2006 in basketball

Tournaments include international (FIBA), professional (club) and amateur and collegiate levels.

International

 * 2006 FIBA World Championship:
 * Gold medal: 🇪🇸 Spain
 * Silver medal: 🇬🇷 Greece
 * Bronze medal: 🇺🇸 USA
 * MVP: 🇪🇸 Pau Gasol, Spain
 * All-tournament team:
 * 🇪🇸 Pau Gasol
 * 🇺🇸 Carmelo Anthony (USA)
 * 🇪🇸 Jorge Garbajosa (Spain)
 * 🇦🇷 Manu Ginóbili (Argentina)
 * 🇬🇷 Theodoros Papaloukas (Greece)
 * 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women
 * Gold medal: 🇦🇺 Australia
 * Silver medal: 🇷🇺 Russia
 * Bronze medal: 🇺🇸 USA
 * MVP: 🇦🇺 Penny Taylor, Australia
 * Basketball at the 2006 Asian Games
 * Men's tournament:
 * Gold medal: 🇨🇳 China
 * Silver medal: 🇶🇦 Qatar
 * Bronze medal: 🇮🇷 Iran
 * Women's tournament:
 * Gold medal: 🇨🇳 China
 * Silver medal: Chinese Taipei
 * Bronze medal: 🇯🇵 Japan

Men

 * 🇺🇸🇨🇦 NBA season and playoffs:
 * 2006 NBA Finals: Miami Heat 4, Dallas Mavericks 2. MVP: Dwyane Wade
 * 2006 NBA draft
 * 2006 NBA All-Star Game
 * EuroLeague (Europe-wide):
 * CSKA Moscow defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-69 in the final
 * 🇭🇷 Croatian League:
 * Cibona defeated Zadar 2-1 in the best-of-three finals
 * 🇫🇷 French League:
 * Le Mans defeated Nancy 93-88 in the one-off final
 * 🇩🇪 German Bundesliga:
 * RheinEnergie Köln defeated Alba Berlin 3-1 in the best-of-five finals
 * 🇬🇷 Greek League:
 * Panathinaikos defeated Olympiakos 3-0 in the best-of-five finals
 * Iranian Super League, 2005–06 season:
 * Saba Battery defeat Petrochimi 3–0 in the best-of-five final.
 * 🇮🇱 Israel Premier League:
 * Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 96-66 in the one-off final (the first such final in Israel history)
 * 🇮🇹 Italian Serie A:
 * Benetton Treviso defeated Climamio Bologna 3-1 in the best-of-five finals
 * 🇱🇹 Lithuanian LKL:
 * Lietuvos Rytas defeated Žalgiris 4-0 in the best-of-seven finals
 * 🇵🇭 Philippine Basketball Association 2005–06 season:
 * Red Bull Barako over the Purefoods Chunkee Giants 4-2 in the Fiesta Conference Finals. Finals MVP: Lordy Tugade
 * Purefoods Chunkee Giants over Red Bull Barako 4-2 in the Philippine Cup Finals. Finals MVP: Marc Pingris
 * 🇵🇱 Polish League:
 * Prokom Trefl Sopot over Anwil Włocławek 4-1 in the best-of-seven finals
 * 🇷🇺 Russian Super League:
 * CSKA Moscow over Khimki 3-0 in the best-of-five finals
 * Serbia and Montenegro Super League:
 * Partizan over Red Star 3-0 in the best-of-five finals
 * 🇪🇸 Spanish ACB:
 * Unicaja Málaga over TAU Cerámica 3-0 in the best-of-five finals
 * 2005–06 season, 2005–06 playoffs
 * 🇹🇷 Turkish Basketball League:
 * Ülkerspor over Efes Pilsen 4-0 in the best-of-seven finals. Only three matches were actually played; under Turkish rules, Ülker was granted a 1-0 lead by virtue of its regular-season sweep of Efes.
 * 🇬🇧 British Basketball League:
 * Newcastle Eagles defeated Scottish Rocks 83-68 in the one-off final
 * 🇧🇦🇭🇷🇸🇮🇷🇸🇲🇪🇲🇰 Adriatic League:
 * FMP defeated Partizan 73-72 in the one-off final

