2002 in basketball
# 2002 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 2002 throughout the world.

## 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 (New Zealand), Manu Ginóbili (Argentina), Peja Stojakovic (Yugoslavia), Yao Ming (China)
* 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 (More information can be found at 2002-03 NBA season.)
      * 2002 NBA Playoffs, 2002 NBA draft, 2001-02 NBA season, 2002 NBA All-Star Game
   * 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 Finals: Los Angeles Sparks over the New York Liberty 2-0. MVP: Lisa Leslie
      * 2002 WNBA season, 2002 WNBA Playoffs, 2002 WNBA draft, 2002 WNBA All-Star Game

### 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 (Mo.) 84, Robert Morris (Ill.) 61
* Women
   * NCAA Division I: University of Connecticut 82, Oklahoma 70
   * Women's National Invitation Tournament: University of Oregon
   * 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 (Okla.) 73
   * NAIA Division II Hastings (Neb.) 73, Cornerstone (Mich.) 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 Germany
   * 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

   * Cindy Brogdon

   * Hortência Marcari

   * Kamie Ethridge

   * Margaret Sexton Gleaves

   * Sandra Meadows

   * Lea Plarski

   * Marianne Crawford Stanley

   * Tara VanDerveer

## Movies

* Double Teamed
* Juwanna Mann
* Like Mike

## Deaths

* January 6 — Fred Taylor, Hall of Fame coach of the 1960 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes (born 1924)
* January 7 — Geoff Crompton, American NBA player (born 1955)
* January 18 — Alex Hannum, Hall of Fame pro basketball coach (born 1923)
* January 26 — Milt Ticco, American NBL player (born 1922)
* February 2 — Ed Jucker, American college coach (Cincinnati) (born 1916)
* February 13 — Bob Gerber, American NBL player (born 1916)
* February 21 — Gene Sullivan, American college coach (Loyola (Illinois)) (born 1931)
* March 11 — Al Bonniwell, American NBL player (Akron Firestone Non-Skids) (born 1911)
* March 18 — Don Betourne, American NBL player and coach (Kankakee Gallagher Trojans) (born 1915)
* May 5 — Jimmy Smith, American college All-American (Steubenville) (born 1934)
* June 3 — Cecil Hankins, NBA player (St. Louis Bombers, Boston Celtics) (born 1922)
* June 22 — Bobby Roberts, American college coach (Clemson).
* July 7 — Bison Dele, NBA player (born 1969)
* July 17 — Ubiratan Pereira Maciel, Hall of Fame Brazilian basketball player (born 1944)
* July 27 — Billy McCann, 82, American college coach (Hampden–Sydney, Washington and Lee, Virginia).
* August 8 — Chick Hearn, television and radio announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers (born 1916)
* September 2 — Abe Lemons, American college coach (Oklahoma City, Texas) (born 1922)
* September 7 — Edward Spotovich, American NBL player (born 1916)
* September 14 — Jim Barnes, Former #1 overall NBA draft pick and 1964 Olympic Gold medalist (born 1941)
* September 23 — Jule Rivlin, American NBL player (Akron Goodyear Wingfoots, Toledo Jeeps) and college coach (Marshall) (born 1917)
* December 17 — Bobby Joe Hill, American college national champion at Texas Western (1966) (born 1943)
* December 17 — Hank Luisetti, college basketball player and inventor of the layup; first player to score 50 points in a game (born 1916)
