1996 in basketball

Championships

1996 Olympics">Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics">1996 Olympics

• Men: United States of America 96, Yugoslavia 69
• Women: United States of America 111, Australia 87

  Professional

• Men
• *1996 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan
• **1996 NBA Playoffs
• **1995-96 NBA season
• **1996 NBA Draft
• *Eurobasket: None.
• Women
• *Eurobasket Women: None

  College

• Men
• *NCAA
• **Division I: Kentucky 76, Syracuse 67
• **NIT: University of Nebraska def. St. Joseph's University
• **Division II: Fort Hays State University 70, Northern Kentucky University 63
• **Division III: Rowan University 100, Hope College 93
• *NAIA
• **Division I Oklahoma City University 86, Georgetown 80
• **Division II Albertson 81, Whitworth 72 OT
• *NJCAA
• **Division I Sullivan College, Louisville, KY 103, Allegany CC, Cumberland, MD 98 O/T
• **Division II Penn Valley CC, Mo. 93, Kishwukee CC, Ill. 88
• **Division III Sullivan County CC 74, Gloucester County College 63
• Women
• *NCAA
• **Division I: University of Tennessee 83, University of Georgia 65
• **Division II: North Dakota State 104, Shippensburg 78
• **Division III: Wis.-Oshkosh 66 Mount Union 50
• *NAIA
• **Division I: Southern Nazarene 80, Southeastern Oklahoma State University 79
• **Division II Western Oregon 80, Huron 77
• *NJCAA
• **Division I Trinity Valley CC 69, Independence CC 55
• **Division II Lansing CC 74, Kankakee CC 68
• **Division III Central Lakes College-Brainerd 71, Monroe CC 57

  Awards and honors

Professional

• Men
• *NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Michael Jordan
• *NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Damon Stoudamire, Toronto Raptors
• *NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
• *NBA Coach of the Year Award: Phil Jackson, Chicago Bulls

  Collegiate

• Men
• *John R. Wooden Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Eddie Benton, Vermont
• *Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, UMass
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Miles Simon, Arizona
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Gene Keady, Purdue
• *Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Boris Stankovic
• Women
• *Naismith College Player of the Year: Saudia Roundtree, Georgia
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Andy Landers, Georgia
• *Wade Trophy: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
• *Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Michelle Marciniak, Tennessee
• *Basketball Academic All-America Team: Jennifer Rizzotti, UConn
• *Basketball Academic All-America Team: Katie Smith, Ohio State
• *Basketball Academic All-America Team: Tricia Wakely, Drake
• *Carol Eckman Award: Joann Rutherford, Missouri
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Angie Lee, Iowa

  [Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]

• Class of 1996:
• *Krešimir Ćosić
• *George Gervin
• *Gail Goodrich
• *Nancy Lieberman
• *David Thompson
• *George Yardley

  Events

• The WNBA formed.

  Movies

• Celtic Pride
• Space Jam
• Sunset Park

  Deaths

• January 13 — Dean Kelley, American national college champion at Kansas, Olympic gold medalist
• May 18 — Chet Forte, All-American college player
• June 14 — Jack Ragland, American Olympic gold medalist
• July 16 — Harold E. Foster, Hall of Fame player and Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball head coach
• July 29 — Lauren "Laddie" Gale, Hall of Fame player for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball and early professional
• August 10 — Derek Smith, American NBA player
• September 25 — Red Mihalik, Hall of Fame NBA, NCAA and Olympic referee