The following are the basketball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.

Championships

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

Awards and honors

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:^[1]
  • John Chaney
  • Michael "Mike" Krzyzewski
  • Moses E. Malone

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

• Class of 2001^[2]

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

Events

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)