# 1996 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 1996 throughout the world.

## Championships
### 1996 Olympics

* Men: United States of America 96, Yugoslavia 69
* Women: United States of America 111, Australia 87

### Professional

* Men
** 1996 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan
*** 1996 NBA Playoffs
*** 1995-96 NBA season
*** 1996 NBA draft
*** 1996 NBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket: None.
* Women
** Eurobasket Women: None

### College

* Men
** NCAA
*** Division I: Kentucky 76, Syracuse 67
*** NIT: University of Nebraska def. St. Joseph's University
*** Division II: Fort Hays State University 70, Northern Kentucky University 63
*** Division III: Rowan University 100, Hope College 93
** NAIA
*** Division I Oklahoma City University 86, Georgetown (Ky.) 80
*** Division II Albertson (Idaho) 81, Whitworth (Wash.) 72 OT
** NJCAA
*** Division I Sullivan College, Louisville, KY 103, Allegany CC, Cumberland, MD 98 O/T
*** Division II Penn Valley CC, Mo. 93, Kishwukee CC, Ill. 88
*** Division III Sullivan County CC 74, Gloucester County College 63
* Women
** NCAA
*** Division I: University of Tennessee 83, University of Georgia 65
*** Division II: North Dakota State 104, Shippensburg 78
*** Division III: Wis.-Oshkosh 66 Mount Union 50
** NAIA
*** Division I: Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 80, Southeastern Oklahoma State University 79
*** Division II Western Oregon 80, Huron (S.D.) 77
** NJCAA
*** Division I Trinity Valley CC 69, Independence CC 55
*** Division II Lansing CC 74, Kankakee CC 68
*** Division III Central Lakes College-Brainerd 71, Monroe CC 57

## Awards and honors
### Professional

* Men
** NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Michael Jordan
** NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Damon Stoudamire, Toronto Raptors
** NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
** NBA Coach of the Year Award: Phil Jackson, Chicago Bulls

### Collegiate

* Men
** John R. Wooden Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Eddie Benton, Vermont
** Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, UMass
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Miles Simon, Arizona
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Gene Keady, Purdue
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Boris Stankovic
* Women
** Naismith College Player of the Year: Saudia Roundtree, Georgia
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Andy Landers, Georgia
** Wade Trophy: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
** Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Michelle M. Marciniak, Tennessee
** Basketball Academic All-America Team: Jennifer Rizzotti, UConn
** Basketball Academic All-America Team: Katie Smith, Ohio State
** Basketball Academic All-America Team: Tricia Wakely, Drake
** Carol Eckman Award: Joann Rutherford, Missouri
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Angie Lee, Iowa

### Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 1996:
** Krešimir Ćosić
** George Gervin
** Gail Goodrich
** Nancy Lieberman
** David Thompson
** George Yardley

## Events

* The WNBA formed.

## Movies

* Celtic Pride
* Space Jam
* Sunset Park (film)

## Deaths

* January 13 — Dean Kelley, American national college champion at Kansas (1952), Olympic gold medalist (1952) (born 1931)
* May 18 — Chet Forte, All-American college player (Columbia) (born 1935)
* June 14 — Jack Ragland, American Olympic gold medalist (1936) (born 1913)
* July 16 — Harold E. Foster, Hall of Fame player and Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball head coach (born 1906)
* July 29 — Lauren "Laddie" Gale, Hall of Fame player for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball and early professional (born 1917)
* August 10 — Derek Smith, American NBA player (born 1961)
* September 25 — Red Mihalik, Hall of Fame NBA, NCAA and Olympic referee (born 1916)