1980 in basketball

Senior

 * 20 – 30 July: 1980 Olympic Tournament at Moscow, Soviet Union
 * 18 – 25 March: 1980 FIBA Americas Championship at San Juan, Puerto Rico
 * 22 – 28 March: FIBA Africa Championship 1980 at Rabat, Morocco
 * 18 – 25 March: 1980 FIBA Americas Championship at San Juan, Puerto Rico
 * 22 – 28 March: FIBA Africa Championship 1980 at Rabat, Morocco
 * 22 – 28 March: FIBA Africa Championship 1980 at Rabat, Morocco
 * 22 – 28 March: FIBA Africa Championship 1980 at Rabat, Morocco
 * 22 – 28 March: FIBA Africa Championship 1980 at Rabat, Morocco
 * 22 – 28 March: FIBA Africa Championship 1980 at Rabat, Morocco

Youth

 * 22 – 30 August: 1980 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship at Celje, Yugoslavia

Senior

 * 20 – 30 July: 1980 Olympic Tournament at Moscow, Soviet Union
 * 13 – 21 September: 1980 FIBA Asia Championship at Hong Kong
 * 19 – 28 September: 1980 EuroBasket at Yugoslavia
 * 13 – 21 September: 1980 FIBA Asia Championship at Hong Kong
 * 19 – 28 September: 1980 EuroBasket at Yugoslavia
 * 19 – 28 September: 1980 EuroBasket at Yugoslavia
 * 19 – 28 September: 1980 EuroBasket at Yugoslavia
 * 19 – 28 September: 1980 EuroBasket at Yugoslavia
 * 19 – 28 September: 1980 EuroBasket at Yugoslavia

Youth

 * 6 – 14 March: 1980 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship at Hungary

Continental championships
Men

Women

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductions

 * Lester Harrison, contributor
 * Jerry Lucas, player
 * Oscar Robertson, player
 * Everett Shelton, coach
 * Dallas Shirley, referee
 * Jerry West, player

Births

 * February 28 — Tayshaun Prince
 * March 13 — Caron Butler
 * March 15 — Yannick Gagneur
 * March 16 — Felipe Reyes
 * April 15 — Raül López
 * April 23 — Rohanee Cox
 * April 30 — Luis Scola
 * May 30 — Ilona Korstin
 * June 7 — Berni Rodríguez
 * June 9 — Udonis Haslem
 * June 13 — Juan Carlos Navarro
 * June 14 — Elena Karpova
 * June 21 — Richard Jefferson
 * June 21 — Federico Kammerichs
 * July 6 — Pau Gasol
 * July 9 — Svetlana Abrosimova
 * August 1 — Asjha Jones
 * September 12 — Yao Ming
 * October 16 — Sue Bird
 * December 16 — Natalie Porter
 * December 17 — Suzy Batkovic

Deaths

 * February 5 — Skinny Johnson, American Hall of Fame college (Kansas) and AAU player (born 1911)
 * February 29 — Doug Kistler, American NBA player (born 1938)
 * April 22 — Decio Scuri, Italian Olympic coach and FIBA executive (born March 18)
 * May 5 — Stewart Way, American NCAA coach (born 1911)
 * May 23 — Terry Furlow, American NBA player (born 1954)
 * June 12 — Johnny Horan, American NBA and EPBL player (born 1916)
 * August 19 — Sadi Gülçelik, Turkish club and Olympic player (born 1930)
 * October 4 — Sihugo Green, American NBA player (born 1933)
 * October 27 — Art Hillhouse, American NBA player (born 1916)
 * November 14 — Johnny Horan, American NBA player (born 1932)
 * November 25 — Joe Cipriano, American college coach (Idaho, Nebraska) (born 1931)
 * November 27 — Ferenc Hepp, Hungarian FIBA executive (born 1909)
 * November 30 — Mieko Fukui, Japanese Olympic player (born 1956)
 * December 5 — Eddie Hickey, Hall of Fame American college coach (Creighton, Saint Louis, Marquette) (born 1902)
 * December 19 — Tarzan Cooper, American Hall of Fame player (New York Renaissance) (born 1907)