Women

 * 🇺🇸 2006 WNBA Finals: Detroit Shock 3, Sacramento Monarchs 2
 * 2006 WNBA season
 * 2006 WNBA Playoffs
 * 2006 WNBA draft
 * 2006 WNBA All-Star Game
 * MVP: Deanna Nolan, Detroit

College

 * Men
 * 🇺🇸 NCAA
 * Division I: Florida 73, UCLA 57
 * National Invitation Tournament: South Carolina 76, Michigan 64
 * Division II: Winona State 73, Virginia Union 61
 * Division III: Virginia Wesleyan 59, Wittenberg 56
 * 🇺🇸 NAIA
 * NAIA Division I: Texas Wesleyan 67, Oklahoma City 65
 * NAIA Division II: College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 74, Huntington (Ind.) 56
 * 🇺🇸 NJCAA
 * Division I: Arkansas-Ft. Smith 68, Tallahassee CC (FL) 59
 * Division II: Cecil CC 9 (MD) 64,  Kirkwood CC (IA) 63
 * Division III:  North Lake College (TX) 78,  Gloucester County College (N.J.) 65
 * 🇵🇭 UAAP Men's: University of Santo Tomas over Ateneo de Manila University, 2 games to 1
 * 🇵🇭 NCAA (Philippines) Seniors': San Beda College over Philippine Christian University, 2 games to 1
 * Women
 * 🇺🇸 NCAA
 * Division I: Maryland 78, Duke 75 OT
 * WNIT: Kansas State 77, Marquette 65
 * Division II: Grand Valley State 58, American International 52
 * Division III Hope 69, Southern Maine 56
 * 🇺🇸 NAIA
 * NAIA Division I: Union (TN) 79, Lubbock Christian (TX) 62
 * NAIA Division II Hastings (Neb.) 58, College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 39
 * 🇺🇸 NJCAA
 * Division I:  Monroe CC (Rochester, New York) 76, Odessa College (TX) 64
 * Division II: Illinois Central College 71,  Kirkwood CC (IA) 54
 * Division III:  Monroe College (Bronx, New York) 100,  Mohawk Valley CC (NY) 70
 * 🇵🇭 UAAP Women's: University of Santo Tomas over Far Eastern University, 2 games to 1

Prep

 * 🇺🇸 USA Today Boys Basketball Ranking #1: Lawrence North High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
 * 🇺🇸 USA Today Girls Basketball Ranking #1: Christ the King, Queens, New York
 * 🇵🇭 NCAA (Philippines) Juniors: San Sebastian Recoletos High School over Philippine Christian University Union High School, 2 games to 0
 * 🇵🇭 UAAP Juniors: Ateneo de Manila High School over Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Educational Foundation, 2 games to 1

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

 * Class of 2006:
 * Geno Auriemma
 * Charles Barkley
 * Joe Dumars
 * Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba
 * Dave Gavitt
 * Jacques Dominique Wilkins

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

 * Class of 2006
 * Geno Auriemma
 * Maria Paula Gonçalves da Silva
 * Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil
 * Janice Lawrence Braxton
 * Katrina McClain Johnson
 * Barbara Stevens

Professional

 * Men
 * NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Steve Nash
 * NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Chris Paul
 * NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
 * NBA Coach of the Year Award: Avery Johnson
 * FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award: Theodoros Papaloukas, CSKA Moscow and
 * Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and
 * Mr. Europa: Jorge Garbajosa, Toronto Raptors and (also Unicaja Málaga)
 * Women
 * WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
 * WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
 * WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx
 * WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Erin Buescher, Sacramento Monarchs
 * Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Dawn Staley, Houston Comets
 * WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Mike Thibault, Connecticut Sun
 * WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Deanna Nolan, Detroit Shock
 * FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award: Maria Stepanova, 🇷🇺 CSKA Samara and

