2003 in basketball
# 2003 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 2003 throughout the world.

## Champions

### Professional

* Men
   * 2003 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs over the New Jersey Nets 4-2. MVP: Tim Duncan (More information can be found at 2003-04 NBA season.)
      * 2002-03 NBA season
      * 2003 NBA Playoffs
      * 2003 NBA draft
      * 2003 NBA All-Star Game
   * Eurobasket: Lithuania 93, Spain 84
* Women
   * WNBA Finals: Detroit Shock over Los Angeles Sparks 2-1. MVP: Ruth Riley
      * 2003 WNBA season
      * 2003 WNBA Playoffs
      * 2003 WNBA draft
      * 2003 WNBA All-Star Game
   * Eurobasket Women: Russia def. Czech Republic

### College

* Men
   * NCAA Division I: Syracuse University 81, University of Kansas 78
   * National Invitation Tournament: University of Michigan
   * NCAA Division II: Northeastern State University 75, Kentucky Wesleyan College 64
   * NCAA Division III: Williams College 67, Gustavus Adolphus College 65
   * NAIA Division I Concordia 88, Mountain State 84 OT
   * NAIA Division II Oregon Tech 81, Bellevue (Neb.) 70
* Women
   * NCAA Division I: University of Connecticut 73, University of Tennessee 68
   * Women's National Invitation Tournament: Auburn 64, Baylor 63
   * NCAA Division II: South Dakota State 65, Northern Kentucky University 60
   * NCAA Division III Trinity University (Tex.) 60, Eastern Connecticut State 58
   * NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 71, Oklahoma City University 70
   * NAIA Division II Hastings (Neb.) 59, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 53

## Awards and honors

### Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 2003:
   * Leon Barmore
   * Francis D. "Chick" Hearn
   * Earl F. Lloyd
   * Meadowlark Lemon
   * Dino Meneghin
   * Robert L. Parish
   * James A. Worthy

### Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

* Class of 2003

   * Leon Barmore

   * Tara Heiss

   * Claude Hutcherson

   * Patsy Neal

   * Doris Rogers

   * Marsha Sharp

### Professional

* Men
   * NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Tim Duncan
   * NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Amar'e Stoudemire
   * NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
   * NBA Coach of the Year Award: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
   * Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and Germany
   * Mr. Europa: Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Lithuania (also FC Barcelona)
* Women
   * WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
   * WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
   * WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock
   * WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Michelle Snow, Houston Comets
   * Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Edna Campbell, Sacramento Monarchs
   * WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Bill Laimbeer, Detroit Shock
   * WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Ruth Riley, Detroit Shock

### Collegiate

* Combined
   * Legends of Coaching Award: Roy Williams, Kansas
* Men
   * John R. Wooden Award: T. J. Ford, Texas
   * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
   * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jason Gardner, Arizona
   * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: David West, Xavier
   * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
   * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
   * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
   * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Charles “Lefty” Driesell
* Women
   * Naismith College Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
   * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Gail Goestenkors, Duke
   * Wade Trophy: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
   * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Kara Lawson, Tennessee
   * Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
   * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Diana Taurasi, UConn
   * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Kristine Austgulen, VCU
   * Carol Eckman Award: Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech University
   * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU
   * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
   * List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State
   * Nancy Lieberman Award: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
   * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Betty Jaynes

## Deaths

* January 20 — Dan King, American NBA player (Baltimore Bullets) (born 1931)
* January 29 — John Murphy, American BAA player (Philadelphia Warriors, New York Knicks) (born 1924)
* February 9 — John Hyder, American college coach (Georgia Tech) (born 1912)
* March 29 — Carl Ridd, Canadian Olympic player (1952) (born 1929)
* April 5 — Helgi Jóhannsson, Icelandic basketball player and coach (born 1929)
* April 16 — Jewell Young, All-American college player (Purdue), NBL player (Indianapolis Kautskys, Oshkosh All-Stars) (born 1913)
* May 14 — Dave DeBusschere, American Hall of Fame NBA player (New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons) (born 1940)
* May 14 — Al Fleming, American NBA player (Seattle SuperSonics) (born 1954)
* May 23 — Weenie Miller, American college coach (VMI) (born 1922)
* May 29 — Anthony Frederick, American NBA player (Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets) (born 1964)
* June 16 — David Polansky, American college coach (CCNY) (born 1919)
* June 22 — John Mandic, American NBA player (born 1919)
* September 20 — Ernie Calverley, All-American player and coach at Rhode Island (born 1924)
* October 16 — Chet Jaworski, All-American player (Rhode Island) (born 1916)
* October 23 — Kevin Magee, Former All-American at UC Irvine and Maccabi Tel Aviv player (born 1959)
* October 30 — Stan Szukala, American NBL player (Chicago Bruins, Chicago American Gears) (born 1918)
* November 21 — Bill Haarlow, American NBL player (Whiting Ciesar All-Americans) (born 1913)
* December 8 — Chuck Noe, American college coach (VMI, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, VCU) (born 1924)
* December 9 — Norm Sloan, College basketball coach of the 1974 national champion NC State Wolfpack (born 1926)
* December 26 — Gale Bishop, All-American college (Washington State) and BAA (Philadelphia Warriors) player (born 1922)
