2001 in basketball

Championships

Professional

• Men
• *2001 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers over the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1. MVP: Shaquille O'Neal
• **2000–01 NBA season
• *Eurobasket: Yugoslavia 78, Turkey 69
• Women
• *WNBA Finals: Los Angeles Sparks over the Charlotte Sting 2-0. MVP: Lisa Leslie
• *Eurobasket Women: France def. Russia

  College

• Men
• *NCAA Division I: Duke University 82, Arizona 72
• *National Invitation Tournament: University of Tulsa 79, University of Alabama 60
• *NCAA Division II: Kentucky Wesleyan College 72, Washburn University 63
• *NCAA Division III: Catholic 76, William Paterson College 62
• *NAIA Division I: Faulkner University 63, Oklahoma Science & Arts 59
• *NAIA Division II: Northwestern 82, MidAmerica Nazarene University 78
• Women
• *NCAA Division I: University of Notre Dame 68, Purdue University 66
• *NCAA Division II: Cal Poly Pomona 87, North Dakota State University 80
• *NCAA Division III Washington 67, Messiah College 45
• *NAIA Division I: Oklahoma City University 69, Auburn University Montgomery 52
• *NAIA Division II Hastings College 73, Cornerstone University 69

  Awards and honors

Professional

• Men
• *NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Allen Iverson
• *NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Mike Miller
• *NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
• *NBA Coach of the Year Award: Larry Brown, Philadelphia 76ers
• *Euroscar Award: Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings and FR Yugoslavia
• *Mr. Europa: Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings and FR Yugoslavia
• Women
• *WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
• *WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Debbie Black, Miami Sol
• *WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Jackie Stiles, Portland Fire
• *WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Janeth Arcain, Houston Comets
• *Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Sue Wicks, New York Liberty
• *WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Dan Hughes, Cleveland Rockers
• *WNBA All-Star Game MVP: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
• *WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks

  Collegiate

• Combined
• *Legends of Coaching Award: Lute Olson, Arizona
• Men
• *John R. Wooden Award: Shane Battier, Duke
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Rod Barnes, Mississippi
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Rashad Phillips, Detroit
• *Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Shane Battier, Duke
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Juan Dixon, Maryland
• *USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Eddie Griffin, Seton Hall
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Matt Doherty, North Carolina
• *Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Tex Winter
• Women
• *Naismith College Player of the Year: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame
• *Wade Trophy: Jackie Stiles, Missouri State
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
• *Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
• *Basketball Academic All-America Team: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
• *Carol Eckman Award: Juliene B. Simpson, East Stroudsburg University
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame
• *Nancy Lieberman Award: Sue Bird, Connecticut
• *Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Cathy Rush

  [Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]

• Class of 2001:
• * John Chaney
• * Michael "Mike" Krzyzewski
• * Moses E. Malone

  [Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]

• Class of 2001

  Events

Movies

• Deaths

• January 7 — Ken Durrett, American NBA player and All-American at La Salle University
• January 17 — Garland O'Shields, American NBA player
• January 26 — Al McGuire, Hall of Fame coach at Marquette and famed college basketball announcer
• February 3 — Bobby Colburn, American NBL player for the Dayton Metropolitans
• February 19 — Guy Rodgers, Hall of Fame player for the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors
• February 20 — Harry Boykoff, former St. John's and early NBA player
• April 25 — Clovis Stark, American NBL for the Dayton Metropolitans
• April 29 — Andy Phillip, Hall of Fame NBA player
• May 15 — Ralph Miller, Hall of Fame college coach at Wichita State, Iowa and Oregon State
• June 26 — George Senesky, NBA player and coach for the Philadelphia Warriors
• August 1 — Dwight Eddleman, All-American at Illinois and two-time NBA All-Star
• September 5 — Cawood Ledford, American radio announcer
• September 14 — George Ireland, coach of the 1963 NCAA national champion Loyola Ramblers
• October 13 — B. L. Graham, All-American college player and head coach
• October 20 — Nebojša Popović, Serbian player, coach and administrator and FIBA Hall of Fame member
• November 18 — Renato Righetto, Brazilian referee and FIBA Hall of Fame member
• November 23 — Gus Broberg, two-time All-American forward at Dartmouth College
• November 28 — Bob Cope, American college coach
• December 8 — Mirza Delibašić, FIBA Hall of Fame player from Bosnia and 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist
• December 10 — Gus Doerner, American NBL player
• December 13 – Larry Costello, American All-Star NBA player