# 1999 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 1999 throughout the world.

## Championships
### Professional

* Men
** 1999 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs over the New York Knicks 4-1. MVP: Tim Duncan
*** 1999 NBA Playoffs, 1998-99 NBA season, 1999 NBA draft
** Eurobasket: Italy 64, Spain 56
* Women
** WNBA Finals: Houston Comets over the New York Liberty 2-1. MVP: Cynthia Cooper
*** 1999 WNBA Playoffs, 1999 WNBA season, 1999 WNBA draft, 1999 WNBA All-Star Game
** Eurobasket Women Poland def. France

### College

* Men
** NCAA Division I: University of Connecticut 77, Duke University 74
** National Invitation Tournament: University of California, Berkeley 61, Clemson University 60
** NCAA Division II: Kentucky Wesleyan College 75, Metropolitan State College of Denver 60
** NCAA Division III: University of Wisconsin-Platteville 76, Hampden-Sydney College 75 2 OTs
** NAIA Division I: Life University (GA) 63, Mobile (AL) 60
** NAIA Division II: Cornerstone University(MI) 113, Bethel College (Indiana) (IN) 109 OT
** NJCAA Division I: Indian Hills CC, Ottumwa, Iowa 100, Barton County CC Great Bend, Kansas 88
* Women
** NCAA Division I: Purdue University 62, Duke University 45
** NCAA Division II: North Dakota State University 80, Arkansas Tech University 63
** NCAA Division III Washington (Mo.) 74, St. Benedict 65
** NAIA Division I: Oklahoma City University 72, Simon Fraser (BC) 55
** NAIA Division II Shawnee State University (OH) 80, University of St. Francis 65

### Preps

* USA Today Boys Basketball #1 Ranking: Oak Hill, Mouth of Wilson, Virginia (31-0). Led by Ron Slay and Travis Watson
* USA Today Girls Basketball #1 Ranking: Pickerington, Ohio (27-1). Led by LaToya Turner.

## Awards and honors
### Professional

* Men
** NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Karl Malone
** NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Vince Carter
** NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Alonzo Mourning
** NBA Coach of the Year Award: Mike Dunleavy, Portland Trail Blazers
* Women
** WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento Monarchs
** WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento Monarchs
** WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Chamique Holdsclaw, Washington Mystics
** Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Dawn Staley, Charlotte Sting
** WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Van Chancellor, Houston Comets
** WNBA All-Star Game MVP: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
** WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets

### Collegiate

* Combined
** Legends of Coaching Award: Dean Smith, North Carolina
* Men
** John R. Wooden Award: Elton Brand, Duke
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Shawnta Rogers, George Washington
** Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Elton Brand, Duke
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State
** USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Quentin Richardson, DePaul
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Cliff Ellis, Auburn
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: C.M. Newton
* Women
** Naismith College Player of the Year: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
** Naismith College Coach of the Year: Carolyn Peck, Purdue
** Wade Trophy: Stephanie White, Purdue
** Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Becky Hammon, Colorado State
** Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
** NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Ukari Figgs, Purdue
** Carol Eckman Award: Susan Summons, Miami-Dade Community College
** Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Carolyn Peck, Purdue
** Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Margaret Wade

### Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 1999:
** Wayne R. Embry
** Kevin E. McHale
** Billie J. Moore
** John R. Thompson
** Fred Zollner

### Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 1999:
** Senda Abbott
** Lidia Alexeyeva
** Carol Blazejowski
** Joanne Bracker
** Jody Conradt
** Joan Crawford
** Denise Curry
** Anne Donovan
** Carol Eckman
** Betty Jo Graber
** Lusia Harris-Stewart
** John Head
** Nancy Lieberman
** Darlene May
** Ann Meyers-Drysdale
** Cheryl Miller
** Billie Moore
** Shin-Ja Park
** Harley Redin
** Uljana Semjonova
** Jim Smiddy
** Pat Head Summitt
** Bertha Teague
** Margaret Wade
** Nera White

## Events

The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.

## Deaths

* May 8 — John Kotz, 1941 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and player for the Sheboygan Red Skins (born 1919)
* May 31 — Vic Rouse, American college player, national champion at Loyola-Illinois (1963) (born 1943)
* July 8 — Frank Lubin, member of 1936 US Olympic championship team (born 1910)
* August 7 — John Dee, American college coach (Alabama, Notre Dame) (born 1923)
* August 7 — Harry Litwack, Hall of fame college coach of the Temple Owls (born 1907)
* August 19 — Kim Perrot, WNBA Player for the Houston Comets (born 1967)
* October 4 — Ted Strain, American NBL player and national champion at Wisconsin (1941) (born 1917)
* October 8 — John McLendon, Hall of Fame college and ABA coach (born 1915)
* October 12 — Wilt Chamberlain, player and member of Basketball Hall of Fame. Many believe him to have been the best basketball player in the history of the game (born 1936)
* October 14 — Jim Jordan, All-American at North Carolina (born 1925)
* October 25 — Forddy Anderson, Final Four college coach at both Bradley and Michigan State. NBA scout for the Boston Celtics (born 1919)
* December 1 — William "Pop" Gates, Hall of Fame Harlem Renaissance and Harlem Globetrotters player (born 1917)
* December 23 — Vladimir Kondrashin, FIBA Hall of Fame Russian coach (born 1929)
* December 24 — Reggie Carter, American NBA player (New York Knicks) (born 1957)
* December 31 — Bob McKeen, All-American college player (California) (born 1933)