Collegiate

 * Combined
 * Legends of Coaching Award: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
 * Men
 * John R. Wooden Award: J. J. Redick, Duke
 * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Dee Brown, Illinois
 * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: J. J. Redick, Duke
 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Corey Brewer, Florida
 * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
 * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Roy Williams (coach), North Carolina
 * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Jerry Colangelo
 * Women
 * John R. Wooden Award: Seimone Augustus, LSU
 * Naismith College Player of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU
 * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina
 * Wade Trophy: Seimone Augustus, LSU
 * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Megan Duffy, Notre Dame
 * Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU
 * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Laura Harper, Maryland
 * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Lindsay Shearer, Kent State
 * Carol Eckman Award: Gail Goestenkors, Duke
 * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Courtney Paris, Oklahoma
 * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina
 * List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: Seimone Augustus, LSU
 * Nancy Lieberman Award: Ivory Latta, North Carolina
 * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Val Ackerman

Events

 * December 13- after a few months in use and complaints from players, the NBA announces it will disuse the new synthetic ball in favor of the classic leather one.
 * December 16- a brawl erupted at the Madison Square Garden game between the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets.

Movies

 * Church Ball
 * Crossover (film)
 * The Heart of the Game
 * Glory Road (film)
 * Like Mike 2: Streetball

Deaths

 * February 11 — Harry Vines, American wheelchair basketball coach (born 1938)
 * March 17 — Ray Meyer, American Hall of Fame coach of the DePaul University men's team (born 1913)
 * April 6 — Maggie Dixon, women's coach at Army (born 1977)
 * April 6 — Price Brookfield, American NBA player (born 1920)
 * April 19 — Gene Rosenthal, American NBL player (Pittsburgh Pirates) (born 1914)
 * May 6 — Bob Dro, national champion at Indiana and Indianapolis Kautskys player (born 1918)
 * May 9 — Grady Wallace, All-American and national scoring champion at South Carolina
 * May 18 — Irving Meretsky, Canadian Olympic silver medalist (1936) (born 1912)
 * July 3 — Dick Dickey, NBA player and All-American at NC State (born 1926)
 * July 4 — Bobby Joe Mason, Harlem Globetrotters player and college All-American at Bradley (born 1936)
 * July 21 — Alexander Petrenko, Russian player (BC Khimki) (born 1976)
 * August 18 — Dick Hickox, American college All-American (Miami Hurricanes) (born 1938)
 * September 7 — Ozell Jones, American NBA player (San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers) (born 1960)
 * October 5 — Cleveland Buckner, American NBA player (New York Knicks) (born 1938)
 * October 5 — George King, American NBA player (Syracuse Nationals, Cincinnati Royals) and college coach (West Virginia, Purdue) (born 1928)
 * October 25 — Johnny Hoekstra, American NBL player (Kankakee Gallagher Trojans) (born 1917)
 * October 28 — Arnold "Red" Auerbach, Hall of Fame coach and president of the Boston Celtics (born 1917)
 * November 9 — Mikhail Semyonov, Russian (Soviet) Olympic Silver medalist (1956, 1960) (born 1933)
 * November 29 — Gary Alcorn, American NBA player (Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers) (born 1936)
 * December 12 — Paul Arizin, Hall of Famer for the Philadelphia Warriors who twice led the NBA in scoring (born 1928)
 * December 13 — Lamar Hunt, original ownership partner of the Chicago Bulls (born 1932)
 * December 21 — Warren Hair, American NBL player (Kankakee Gallagher Trojans) (born 1918)
 * December 29 — Charlie Tyra, All-American college (Louisville) and NBA player (New York Knicks, Chicago Packers) (born 1935)