1996 in basketball

1996 Olympics

 * Men: United States of America 96, Yugoslavia 69
 * Women: United States of America 111, Australia 87

Professional

 * Men
 * 1996 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2.  MVP:  Michael Jordan
 * 1996 NBA Playoffs
 * 1995-96 NBA season
 * 1996 NBA draft
 * 1996 NBA All-Star Game
 * Eurobasket: None.
 * Women
 * Eurobasket Women: None

College

 * Men
 * NCAA
 * Division I: Kentucky 76, Syracuse 67
 * NIT: University of Nebraska def. St. Joseph's University
 * Division II: Fort Hays State University 70, Northern Kentucky University 63
 * Division III: Rowan University 100, Hope College 93
 * NAIA
 * Division I Oklahoma City University 86, Georgetown (Ky.) 80
 * Division II Albertson (Idaho) 81, Whitworth (Wash.) 72 OT
 * NJCAA
 * Division I Sullivan College, Louisville, KY 103, Allegany CC, Cumberland, MD 98 O/T
 * Division II Penn Valley CC, Mo. 93, Kishwukee CC, Ill. 88
 * Division III Sullivan County CC 74, Gloucester County College 63
 * Women
 * NCAA
 * Division I: University of Tennessee 83, University of Georgia 65
 * Division II: North Dakota State 104, Shippensburg 78
 * Division III: Wis.-Oshkosh 66 Mount Union 50
 * NAIA
 * Division I: Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 80, Southeastern Oklahoma State University 79
 * Division II Western Oregon 80, Huron (S.D.) 77
 * NJCAA
 * Division I Trinity Valley CC 69, Independence CC 55
 * Division II Lansing CC 74, Kankakee CC 68
 * Division III Central Lakes College-Brainerd 71, Monroe CC 57

Professional

 * Men
 * NBA Most Valuable Player Award:  Michael Jordan
 * NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Damon Stoudamire, Toronto Raptors
 * NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
 * NBA Coach of the Year Award: Phil Jackson, Chicago Bulls

Collegiate

 * Men
 * John R. Wooden Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
 * Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Eddie Benton, Vermont
 * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, UMass
 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Miles Simon, Arizona
 * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Gene Keady, Purdue
 * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Boris Stankovic
 * Women
 * Naismith College Player of the Year: Saudia Roundtree, Georgia
 * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Andy Landers, Georgia
 * Wade Trophy: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
 * Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Michelle M. Marciniak, Tennessee
 * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Jennifer Rizzotti, UConn
 * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Katie Smith, Ohio State
 * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Tricia Wakely, Drake
 * Carol Eckman Award: Joann Rutherford, Missouri
 * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Angie Lee, Iowa

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

 * Class of 1996:
 * Krešimir Ćosić
 * George Gervin
 * Gail Goodrich
 * Nancy Lieberman
 * David Thompson
 * George Yardley

Events

 * The WNBA formed.

Movies

 * Celtic Pride
 * Space Jam
 * Sunset Park (film)

Deaths

 * January 13 — Dean Kelley, American national college champion at Kansas (1952), Olympic gold medalist (1952) (born 1931)
 * May 18 — Chet Forte, All-American college player (Columbia) (born 1935)
 * June 14 — Jack Ragland, American Olympic gold medalist (1936) (born 1913)
 * July 16 — Harold E. Foster, Hall of Fame player and Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball head coach (born 1906)
 * July 29 — Lauren "Laddie" Gale, Hall of Fame player for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball and early professional (born 1917)
 * August 10 — Derek Smith, American NBA player (born 1961)
 * September 25 — Red Mihalik, Hall of Fame NBA, NCAA and Olympic referee (born 1916)