1997 in basketball

Championships

Professional

*Men
**1997 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan
*** 1997 NBA Playoffs
***1996-97 NBA season
***1997 NBA Draft
**Eurobasket: Yugoslavia 61, Italy 49
*Women
**WNBA Finals: Houston Comets over the New York Liberty. MVP: Cynthia Cooper
**

College

*Men
**NCAA
***Division I: University of Arizona 84, University of Kentucky 79
***National Invitation Tournament: University of Michigan def. Florida State University
***Division II: Cal State Bakersfield 57, Northern Kentucky University 56
***Division III: Illinois Wesleyan University 89, Nebraska Wesleyan University 86
**NAIA
***NAIA Division I: Life University (Ga.) 73, Oklahoma Baptist University 64
***NAIA Division II: Bethel College (Indiana) (IN) 95, Siena Heights College (MI) 94
**NJCAA
***NJCAA Division I: Indian Hills CC, Ottumwa, Iowa 89, San Jacinto College, (TX) 80
*Women
**NCAA
***Division I: University of Tennessee 68, Old Dominion University 59
***Division II: North Dakota State University 94, University of Southern Indiana 78
***Division III New York University 72, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 70
**NAIA
***NAIA Division I: Southern Nazarene University (OK) 78 Union College (TN) (73)
***NAIA Division II Northwest Nazarene University (ID) 64, Black Hills State University (SD) 46
**NJCAA
***Division I Trinity Valley CC 79, Central Florida CC 69
***Division II Kirkwood CC 76, Carl Sandburg College 67
***Division III Anoka-Ramsey CC 80, Monroe CC 57

Preps

Bloomington North defeats Delta to win Indiana's last open-class basketball state championship.

Awards and Honors

Professional

*Men
**NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Karl Malone
**NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Allen Iverson
**NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Dikembe Mutombo
**NBA Coach of the Year Award: Pat Riley, Miami Heat
*Women
**WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets
**WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Teresa Weatherspoon, New York Liberty
**WNBA Rookie of the Year Award: None.
**WNBA Coach of the Year Award: Van Chancellor, Houston Comets

Collegiate

*Naismith College Player of the Year
** Men: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest University
** Women: Kate Starbird, Stanford University
*Naismith College Coach of the Year
** Men: Roy Williams, University of Kansas
** Women: Geno Auriemma, University of Connecticut

Events

* WNBA played its first season.

Movies

*Air Bud
*The Sixth Man

Deaths

*March 6 — Roger Brown, 54, player for Indiana Pacers