1997 in basketball

Championships

Professional

• Men
• *1997 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan
• ** 1997 NBA Playoffs
• **1996–97 NBA season
• **1997 NBA Draft
• *Eurobasket: Yugoslavia 61, Italy 49
• Women
• *WNBA Finals: Houston Comets over the New York Liberty. MVP: Cynthia Cooper
• *Eurobasket Women: Lithuania def. Slovakia

  College

• Men
• *NCAA
• **Division I: University of Arizona 84, University of Kentucky 79
• **National Invitation Tournament: University of Michigan def. Florida State University
• **Division II: Cal State Bakersfield 57, Northern Kentucky University 56
• **Division III: Illinois Wesleyan University 89, Nebraska Wesleyan University 86
• *NAIA
• **NAIA Division I: Life University 73, Oklahoma Baptist University 64
• **NAIA Division II: Bethel College 95, Siena Heights College 94
• *NJCAA
• **NJCAA Division I: Indian Hills CC, Ottumwa, Iowa 89, San Jacinto College, 80
• Women
• *NCAA
• **Division I: University of Tennessee 68, Old Dominion University 59
• **Division II: North Dakota State University 94, University of Southern Indiana 78
• **Division III New York University 72, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire 70
• *NAIA
• **NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene University 78 Union College
• **NAIA Division II Northwest Nazarene University 64, Black Hills State University 46
• *NJCAA
• **Division I Trinity Valley CC 79, Central Florida CC 69
• **Division II Kirkwood CC 76, Carl Sandburg College 67
• **Division III Anoka-Ramsey CC 80, Monroe CC 57

  Preps

Awards and honors

Professional

• Men
• *NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Karl Malone
• *NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Allen Iverson
• *NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Dikembe Mutombo
• *NBA Coach of the Year Award: Pat Riley, Miami Heat
• Women
• *WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets
• *WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Teresa Weatherspoon, New York Liberty
• *Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Zheng Haixia, Los Angeles Sparks
• *WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Van Chancellor, Houston Comets
• *WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets

  Collegiate

• Men
• *John R. Wooden Award: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Roy Williams, Kansas
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Brevin Knight, Stanford
• *Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Clem Haskins, Minnesota
• *Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Phog Allen
• Women
• *Naismith College Player of the Year: Kate Starbird, Stanford
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
• *Wade Trophy: DeLisha Milton, Florida
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jennifer Howard, NC State
• *Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Kara Wolters, Connecticut
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
• *Carol Eckman Award: Amy Ruley, North Dakota State University
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut

  [Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]

• Class of 1997:
• *Pete Carril
• *Joan Crawford
• *Denise Curry
• *Antonio Díaz-Miguel
• *Alex English
• *Don Haskins
• *Bailey Howell

  Events

• WNBA played its first season.

  Movies

• Air Bud
• The Sixth Man

  Deaths

• January 8 — Paul Endacott, Hall of Fame player for the Kansas Jayhawks
• February 2 — Raimundo Saporta, former head of Real Madrid basketball and FIBA Hall of Fame member
• March 6 — Roger Brown, player for Indiana Pacers
• April 18 — Francis Johnson, American Olympic gold medalist
• May 16 — Bones McKinney, former coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and early NBA player
• May 17 — Tusten Ackerman, All-American college player at Kansas
• June 5 — Joe Schaaf, All-American college player
• September 7 — Bill Strannigan, American college coach
• December 23 — Lester Harrison, Hall of Fame coach of the 1951 NBA Champion Rochester Royals