2001 in basketball

Professional

 * Men
 * 2001 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers over the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1. MVP: Shaquille O'Neal
 * 2000–01 NBA season, 2001 NBA Playoffs, 2001 NBA draft, 2001 NBA All-Star Game
 * Eurobasket: Yugoslavia 78, Turkey 69
 * Women
 * WNBA Finals: Los Angeles Sparks over the Charlotte Sting 2-0. MVP: Lisa Leslie
 * 2001 WNBA season, 2001 WNBA Playoffs, 2001 WNBA draft, 2001 WNBA All-Star Game
 * Eurobasket Women: France def. Russia

College

 * Men
 * NCAA Division I: Duke University 82, Arizona 72
 * National Invitation Tournament: University of Tulsa 79, University of Alabama 60
 * NCAA Division II: Kentucky Wesleyan College 72, Washburn University 63
 * NCAA Division III: Catholic 76, William Paterson College 62
 * NAIA Division I: Faulkner University 63, Oklahoma Science & Arts 59
 * NAIA Division II: Northwestern (Iowa) 82,	MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) 78
 * Women
 * NCAA Division I: University of Notre Dame 68, Purdue University 66
 * NCAA Division II: Cal Poly Pomona 87, North Dakota State University 80 (OT)
 * NCAA Division III Washington (Mo.) 67, Messiah College 45
 * NAIA Division I: Oklahoma City University 69, Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) 52
 * NAIA Division II Hastings College (Neb.) 73, Cornerstone University (Mich.) 69

Professional

 * Men
 * NBA Most Valuable Player Award:  Allen Iverson
 * NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Mike Miller
 * NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
 * NBA Coach of the Year Award: Larry Brown, Philadelphia 76ers
 * Euroscar Award: Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings and FR Yugoslavia
 * Mr. Europa: Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings and FR Yugoslavia
 * Women
 * WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
 * WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Debbie Black, Miami Sol
 * WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Jackie Stiles, Portland Fire
 * WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Janeth Arcain, Houston Comets
 * Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Sue Wicks, New York Liberty
 * WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Dan Hughes, Cleveland Rockers
 * WNBA All-Star Game MVP: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
 * WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks

Collegiate

 * Combined
 * Legends of Coaching Award: Lute Olson, Arizona
 * Men
 * John R. Wooden Award: Shane Battier, Duke
 * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Rod Barnes, Mississippi
 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Rashad Phillips, Detroit
 * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Shane Battier, Duke
 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Juan Dixon, Maryland
 * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Eddie Griffin, Seton Hall
 * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Matt Doherty, North Carolina
 * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Tex Winter
 * Women
 * Naismith College Player of the Year: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
 * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame
 * Wade Trophy: Jackie Stiles, Missouri State
 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
 * Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
 * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Ruth Riley, Notre Dame
 * Carol Eckman Award: Juliene B. Simpson, East Stroudsburg University
 * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame
 * Nancy Lieberman Award: Sue Bird, Connecticut
 * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Cathy Rush

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

 * Class of 2001:
 * John Chaney
 * Michael "Mike" Krzyzewski
 * Moses E. Malone

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

 * Class of 2001
 * Van Chancellor
 * Theresa Grentz
 * Phyllis Holmes
 * LaTaunya Pollard
 * Linda K. Sharp
 * C. Vivian Stringer
 * Vanya Voynova
 * Hazel Walker
 * Rosie Walker
 * Holly Warlick

Movies

 * Pistol Pete: The Life and Times of Pete Maravich

Deaths

 * January 7 — Ken Durrett, American NBA player and All-American at La Salle University (born 1948)
 * January 17 — Garland O'Shields, American NBA player (Chicago Stags, Syracuse Nationals) (born 1921)
 * January 26 — Al McGuire, Hall of Fame coach at Marquette and famed college basketball announcer (born 1928)
 * February 3 — Bobby Colburn, American NBL player for the Dayton Metropolitans (born 1911)
 * February 19 — Guy Rodgers, Hall of Fame player for the Philadelphia and San Francisco Warriors (born 1935)
 * February 20 — Harry Boykoff, former St. John's and early NBA player (born 1922)
 * April 25 — Clovis Stark, American NBL for the Dayton Metropolitans (born 1914)
 * April 29 — Andy Phillip, Hall of Fame NBA player (born 1922)
 * May 15 — Ralph Miller, Hall of Fame college coach at Wichita State, Iowa and Oregon State (born 1919)
 * June 26 — George Senesky, NBA player and coach for the Philadelphia Warriors (born 1922)
 * August 1 — Dwight Eddleman, All-American at Illinois and two-time NBA All-Star (born 1922)
 * September 5 — Cawood Ledford, American radio announcer (Kentucky Wildcats) (born 1926)
 * September 14 — George Ireland, coach of the 1963 NCAA national champion Loyola Ramblers (born 1913)
 * October 13 — B. L. Graham, All-American college player and head coach (Ole Miss Rebels) (born 1914)
 * October 20 — Nebojša Popović, Serbian player, coach and administrator and FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1923)
 * November 18 — Renato Righetto, Brazilian referee and FIBA Hall of Fame member (born 1921)
 * November 23 — Gus Broberg, two-time All-American forward at Dartmouth College (born 1920)
 * November 28 — Bob Cope, American college coach (Montana) (born 1928)
 * December 8 — Mirza Delibašić, FIBA Hall of Fame player from Bosnia and 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist (born 1954)
 * December 10 — Gus Doerner, American NBL player (Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Kautskys) (born 1922)
 * December 13 – Larry Costello, American All-Star NBA player (Philadelphia 76ers) (born 1931)