# 2003 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 2003 throughout the world.

## Champions
### Professional

* Men
** 2003 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs over the New Jersey Nets 4-2. MVP: Tim Duncan (More information can be found at 2003-04 NBA season.)
*** 2002-03 NBA season
*** 2003 NBA Playoffs
*** 2003 NBA draft
*** 2003 NBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket: Lithuania 93, Spain 84
* Women
** WNBA Finals: Detroit Shock over Los Angeles Sparks 2-1. MVP: Ruth Riley
*** 2003 WNBA season
*** 2003 WNBA Playoffs
*** 2003 WNBA draft
*** 2003 WNBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket Women: Russia def. Czech Republic

### College

* Men
** NCAA Division I: Syracuse University 81, University of Kansas 78
** National Invitation Tournament: University of Michigan
** NCAA Division II: Northeastern State University 75, Kentucky Wesleyan College 64
** NCAA Division III: Williams College 67, Gustavus Adolphus College 65
** NAIA Division I Concordia 88, Mountain State 84 OT
** NAIA Division II Oregon Tech 81, Bellevue (Neb.) 70
* Women
** NCAA Division I: University of Connecticut 73, University of Tennessee 68
** Women's National Invitation Tournament: Auburn 64, Baylor 63
** NCAA Division II: South Dakota State 65, Northern Kentucky University 60
** NCAA Division III Trinity University (Tex.) 60, Eastern Connecticut State 58
** NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 71, Oklahoma City University 70
** NAIA Division II Hastings (Neb.) 59, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 53

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

* Class of 2003:
** Leon Barmore
** Francis D. "Chick" Hearn
** Earl F. Lloyd
** Meadowlark Lemon
** Dino Meneghin
** Robert L. Parish
** James A. Worthy

### Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 2003
   * Leon Barmore
   * Tara Heiss
   * Claude Hutcherson
   * Patsy Neal
   * Doris Rogers
   * Marsha Sharp

### Professional

* Men
** NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Tim Duncan
** NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Amar'e Stoudemire
** NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
** NBA Coach of the Year Award: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
** Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and Germany
** Mr. Europa: Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Lithuania (also FC Barcelona)
* Women
** WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
** WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
** WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock
** WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Michelle Snow, Houston Comets
** Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Edna Campbell, Sacramento Monarchs
** WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Bill Laimbeer, Detroit Shock
** WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Ruth Riley, Detroit Shock

### Collegiate

* Combined
** Legends of Coaching Award: Roy Williams, Kansas
* Men
** John R. Wooden Award: T. J. Ford, Texas
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jason Gardner, Arizona
** Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: David West, Xavier
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
** USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Charles “Lefty” Driesell
* Women
** Naismith College Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Gail Goestenkors, Duke
** Wade Trophy: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Kara Lawson, Tennessee
** Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Diana Taurasi, UConn
** Basketball Academic All-America Team: Kristine Austgulen, VCU
** Carol Eckman Award: Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech University
** USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
** List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State
** Nancy Lieberman Award: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Betty Jaynes

## Deaths

* January 20 — Dan King, American NBA player (Baltimore Bullets) (born 1931)
* January 29 — John Murphy, American BAA player (Philadelphia Warriors, New York Knicks) (born 1924)
* February 9 — John Hyder, American college coach (Georgia Tech) (born 1912)
* March 29 — Carl Ridd, Canadian Olympic player (1952) (born 1929)
* April 5 — Helgi Jóhannsson, Icelandic basketball player and coach (born 1929)
* April 16 — Jewell Young, All-American college player (Purdue), NBL player (Indianapolis Kautskys, Oshkosh All-Stars) (born 1913)
* May 14 — Dave DeBusschere, American Hall of Fame NBA player (New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons) (born 1940)
* May 14 — Al Fleming, American NBA player (Seattle SuperSonics) (born 1954)
* May 23 — Weenie Miller, American college coach (VMI) (born 1922)
* May 29 — Anthony Frederick, American NBA player (Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets) (born 1964)
* June 16 — David Polansky, American college coach (CCNY) (born 1919)
* June 22 — John Mandic, American NBA player (born 1919)
* September 20 — Ernie Calverley, All-American player and coach at Rhode Island (born 1924)
* October 16 — Chet Jaworski, All-American player (Rhode Island) (born 1916)
* October 23 — Kevin Magee, Former All-American at UC Irvine and Maccabi Tel Aviv player (born 1959)
* October 30 — Stan Szukala, American NBL player (Chicago Bruins, Chicago American Gears) (born 1918)
* November 21 — Bill Haarlow, American NBL player (Whiting Ciesar All-Americans) (born 1913)
* December 8 — Chuck Noe, American college coach (VMI, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, VCU) (born 1924)
* December 9 — Norm Sloan, College basketball coach of the 1974 national champion NC State Wolfpack (born 1926)
* December 26 — Gale Bishop, All-American college (Washington State) and BAA (Philadelphia Warriors) player (born 1922)