2006 in basketball

International

2006 FIBA World Championship:

Gold medal: Spain

Silver medal: Greece

Bronze medal: USA

MVP: Pau Gasol, Spain

All-tournament team:

Pau Gasol

Carmelo Anthony (USA)

Jorge Garbajosa (Spain)

Manu Ginóbili (Argentina)

Theodoros Papaloukas (Greece)

2006 FIBA World Championship for Women

Gold medal: Australia

Silver medal: Russia

Bronze medal: USA

MVP: Penny Taylor, Australia

Basketball at the 2006 Asian Games

Men's tournament:

Gold medal: China

Silver medal: Qatar

Bronze medal: Iran

Women's tournament:

Gold medal: China

Silver medal: Chinese Taipei

Bronze medal: Japan

Men

NBA season and playoffs:

2006 NBA Finals: Miami Heat 4, Dallas Mavericks 2. MVP: Dwyane Wade

Euroleague (Europe-wide):

CSKA Moscow defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-69 in the final

Croatian League:

Cibona defeated Zadar 2-1 in the best-of-three finals

French League:

Le Mans defeated Nancy 93-88 in the one-off final

German Bundesliga:

RheinEnergie Köln defeated ALBA Berlin 3-1 in the best-of-five finals

Greek League:

Panathinaikos defeated Olympiakos 3-0 in the best-of-five finals

Iranian Super League, 2005–06 season:

Saba Battery defeat Petrochimi 3–0 in the best-of-five final.

Israel Premier League:

Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 96-66 in the one-off final (the first such final in Israel history)

Italian Serie A:

Benetton Treviso defeated Climamio Bologna 3-1 in the best-of-five finals

Lithuanian LKL:

Lietuvos Rytas defeated Žalgiris 4-0 in the best-of-seven finals

Philippine Basketball Association 2005–06 season:

Red Bull Barako over the Purefoods Chunkee Giants 4-2 in the Fiesta Conference Finals. Finals MVP: Lordy Tugade

Purefoods Chunkee Giants over Red Bull Barako 4-2 in the Philippine Cup Finals. Finals MVP: Marc Pingris

Polish League:

Prokom Trefl Sopot over Anwil Włocławek 4-1 in the best-of-seven finals

Russian Super League:

CSKA Moscow over Khimki 3-0 in the best-of-five finals

Serbia and Montenegro Super League:

Partizan over Red Star 3-0 in the best-of-five finals

Spanish ACB:

Unicaja Málaga over TAU Cerámica 3-0 in the best-of-five finals

2005–06 season, 2005–06 playoffs

Turkish Basketball League:

Ülkerspor over Efes Pilsen 4-0 in the best-of-seven finals. Only three matches were actually played; under Turkish rules, Ülker was granted a 1-0 lead by virtue of its regular-season sweep of Efes.

British Basketball League:

Newcastle Eagles defeated Scottish Rocks 83-68 in the one-off final

Adriatic League:

FMP defeated Partizan 73-72 in the one-off final

Women

2006 WNBA Finals: Detroit Shock 3, Sacramento Monarchs 2

MVP: Deanna Nolan, Detroit

College

Men

NCAA

Division I: Florida 73, UCLA 57

National Invitation Tournament: South Carolina 76, Michigan 64

Division II: Winona State 73, Virginia Union 61

Division III: Virginia Wesleyan 59, Wittenberg 56

NAIA

NAIA Division I: Texas Wesleyan 67, Oklahoma City 65

NAIA Division II: University of the Ozarks (Mo.) 74, Huntington (Ind.) 56

NJCAA

Division I: Arkansas-Ft. Smith 68, Tallahassee CC (FL) 59

Division II: Cecil CC 9 (MD) 64, Kirkwood CC (IA) 63

Division III: North Lake College (TX) 78, Gloucester County College (N.J.) 65

UAAP Men's: University of Santo Tomas over Ateneo de Manila University, 2 games to 1

NCAA (Philippines) Seniors': San Beda College over Philippine Christian University, 2 games to 1

Women

NCAA

Division I: Maryland 78, Duke 75 OT

WNIT Kansas State 77, Marquette 65

Division II: Grand Valley State 58, American International 52

Division III Hope 69, Southern Maine 56

NAIA

NAIA Division I: Union (TN) 79, Lubbock Christian (TX) 62

NAIA Division II Hastings (Neb.)58, University of the Ozarks (Mo.) 39

NJCAA

Division I: Monroe CC (Rochester, New York) 76, Odessa College (TX) 64

Division II: Illinois Central College 71, Kirkwood CC (IA) 54

Division III: Monroe College (Bronx, New York) 100, Mohawk Valley CC (NY) 70

UAAP Women's: University of Santo Tomas over Far Eastern University, 2 games to 1

