2002 in basketball

Championships

World Championship

• Men
• *Gold medal: Yugoslavia
• *Silver medal: Argentina
• *Bronze medal: Germany
• *Final match: Yugoslavia 84, Argentina 77
• *MVP: Dirk Nowitzki, Germany
• *All-tournament team: Nowitzki, Pero Cameron, Manu Ginóbili, Peja Stojakovic, Yao Ming
• Women
• *Gold medal: USA
• *Silver medal: Russia
• *Bronze medal: Australia
• *Final match: USA 79, Russia 74

  Professional

• Men
• *2002 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers over the New Jersey Nets 4-0. MVP: Tim Duncan
• * Philippine Basketball Association 2002 season:
• **Purefoods TJ Hotdogs over the Alaska Aces 4-3 in the Governor's Cup Finals
• **Red Bull Thunder over the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 4-3 in the Commissioner's Finals
• **Coca-Cola Tigers over the Alaska Aces 3-1 in the All-Filipino Cup Finals
• *Euroleague: Panathinaikos over Kinder Bologna 89-83 in the final match.
• Women
• *WNBA: Los Angeles Sparks over the New York Liberty 2-0. MVP: Lisa Leslie

  College

• Men
• *NCAA Division I: Maryland 64, Indiana 52
• *National Invitation Tournament: University of Memphis
• *NCAA Division II: Metropolitan State College of Denver 80, Kentucky Wesleyan College 72
• *NCAA Division III: Otterbein College 102, Elizabethtown College 83
• *NAIA Division I Oklahoma Science & Arts 96, Oklahoma Baptist University 79
• *NAIA Division II Evangel 84, Robert Morris 61
• Women
• *NCAA Division I: University of Connecticut 82, Oklahoma 70
• *NCAA Division II: Cal Poly Pomona 74, Southeastern Oklahoma 62
• *NCAA Division III Wis.-Stevens Point 67, St. Lawrence 65
• *NAIA Division I: Oklahoma City 82, Southern Nazarene 73
• *NAIA Division II Hastings 73, Cornerstone 69

  Awards and honors

Professional

• Men
• *NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Tim Duncan
• *NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Pau Gasol
• *NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
• *NBA Coach of the Year Award: Rick Carlisle, Detroit Pistons
• *Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and
• *Mr. Europa: Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings and Serbia and Montenegro
• Women
• *WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
• *WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
• *WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
• *WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Coco Miller, Washington Mystics
• *Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Jennifer Gillom, Phoenix Mercury
• *WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Marianne Stanley, Washington Mystics
• *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: Denny Crum, Louisville
• Men
• *John R. Wooden Award: Jay Williams, Duke
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Ben Howland, Pittsburgh
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Steve Logan, Cincinnati
• *Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Jay Williams, Duke
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
• *USBWA National Freshman of the Year: T. J. Ford, Texas
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Ben Howland, Pittsburgh
• *Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Don Haskins
• Women
• *Naismith College Player of the Year: Sue Bird, Connecticut
• *Naismith College Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
• *Wade Trophy: Sue Bird, Connecticut
• *Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Sheila Lambert, Baylor
• *Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Sue Bird, Connecticut
• *NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Swin Cash, UConn
• *Basketball Academic All-America Team: Stacey Dales-Schuman, Oklahoma
• *Carol Eckman Award: Barbara Stevens, Bentley College
• *Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Brenda Oldfield, Minnesota
• *List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: Sue Bird, Connecticut
• *Nancy Lieberman Award: Sue Bird, Connecticut
• *Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Billie Moore

  [Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]

• Class of 2002:
• * Harlem Globetrotters
• * Larry Brown
• * Earvin "Magic" Johnson
• * Robert "Lute" Olson
• * Drazen Petrovic
• * Sandra Kay Yow

  [Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]

• Class of 2002

  Events

Movies

• Double Teamed
• Juwanna Mann
• Like Mike

  Deaths

• January 6 — Fred Taylor, Hall of Fame coach of the 1960 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes
• January 7 — Geoff Crompton, American NBA player
• January 18 — Alex Hannum, Hall of Fame pro basketball coach
• January 26 — Milt Ticco, American NBL player
• February 2 — Ed Jucker, American college coach
• February 13 — Bob Gerber, American NBL player
• February 21 — Gene Sullivan, American college coach
• March 11 — Al Bonniwell, American NBL player
• March 18 — Don Betourne, American NBL player and coach
• May 5 — Jimmy Smith, American college All-American
• June 3 — Cecil Hankins, NBA player
• June 22 — Bobby Roberts, American college coach.
• July 7 — Bison Dele, NBA player
• July 17 — Ubiratan Pereira Maciel, Hall of Fame Brazilian basketball player
• July 27 — Billy McCann, 82, American college coach.
• August 8 — Chick Hearn, television and radio announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers
• September 2 — Abe Lemons, American college coach
• September 7 — Edward Spotovich, American NBL player
• September 14 — Jim Barnes, Former #1 overall NBA Draft pick and 1964 Olympic Gold medalist
• September 23 — Jule Rivlin, American NBL player and college coach
• December 17 — Bobby Joe Hill, American college national champion at Texas Western
• December 17 — Hank Luisetti, college basketball player and inventor of the layup; first player to score 50 points in a game