# 2004 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 2004 throughout the world.

## Champions
### Olympics

* Men
    Argentina
    Italy
    United States
* Women
    United States
    Australia
    Russia

### Professional

* Men
** 2004 NBA Finals: Detroit Pistons over the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1. MVP: Chauncey Billups
*** 2003-04 NBA season
*** 2004 NBA Playoffs
*** 2004 NBA draft
*** 2004 NBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket: None.
** Euroleague:
*** Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Skipper Bologna 118-74 in the final
** ULEB Cup
*** Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem defeated Real Madrid 83-72
* Women
** WNBA Finals: Seattle Storm over Connecticut Sun 2-1. MVP: Betty Lennox
*** 2004 WNBA season
*** 2004 WNBA Playoffs
*** 2004 WNBA draft
*** 2004 WNBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket Women: None.

### College

* Men
** NCAA Division I: Connecticut 82, Georgia Tech 73
** National Invitation Tournament: Michigan 62, Rutgers 55
** NCAA Division II: Kennesaw State 84, Southern Indiana 59
** NCAA Division III: UW-Stevens Point 84, Wiliams 82
** NAIA Division I Mountain State 74, Concordia 70
** NAIA Division II Oregon Tech 81, Bellevue (Neb.) 70
* Women
** NCAA Division I: Connecticut 70, Tennessee 61
** Women's National Invitation Tournament: Creighton 73, UNLV 52
** NCAA Division II: California (Pennsylvania) 75, Drury 72
** NCAA Division III: Wilmington (Ohio) 59, Bowdoin 53
** NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene 77, Oklahoma City 61
** NAIA Division II Morningside (Iowa) 87, Cedarville (Ohio) 74

## Awards and honors
### Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 2003:
** Jerry Colangelo
** Drazen Dalipagic
** Clyde Drexler
** Bill Sharman
** Maurice Stokes
** Lynette Woodard

### Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 2004
   * Sylvia Hatchell
   * Lurlyne Greer Rogers
   * Amy Ruley
   * Bev Smith
   * William L. Wall
   * Marian E. Washington

### Professional

* Men
** NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Kevin Garnett
** NBA Rookie of the Year Award: LeBron James
** NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ron Artest
** NBA Coach of the Year Award: Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix Suns
** Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and Germany
** Mr. Europa: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies and Spain
* Women
** WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
** WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
** WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
** WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Kelly Miller, Charlotte Sting & Wendy Palmer, Connecticut Sun
** Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Teresa Edwards, Minnesota Lynx
** WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Suzie McConnell-Serio, Minnesota Lynx
** WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Betty Lennox, Seattle Storm

### Collegiate

* Combined
** Legends of Coaching Award: Mike Montgomery, Stanford
* Men
** John R. Wooden Award: Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph's
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's
** Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Sean May, North Carolina
** USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Luol Deng, Duke
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph's
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: George Killian
* Women
** John R. Wooden Award: Alana Beard, Duke
** Naismith College Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Pat Summitt, Tennessee
** Wade Trophy: Alana Beard, Duke
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Erika Valek, Purdue
** Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Alana Beard, Duke
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Diana Taurasi, UConn
** Basketball Academic All-America Team: Kelly Mazzante, Penn State
** Carol Eckman Award: Deirdre Kane, West Chester
** USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Tiffany Jackson, Texas
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Joe Curl, Houston
** List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: Alana Beard, Duke
** Nancy Lieberman Award: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Sonja Hogg

## Deaths

* January 9 — Yinka Dare, Nigerian center for the New Jersey Nets (born 1972)
* January 18 — Hook Dillon, All-American at North Carolina (born 1924)
* January 26 — Stanley Nantais, Canadian Olympic player (1936) (born 1913)
* January 28 — Sox Walseth, American college coach (South Dakota State, Colorado) (born 1926)
* April 11 — Hy Gotkin, All-American at St. John's (born 1922)
* July 30 — Ed Melvin, American BAA player and college coach (St. Bonaventure, Toledo) (born 1916)
* July 24 — Cotton Fitzsimmons, NBA basketball coach (born 1931)
* August 12 — George Yardley, Hall of Fame player for the Fort Wayne Pistons (born 1928)
* September 4 — Alphonso Ford, 3000-point NCAA scorer and Greek A1 League MVP (born 1971)
* December 14 — Anselmo López, Spanish coach and administrator. FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1910)
* December 18 — Eddie Oram, All-American college player (USC), NBL player (born 1914)
* December 25 — Howie Williams, American AAU player and Olympic gold medalist (1952) (born 1927)