1998 in basketball

Championships

World Championships

• Men Yugoslavia 64, Russia 62
• Women USA 71, Russia 65

Professional

• Men
  • 1998 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan
    • 1998 NBA Playoffs, 1997-98 NBA season, 1998 NBA draft, 1998 NBA All-Star Game
  • Philippine Basketball Association 1998 season:
    • Alaska Milkmen over the San Miguel Beermen 4-3 in the All-Filipino Cup Finals
    • Alaska Milkmen over the San Miguel Beermen 4-2 in the Commissioner's Finals
    • Formula Shell Zoom Masters over the Mobiline Phone Pals 4-3 in the Governor's Finals
• Women
  • WNBA Finals: Houston Comets over the Phoenix Mercury 2-1. MVP: Cynthia Cooper
    • 1998 WNBA Playoffs, 1998 WNBA season, 1998 WNBA draft

College

• Men
  • NCAA Division I: University of Kentucky 78, University of Utah 69
  • National Invitation Tournament: University of Minnesota def. Penn State University
  • NCAA Division II: University of California-Davis 83, Kentucky Wesleyan College 77
  • NCAA Division III: University of Wisconsin-Platteville 69, Hope College 53
  • NAIA Division I: Georgetown College (KY) 83, Southern Nazarene University (OK) 69
  • NAIA Division II: Bethel College (Indiana) (IN) 89, Oregon Institute of Technology 87
  • NJCAA Division I: Indian Hills CC, Ottumwa, Iowa 83, Shelby State CC, Memphis, Tennessee 68
• Women
  • NCAA Division I: Purdue University 62, Duke University 45
  • NCAA Division II: North Dakota State University 92, Emporia State University 76
  • NCAA Division III Washington (Mo.) 77, University of Southern Maine 69
  • NAIA Division I: Union College (TN) 73-70 Southern Nazarene University (OK) 70
  • NAIA Division II Walsh University (OH)) 73, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) 66

Preps

• USA Today Boys Basketball #1 Ranking: St. John's at Prospect Hall, Frederick, Maryland (25-0) Led by Jason Capel and Damien Wilkins.
• USA Today Girls Basketball #1 Ranking: Christ the King, Queens, New York (27-0) Won the New York Federation Class A title, led by Sue Bird.

Awards and honors

Professional

• Men
  • NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Michael Jordan
  • NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Tim Duncan
  • NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Dikembe Mutombo
  • NBA Coach of the Year Award: Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers
• Women
  • WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets
  • WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Teresa Weatherspoon, New York Liberty
  • WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Tracy Reid, Charlotte Sting
  • Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Suzie McConnell Serio, Cleveland Rockers
  • 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: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
  • Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bill Guthridge, North Carolina
  • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Earl Boykins, Eastern Michigan
  • Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
  • NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Richard Hamilton, Connecticut
  • USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Larry Hughes, Saint Louis
  • Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Tom Izzo, Michigan State
  • Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Dean Smith
• Women
  • Naismith College Player of the Year: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
  • Naismith College Coach of the Year: Pat Summitt, Tennessee
  • Wade Trophy: Ticha Penicheiro, Old Dominion
  • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Angie Arnold, Johns Hopkins
  • Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
  • NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
  • Basketball Academic All-America Team: Lisa Davies, Missouri State
  • Carol Eckman Award: Kay James, Southern Mississippi
  • Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Pat Summitt, Tennessee

[[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]]

• Class of 1998:
  • Larry Bird
  • Jody Conradt
  • Alex Hannum
  • Marques Haynes
  • Aleksandar Nikolić
  • Arnie Risen
  • Lenny Wilkens

Movies

• BASEketball
• He Got Game

Deaths

• March 11 — Buddy Jeannette, Hall of Fame NBA, NBL and BAA player (born 1917)
• March 17 — Cliff Barker, American basketball player (born 1921)
• May 15 — Earl "Goat" Manigault, legendary street player (born 1944)
• June 8 — McCoy Ingram, 67, American player (Minneapolis Lakers, Harlem Globetrotters).
• July 4 — Jay Taylor, American NBA player (New Jersey Nets) (born 1967)
• August 8 — Sam Balter, member of 1936 US Olympic team (born 1909)
• November 6 — Jack Hartman, American Kansas State University coach (born 1925)
• November 6 — Fred Pralle, All-American college player (Kansas) (born 1916)
• November 13 — Red Holzman, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach who won two NBA championships with the New York Knicks (born 1920)
• December 6 — Radomir Shaper, Serbian player and administrator and FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1925)

References

References

1. "Hall of Famers". Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. (June 10, 1998). "Ingram, Joel McKoy". [[Los Angeles Times]].