1997 in basketball

Professional

Men

1997 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan

1997 NBA Playoffs

1996–97 NBA season

1997 NBA Draft

Eurobasket: Yugoslavia 61, Italy 49

Women

WNBA Finals: Houston Comets over the New York Liberty. MVP: Cynthia Cooper

Eurobasket Women: Lithuania def. Slovakia

College

Men

NCAA

Division I: University of Arizona 84, University of Kentucky 79

National Invitation Tournament: University of Michigan def. Florida State University

Division II: Cal State Bakersfield 57, Northern Kentucky University 56

Division III: Illinois Wesleyan University 89, Nebraska Wesleyan University 86

NAIA

NAIA Division I: Life University (Ga.) 73, Oklahoma Baptist University 64

NAIA Division II: Bethel College (Indiana) (IN) 95, Siena Heights College (MI) 94

NJCAA

NJCAA Division I: Indian Hills CC, Ottumwa, Iowa 89, San Jacinto College, (TX) 80

Women

NCAA

Division I: University of Tennessee 68, Old Dominion University 59

Division II: North Dakota State University 94, University of Southern Indiana 78

Division III New York University 72, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire 70

NAIA

NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene University (OK) 78 Union College (TN) (73)

NAIA Division II Northwest Nazarene University (ID) 64, Black Hills State University (SD) 46

NJCAA

Division I Trinity Valley CC 79, Central Florida CC 69

Division II Kirkwood CC 76, Carl Sandburg College 67

Division III Anoka-Ramsey CC 80, Monroe CC 57

Preps

Bloomington North defeats Delta to win Indiana's last open-class basketball state championship.

Professional

Men

NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Karl Malone

NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Allen Iverson

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Dikembe Mutombo

NBA Coach of the Year Award: Pat Riley, Miami Heat

Women

WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets

WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Teresa Weatherspoon, New York Liberty

Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Zheng Haixia, Los Angeles Sparks

WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Van Chancellor, Houston Comets

WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets

Collegiate

Men

John R. Wooden Award: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

Naismith College Coach of the Year: Roy Williams, Kansas

Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Brevin Knight, Stanford

Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky

Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Clem Haskins, Minnesota

Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Phog Allen

Women

Naismith College Player of the Year: Kate Starbird, Stanford

Naismith College Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut

Wade Trophy: DeLisha Milton, Florida

Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jennifer Howard, NC State

Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Kara Wolters, Connecticut

NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee

Carol Eckman Award: Amy Ruley, North Dakota State University

Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut

Events

WNBA played its first season.

Movies

Air Bud

The Sixth Man

Deaths

January 8 — Paul Endacott, Hall of Fame player for the Kansas Jayhawks (born 1902)

February 2 — Raimundo Saporta, former head of Real Madrid basketball and FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1926)

March 6 — Roger Brown, player for Indiana Pacers (born 1942)

April 18 — Francis Johnson, American Olympic gold medalist (1936) (born 1910)

May 16 — Bones McKinney, former coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and early NBA player (born 1919)

May 17 — Tusten Ackerman, All-American college player at Kansas (born 1901)

June 5 — Joe Schaaf, All-American college player (Penn) (born 1908)

September 7 — Bill Strannigan, American college coach (Colorado State, Iowa State, Wyoming) (born 1918)

December 23 — Lester Harrison, Hall of Fame coach of the 1951 NBA Champion Rochester Royals (born 1904)