kevin Garnett“The Big Ticket” · Timberwolves, Celtics, Nets

Draft steal1 pt per 6 draft picks after No. 1
Scoring machine1 pt per 2,500 career points
Pickpocket1 pt per 0.2 steals a game
Longevity1 pt per 2 seasons
Born abroad10 pts if born outside the USYes or no
Bucket getter1 pt per 2.5 points a game
Ring collector2 pts per NBA title
Heavyweight1 pt per 10 lb over 160 lb

Career regular-season figures from each player’s Wikipedia article and Wikidata, through the 2025-26 season. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the NBA or its teams. Photos from Wikimedia Commons. No clock: take your time. One scored game per device per day; replays are practice.

How to play

Eight players and eight categories a day, the same for everyone. A new board rolls in at midnight Pacific.
You see the whole lineup from the start, and place the players in its order. Put each in an open category: it scores 0 to 10 there, from his NBA regular seasons. Each category takes one player, so plan for the ones still to come.
Every match is a wave, and the sets build through the heat, from 5 ft for the firstplayer to 30 ft for the last. The better the fit, the bigger the trick: a 0 is a wipeout, a 10 big air.
Five judges hold up cards for every wave, the match's score out of 10, and the high and the low are dropped. Your score is your eight waves added up, up to 80.0, set against the best board the day's players allow. Every day has a near-perfect one: 77.6 or better.
Your first game on a device counts. Replays are practice.

The trick each score earns
Score	Trick
10.0	Backflip or Air 360
8.5-9.9	Indy grab
6.5-8.4	Frontside air
4.5-6.4	Lip snap
2.5-4.4	Carve
0.1-2.4	Wipeout
0.0	Big wipeout

The categories, and how each one scores. Everything counts the NBA regular season only: no playoffs, and no ABA. Steals and blocks were first counted in 1973-74, so players before then sit those out, as territorial picks sit out Draft steal.

Big man: Height: 1 point for every inch and a half over 5 ft 10 in, so 6 ft 5 in scores 5, and 7 ft 1 in or taller 10.
Heavyweight: Playing weight: 1 point for every 10 lb over 160, so 210 lb scores 5, and 260 lb or more 10.
Iron man: NBA regular-season games played: 1 point for every 130, so 650 scores 5, and 1,300 or more 10.
Scoring machine: Career points in the NBA regular season (games times points a game): 1 point for every 2,500, so 12,500 scores 5, and 25,000 or more 10.
Bucket getter: Career points a game: 1 point for every 2.5, so 12.5 scores 5, and 25 or more 10.
Glass cleaner: Career rebounds a game: 1 point for each, so 5 scores 5, and 10 or more 10.
Dime dropper: Career assists a game: 1 point for every 0.8, so 4 scores 5, and 8 or more 10.
Pickpocket: Career steals a game: 1 point for every 0.2, so 1.0 scores 5, and 2.0 or more 10. The NBA began counting steals in 1973-74, so earlier players sit this one out.
Rim protector: Career blocks a game: 1 point for every 0.25, so 1.25 scores 5, and 2.5 or more 10. The NBA began counting blocks in 1973-74, so earlier players sit this one out.
Charity stripe: Career free-throw percentage: 1 point for every 3% over 60%, so 75% scores 5, and 90% or better 10.
Longevity: NBA seasons played: 1 point for every 2, so 10 seasons scores 5, and 20 or more 10.
All-Star: NBA All-Star selections: 1 point each, and 10 or more scores 10.
Ring collector: NBA championships won as a player: 2 points each, and 5 or more scores 10.
Draft steal: Where he was drafted, overall: 1 point for every 6 picks after the first, so the No. 31 pick scores 5, and No. 61 or later, or undrafted, scores 10. A top pick scores 0. Territorial picks sit this one out.
Most looked-up: How often people read his English Wikipedia article in 2025: 1 point for every 150,000 views, so 750,000 scores 5, and 1.5 million or more 10.
Known worldwide: How many languages Wikipedia has an article on him in: 1 point for every 6, so 30 languages scores 5, and 60 or more 10.
Number one: He was the first player taken in his NBA draft: 10 points.
MVP: He won the NBA's regular-season Most Valuable Player award at least once: 10 points. Finals and All-Star Game MVPs don't count.
Hall of Famer: He's in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: 10 points.
Top 75: He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, its greatest players of all time, in 2021: 10 points.
Gold medalist: He won an Olympic gold medal in basketball, for any country: 10 points.
Born abroad: He was born outside the United States: 10 points.
Skipped college: He never played US college basketball, going pro from high school or from a club abroad: 10 points.

Ride the curve. When you finish, you'll see how your heat stacks up against everyone who played today.

Calm motion

Rides play without flips, spins, or tumbling, waves rise in place instead of rolling in, and the sea stays still.

No sign-up. We store only an anonymous, hashed device ID with your scores. Career regular-season figures from each player’s Wikipedia article and Wikidata, through the 2025-26 season. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the NBA or its teams. Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Each photo's author and license are under it. More in About.