Prep

USA Today Boys Basketball Ranking #1: Lawrence North High School, Indianapolis, Indiana

USA Today Girls Basketball Ranking #1: Christ the King, Queens, New York

NCAA (Philippines) Juniors: San Sebastian Recoletos High School over Philippine Christian University Union High School, 2 games to 0

UAAP Juniors: Ateneo de Manila High School over Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Educational Foundation, 2 games to 1

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Class of 2006:

Geno Auriemma

Charles Barkley

Joe Dumars

Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba

Dave Gavitt

Jacques Dominique Wilkins

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Class of 2006

Geno Auriemma

Maria Paula Gonçalves da Silva

Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil

Janice Lawrence Braxton

Katrina McClain Johnson

Barbara Stevens

Professional

Men

NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Steve Nash

NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Chris Paul

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace

NBA Coach of the Year Award: Avery Johnson

FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award: Theodoros Papaloukas, CSKA Moscow and  Greece

Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and  Germany

Mr. Europa: Jorge Garbajosa, Toronto Raptors and  Spain (also Unicaja Málaga)

Women

WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks

WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever

WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx

WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Erin Buescher, Sacramento Monarchs

Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Dawn Staley, Houston Comets

WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Mike Thibault, Connecticut Sun

WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Deanna Nolan, Detroit Shock

FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award: Maria Stepanova, CSKA Samara and  Russia

Collegiate

Combined

Legends of Coaching Award: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Men

John R. Wooden Award: J. J. Redick, Duke

Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova

Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Dee Brown, Illinois

Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: J. J. Redick, Duke

NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Corey Brewer, Florida

USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Roy Williams (coach), North Carolina

Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Jerry Colangelo

Women

John R. Wooden Award: Seimone Augustus, LSU

Naismith College Player of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU

Naismith College Coach of the Year: Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina

Wade Trophy: Seimone Augustus, LSU

Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Megan Duffy, Notre Dame

Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU

NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Laura Harper, Maryland

Basketball Academic All-America Team: Lindsay Shearer, Kent State

Carol Eckman Award: Gail Goestenkors, Duke

USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Courtney Paris, Oklahoma

Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina

List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: Seimone Augustus, LSU

Nancy Lieberman Award: Ivory Latta, North Carolina

Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Val Ackerman

Events

December 13- after a few months in use and complaints from players, the NBA announces it will disuse the new synthetic ball in favor of the classic leather one.

December 16- a brawl erupted at the Madison Square Garden game between the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets.

Movies

Church Ball

Crossover (film)

The Heart of the Game

Glory Road (film)

Like Mike 2: Streetball

Deaths

February 11 — Harry Vines, American wheelchair basketball coach (born 1938)

March 17 — Ray Meyer, American Hall of Fame coach of the DePaul University men's team (born 1913)

April 6 — Maggie Dixon, women's coach at Army (born 1977)

April 6 — Price Brookfield, American NBA player (born 1920)

April 19 — Gene Rosenthal, American NBL player (Pittsburgh Pirates) (born 1914)

May 6 — Bob Dro, national champion at Indiana and Indianapolis Kautskys player (born 1918)

May 9 — Grady Wallace, All-American and national scoring champion at South Carolina

May 18 — Irving Meretsky, Canadian Olympic silver medalist (1936) (born 1912)

July 3 — Dick Dickey, NBA player and All-American at NC State (born 1926)

July 4 — Bobby Joe Mason, Harlem Globetrotters player and college All-American at Bradley (born 1936)

July 21 — Alexander Petrenko, Russian player (BC Khimki) (born 1976)

August 18 – Dick Hickox, American college All-American (Miami Hurricanes) (born 1938)

October 5 — Cleveland Buckner, American NBA player (New York Knicks) (born 1938)

October 5 — George King, American NBA player (Syracuse Nationals, Cincinnati Royals) and college coach (West Virginia, Purdue) (born 1928)

October 25 — Johnny Hoekstra, American NBL player (Kankakee Gallagher Trojans) (born 1917)

October 28 — Arnold "Red" Auerbach, Hall of Fame coach and president of the Boston Celtics (born 1917)

November 9 — Mikhail Semyonov, Russian (Soviet) Olympic Silver medalist (1956, 1960) (born 1933)

November 29 — Gary Alcorn, American NBA player (Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers) (born 1936)

December 12 — Paul Arizin, Hall of Famer for the Philadelphia Warriors who twice led the NBA in scoring (born 1928)

December 13 — Lamar Hunt, original ownership partner of the Chicago Bulls (born 1932)

December 21 — Warren Hair, American NBL player (Kankakee Gallagher Trojans) (born 1918)

December 29 — Charlie Tyra, All-American college (Louisville) and NBA player (New York Knicks, Chicago Packers) (born 1935)