The following are the basketball events of the year 1985 throughout the world.

National team competitions

1986 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers

• 1985 FIBA Asia Cup* at Malaysia:

   Philippines (5th title)

   South Korea

   China

  EuroBasket 1985 at West Germany:

   Soviet Union (14th title)

   Czechoslovakia

   Italy

  AfroBasket 1985 at Ivory Coast:

   Ivory Coast (2nd title)

   Angola

   Egypt

Notes:

(*) — The remaining four teams vied for the championship. Nevertheless, the Philippines clinch the title with a 3-0 win–loss record in the championship round as opposed to the 2-1 of South Korea and 1-2 record of China.

Player awards (NBA)

Regular Season MVP

• Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

NBA Finals MVP

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers

Slam Dunk Contest

• Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks

Collegiate awards

• Men
  • John R. Wooden Award: Chris Mullin, St. John's
  • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Bubba Jennings, Texas Tech
  • Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
  • NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Pervis Ellison, Louisville
  • Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Bill Frieder, Michigan
  • Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Hank Iba
• Women
  • Naismith College Player of the Year: Cheryl Miller, USC
  • Wade Trophy: Cheryl Miller, USC
  • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Maria Stack, Gonzaga
  • NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Tracy Claxton, Old Dominion

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

• Class of 1985:^[1]
  • Harold Anderson
  • Al Cervi
  • Marv Harshman
  • Nate Thurmond
  • Margaret Wade

Deaths

• May 18 — Win Wilfong, 52, American NBA player (St. Louis Hawks, Cincinnati Royals)
• August 8 — Bobby Laughlin, 74, American college coach (Morehead State)^[2]
• September — Louie Sauer, American NBL player (Kankakee Gallagher Trojans)
• September 2 — Bob Kinney, 64, American NBA player (Fort Wayne Pistons)
• November 6 — Harold Bradley, 73, American college coach (Duke, Texas)