1970 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 1970 throughout the world. Tournaments include international (FIBA), professional (club) and amateur and collegiate levels.

American Basketball Association

 * ABA Most Valuable Player Award
 * Spencer Haywood (Denver Rockets)


 * ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
 * Spencer Haywood (Denver Rockets)


 * ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award
 * Roger Brown (Indiana Pacers)


 * ABA Rookie of the Year Award
 * Spencer Haywood (Denver Rockets)

National Basketball Association

 * NBA Most Valuable Player Award
 * Willis Reed (New York Knicks)


 * NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
 * Willis Reed (New York Knicks)


 * NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
 * Willis Reed (New York Knicks)


 * NBA Rookie of the Year Award
 * Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks)

NAIA

 * NAIA Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player
 * Greg Hyder (Eastern New Mexico)

NCAA

 * Naismith College Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)


 * Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)
 * Sidney Wicks (UCLA)


 * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)


 * UPI College Basketball Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)


 * USBWA College Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)


 * Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)


 * Haggerty Award
 * Charlie Yelverton (Fordham)


 * Robert V. Geasey Trophy
 * Ken Durrett (La Salle)


 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player
 * Sidney Wicks (UCLA)


 * Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * John Roche (South Carolina)


 * Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Dave Robisch (Kansas)


 * Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Ken Kowall (Ohio)


 * Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Jim Ard (Cincinnati)


 * Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Jim McDaniels (Western Kentucky)


 * Pacific Coast Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * George Trapp (Long Beach State)


 * Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Pete Maravich (LSU)


 * Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Kenny Haynes (Lamar)


 * Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Mike Maloy (Davidson)


 * Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Gene Phillips (SMU)


 * West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
 * Dennis Awtrey (Santa Clara)

NCAA College Division

 * NCAA College Division basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player
 * Ted McClain (Tennessee State)

Eastern Professional Basketball League

 * EPBL Most Valuable Player
 * Waite Bellamy (Wilmington Blue Bombers)

ABA

 * 1969-70 ABA season
 * 1970-71 ABA season
 * 1970 ABA All-Star Game
 * 1970 ABA Playoffs

NBA

 * 1970 NBA draft
 * 1970 NBA Finals
 * 1970 NBA Playoffs
 * 1970 NBA All-Star Game
 * 1969–70 NBA season
 * 1970–71 NBA season

FIBA

 * 1970 FIBA Intercontinental Cup
 * FIBA Africa Championship 1970
 * 1969–70 FIBA European Champions Cup
 * 1970 FIBA World Championship
 * 1970–71 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

NAIA

 * 1970 NAIA Basketball Tournament

NCAA

 * 1970 National Invitation Tournament
 * 1970 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
 * 1970 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Women's tournaments

 * 1970 ABC Championship for Women
 * EuroBasket 1970 Women
 * 1970 ABC Under-18 Championship for Women

International Competition

 * Basketball at the 1970 Asian Games
 * Basketball at the 1970 Summer Universiade

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

 * Class of 1970:
 * Ben Carnevale
 * Bob Davies

Deaths

 * January 2 — Edgar Diddle, American college coach (Western Kentucky) (born 1895)
 * April 6 — Maurice Stokes, American NBA player (Cincinnati Royals) (born 1933)
 * April 29 — Forrest DeBernardi, American Hall of Fame player (born 1899)
 * May 27 — Trajko Rajković, Yugoslav professional and Olympic player (born 1937)
 * June 4 — Branch McCracken, American Hall of Fame college coach (Indiana Hoosiers) (born 1908)
 * August 10 — Joe Lapchick, American Hall of Fame player (Original Celtics) and coach (St. John's, New York Knicks) (born 1900)

Births

 * February 8 - Alonzo Mourning, American NBA player and a Hall of Famer
 * May 9 - Doug Christie, American NBA player
 * September 3 - George Lynch, American NBA player
 * September 8 - Latrell Sprewell, American NBA player
 * October 9 - Kenny Anderson, American NBA player
 * November 14 - David Wesley, American NBA player