title: 2003 in basketball
text: # 2003 in basketball
  
  The following are the basketball events of the year 2003 throughout the world.
  
  ## Champions
  
  ### Professional
  
  * Men
     * 2003 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs over the New Jersey Nets 4-2. MVP: Tim Duncan (More information can be found at 2003-04 NBA season.)
        * 2002-03 NBA season
        * 2003 NBA Playoffs
        * 2003 NBA draft
        * 2003 NBA All-Star Game
     * Eurobasket: Lithuania 93, Spain 84
  * Women
     * WNBA Finals: Detroit Shock over Los Angeles Sparks 2-1. MVP: Ruth Riley
        * 2003 WNBA season
        * 2003 WNBA Playoffs
        * 2003 WNBA draft
        * 2003 WNBA All-Star Game
     * Eurobasket Women: Russia def. Czech Republic
  
  ### College
  
  * Men
     * NCAA Division I: Syracuse University 81, University of Kansas 78
     * National Invitation Tournament: University of Michigan
     * NCAA Division II: Northeastern State University 75, Kentucky Wesleyan College 64
     * NCAA Division III: Williams College 67, Gustavus Adolphus College 65
     * NAIA Division I Concordia 88, Mountain State 84 OT
     * NAIA Division II Oregon Tech 81, Bellevue (Neb.) 70
  * Women
     * NCAA Division I: University of Connecticut 73, University of Tennessee 68
     * Women's National Invitation Tournament: Auburn 64, Baylor 63
     * NCAA Division II: South Dakota State 65, Northern Kentucky University 60
     * NCAA Division III Trinity University (Tex.) 60, Eastern Connecticut State 58
     * NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 71, Oklahoma City University 70
     * NAIA Division II Hastings (Neb.) 59, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 53
  
  ## Awards and honors
  
  ### Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  
  * Class of 2003:
     * Leon Barmore
     * Francis D. "Chick" Hearn
     * Earl F. Lloyd
     * Meadowlark Lemon
     * Dino Meneghin
     * Robert L. Parish
     * James A. Worthy
  
  ### Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
  
  * Class of 2003
  
     * Leon Barmore
  
     * Tara Heiss
  
     * Claude Hutcherson
  
     * Patsy Neal
  
     * Doris Rogers
  
     * Marsha Sharp
  
  ### Professional
  
  * Men
     * NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Tim Duncan
     * NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Amar'e Stoudemire
     * NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ben Wallace
     * NBA Coach of the Year Award: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
     * Euroscar Award: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks and Germany
     * Mr. Europa: Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Lithuania (also FC Barcelona)
  * Women
     * WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
     * WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets
     * WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock
     * WNBA Most Improved Player Award: Michelle Snow, Houston Comets
     * Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award: Edna Campbell, Sacramento Monarchs
     * WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Bill Laimbeer, Detroit Shock
     * WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: Ruth Riley, Detroit Shock
  
  ### Collegiate
  
  * Combined
     * Legends of Coaching Award: Roy Williams, Kansas
  * Men
     * John R. Wooden Award: T. J. Ford, Texas
     * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
     * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jason Gardner, Arizona
     * Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: David West, Xavier
     * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
     * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
     * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
     * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Charles “Lefty” Driesell
  * Women
     * Naismith College Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
     * Naismith College Coach of the Year: Gail Goestenkors, Duke
     * Wade Trophy: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
     * Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Kara Lawson, Tennessee
     * Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
     * NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Diana Taurasi, UConn
     * Basketball Academic All-America Team: Kristine Austgulen, VCU
     * Carol Eckman Award: Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech University
     * USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU
     * Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
     * List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State
     * Nancy Lieberman Award: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
     * Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Betty Jaynes
  
  ## Deaths
  
  * January 20 — Dan King, American NBA player (Baltimore Bullets) (born 1931)
  * January 29 — John Murphy, American BAA player (Philadelphia Warriors, New York Knicks) (born 1924)
  * February 9 — John Hyder, American college coach (Georgia Tech) (born 1912)
  * March 29 — Carl Ridd, Canadian Olympic player (1952) (born 1929)
  * April 5 — Helgi Jóhannsson, Icelandic basketball player and coach (born 1929)
  * April 16 — Jewell Young, All-American college player (Purdue), NBL player (Indianapolis Kautskys, Oshkosh All-Stars) (born 1913)
  * May 14 — Dave DeBusschere, American Hall of Fame NBA player (New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons) (born 1940)
  * May 14 — Al Fleming, American NBA player (Seattle SuperSonics) (born 1954)
  * May 23 — Weenie Miller, American college coach (VMI) (born 1922)
  * May 29 — Anthony Frederick, American NBA player (Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets) (born 1964)
  * June 16 — David Polansky, American college coach (CCNY) (born 1919)
  * June 22 — John Mandic, American NBA player (born 1919)
  * September 20 — Ernie Calverley, All-American player and coach at Rhode Island (born 1924)
  * October 16 — Chet Jaworski, All-American player (Rhode Island) (born 1916)
  * October 23 — Kevin Magee, Former All-American at UC Irvine and Maccabi Tel Aviv player (born 1959)
  * October 30 — Stan Szukala, American NBL player (Chicago Bruins, Chicago American Gears) (born 1918)
  * November 21 — Bill Haarlow, American NBL player (Whiting Ciesar All-Americans) (born 1913)
  * December 8 — Chuck Noe, American college coach (VMI, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, VCU) (born 1924)
  * December 9 — Norm Sloan, College basketball coach of the 1974 national champion NC State Wolfpack (born 1926)
  * December 26 — Gale Bishop, All-American college (Washington State) and BAA (Philadelphia Warriors) player (born 1922)
  