# 2001 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.

## Championships
### Professional

* Men
** 2001 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers over the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1. MVP: Shaquille O'Neal
*** 2000–01 NBA season, 2001 NBA Playoffs, 2001 NBA draft, 2001 NBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket: Yugoslavia 78, Turkey 69
* Women
** WNBA Finals: Los Angeles Sparks over the Charlotte Sting 2-0. MVP: Lisa Leslie
*** 2001 WNBA season, 2001 WNBA Playoffs, 2001 WNBA draft, 2001 WNBA All-Star Game
** 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 (Iowa) 82, MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) 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 (OT)
** NCAA Division III Washington (Mo.) 67, Messiah College 45
** NAIA Division I: Oklahoma City University 69, Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) 52
** NAIA Division II Hastings College (Neb.) 73, Cornerstone University (Mich.) 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
   * Van Chancellor
   * Theresa Grentz
   * Phyllis Holmes
   * LaTaunya Pollard
   * Linda K. Sharp
   * C. Vivian Stringer
   * Vanya Voynova
   * Hazel Walker
   * Rosie Walker
   * Holly Warlick

## Movies

* Pistol Pete: The Life and Times of Pete Maravich

## Deaths

* January 7 — Ken Durrett, American NBA player and All-American at La Salle University (born 1948)
* January 17 — Garland O'Shields, American NBA player (Chicago Stags, Syracuse Nationals) (born 1921)
* January 26 — Al McGuire, Hall of Fame coach at Marquette and famed college basketball announcer (born 1928)
* February 3 — Bobby Colburn, American NBL player for the Dayton Metropolitans (born 1911)
* February 19 — Guy Rodgers, Hall of Fame player for the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors (born 1935)
* February 20 — Harry Boykoff, former St. John's and early NBA player (born 1922)
* April 25 — Clovis Stark, American NBL for the Dayton Metropolitans (born 1914)
* April 29 — Andy Phillip, Hall of Fame NBA player (born 1922)
* May 15 — Ralph Miller, Hall of Fame college coach at Wichita State, Iowa and Oregon State (born 1919)
* June 26 — George Senesky, NBA player and coach for the Philadelphia Warriors (born 1922)
* August 1 — Dwight Eddleman, All-American at Illinois and two-time NBA All-Star (born 1922)
* September 5 — Cawood Ledford, American radio announcer (Kentucky Wildcats) (born 1926)
* September 14 — George Ireland, coach of the 1963 NCAA national champion Loyola Ramblers (born 1913)
* October 13 — B. L. Graham, All-American college player and head coach (Ole Miss Rebels) (born 1914)
* October 20 — Nebojša Popović, Serbian player, coach and administrator and FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1923)
* November 18 — Renato Righetto, Brazilian referee and FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1921)
* November 23 — Gus Broberg, two-time All-American forward at Dartmouth College (born 1920)
* November 28 — Bob Cope, American college coach (Montana) (born 1928)
* December 8 — Mirza Delibašić, FIBA Hall of Fame player from Bosnia and 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist (born 1954)
* December 10 — Gus Doerner, American NBL player (Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Kautskys) (born 1922)
* December 13 – Larry Costello, American All-Star NBA player (Philadelphia 76ers) (born 1931)