1999 in basketball
# 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)
