2008 in basketball

Tournaments include international, professional and amateur and collegiate levels.

Tournaments

Men's tournaments

Olympics

FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2008 at Athens
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[Basketball at the 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championship|2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|2008 Olympics] at Beijing
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Other tournaments

EuroBasket 2009 qualification

Women's tournaments

Olympics

FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women 2008 at Madrid
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2008 Olympics at Beijing
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Other tournaments

EuroBasket Women 2009 qualification

Club championships

National championships

Men:

NBA
*[2007–08 National Basketball Association|NBA season|Season]:
**Western Conference: Los Angeles Lakers
**Eastern Conference and League: Boston Celtics
**Other Division champions: Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Hornets, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic
*Finals: The Boston Celtics defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Finals MVP: Paul Pierce
Liga Nacional de Básquet, 2007–08 season:
* Regular season: Libertad
* Playoffs: Libertad defeat Quimsa 4–0 in the best-of-seven final.
National Basketball League, 2007–08 season: The Melbourne Tigers defeat the Sydney Kings 3–2 in the best-of-five grand finals.
Chinese Basketball Association, 2007–08 season: The Guangdong Southern Tigers defeat the Liaoning Hunters 4–1 in the best-of-seven finals.
Croatian League:
Estonian League, 2007–08: TÜ/Rock defeat Kalev/Cramo 4–0 in the best-of-7 final.
French League: Nancy crush defending champions Chorale Roanne 84–53 in the one-off final.
German Bundesliga:
Greek League: Panathinaikos defeat Olympiacos 3–2 in the best-of-five final.
Iranian Super League, 2007–08 season: Mahram defeat Saba Battery 2–0 in the best-of-three final.
Israel Super League: Hapoel Holon defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv, the 14-time defending champions, 73–72 in the one-off final.
Italian Serie A: Montepaschi Siena defeat Lottomatica Roma 4–1 in the best-of-seven final.
Lithuanian LKL: Žalgiris defeat Lietuvos Rytas 4–1 in the best-of-seven final.
Montenegro League:
Philippine Basketball Association, 2007–08 season:
*Philippine Cup: The Sta. Lucia Realtors defeat the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants 4–3 in the best-of-seven finals. Finals MVP: Dennis Espino
*Fiesta Conference: The Barangay Ginebra Kings defeat the Air21 Express 4–3 in the best-of-seven Finals. Finals MVPs: Ronald Tubid and Eric Menk
Polish League:
Russian Super League, 2007–08 season: CSKA Moscow sweep Dynamo Moscow 3–0 in the best-of-five final.
Serbia Super League:
Slovenian League: Union Olimpija defeat Helios Domžale 3–1 in the best-of-five finals.
Spanish ACB:
*Season: Real Madrid
*Playoffs: TAU Cerámica sweep AXA FC Barcelona 3–0 in the best-of-five final.
Turkish Basketball League:
British Basketball League, 2007–08:
*Season:
*Playoffs:
Adriatic League:

Women:

College

Men

NCAA
*Division I: [2007–08 2007–08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team|Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team|Kansas] 75, Memphis 68 OT
**Most Outstanding Player: Mario Chalmers, Kansas
*National Invitation Tournament:
*Division II: Winona State 87, Augusta State 76
*Division III: Washington University in St. Louis 90, Amherst 68
NAIA
*NAIA Division I: Oklahoma City 75, Mountain State 72
*NAIA Division II: Oregon Tech 63, Bellevue 56
NJCAA
*Division I: South Plains College 67, Salt Lake CC 56
*Division II: Mott Community College 83, Columb State Community College 73
*Division III: North Lake College TX 73, Joliet Junior College IL 70
*Philippine Collegiate Championship 2008: De La Salle University 71, Ateneo de Manila University 62
*UAAP Men's: Ateneo de Manila University def. De La Salle University, 2–0 in the finals series
*NCAA (Philippines) Seniors': San Beda College def. José Rizal University, 2–1 in the finals series

Women

NCAA
*Division I: Tennessee 64, Stanford 48
**Most Outstanding Player: Candace Parker, Tennessee
*WNIT: Marquette 81, Michigan State 66
*Division II: Northern Kentucky 63, South Dakota 58
*Division III: Howard Payne 68, Messiah 54
NAIA
*NAIA Division I: Vanguard 72, Trevecca Nazarene 59
*NAIA Division II: Northwestern College 82, College of the Ozarks MO 75
NJCAA
*Division I: Gulf Coast 62, Central Arizona 61
*Division II: Kirkwood 78 vs Kankakee 53
*Division III: Monroe CC NY 79, Mohawk Valley CC 48
UAAP Women's: Far Eastern University def. University of the Philippines, 2–0 in the finals series

Prep

USA Today Boys Basketball Ranking #1: St. Anthony High School (New Jersey), Jersey City, New Jersey
USA Today Girls Basketball Ranking #1: Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, San Francisco, California
NCAA (Philippines) Juniors: San Sebastian College-Recoletos def. Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 2–0 in the finals series
UAAP Juniors: Ateneo High School def. De La Salle Zobel, 2–0 in the finals series

Awards and honors

[Basketball Hall of Fame]

Class of 2008:
* Players: Adrian Dantley, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon
* Coaches: Pat Riley, Cathy Rush
* Contributors: William Davidson, Dick Vitale

[Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]

Class of 2008
* Debbie Ryan
* Patty Broderick
* Lin L. Laursen
* Jill Rankin Schneider
* Suzie McConnell-Serio
* Michelle Timms

Professional

Collegiate

Combined
*Legends of Coaching Award: Pat Summitt, Tennessee
Men
*John R. Wooden Award: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
*Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Memphis
*Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Mike Green, Butler
*Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
*NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
*USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State
*Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Keno Davis, Drake
*Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Dick Vitale
Women
*John R. Wooden Award: Candace Parker, Tennessee
*Naismith College Player of the Year: Candace Parker, Tennessee
*Naismith College Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
*Wade Trophy: Candice Wiggins, Stanford
*Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jolene Anderson, Wisconsin
*Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Candace Parker, Tennessee
*NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Candace Parker, Tennessee
*Basketball Academic All-America Team: Candace Parker, Tennessee
*Carol Eckman Award: Doug Bruno, DePaul University
*Maggie Dixon Award: Jeff Walz, Louisville
*USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Maya Moore, Connecticut
*Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
*List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: Candice Wiggins, Stanford
*Nancy Lieberman Award: Kristi Toliver, Maryland
*Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Jody Conradt

Events

The Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Movies

More than a Game
Semi-Pro - a screwball comedy film starring Will Ferrell, loosely based on the American Basketball Association in the 1970s.

Deaths

March 22 — Red Stroud, American ABA player
March 25 — Ben Carnevale, American Hall of Fame coach of the Navy Midshipmen and North Carolina Tar Heels
April 1 — Marvin Stone, former Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals player
April 4 — Julius McCoy, 76, All-American college player at Michigan State.
April 9 — Art Spoelstra, American NBA player
May 5 — Sam Aubrey, American college player and coach
May 23 — Bob Knight, American professional basketball player
June 25 — A. L. Bennett, American college player
July 15 — Gennadi Volnov, Russian Olympic gold medalist
August 20 — Larry Hennessy, American Villanova All-American
August 20 — Kevin Duckworth, American NBA All-Star with the Portland Trail Blazers
September 5 —Bob Cluggish, American BAA player
September 5 — Doyle Parrack, American college coach
September 6 — LeRoy Gardner Jr., University of Minnesota guard from 1966 to 1969.
September 8 — Don Haskins, American Hall of Fame coach of the UTEP Miners, 1966 National Champions
September 19 — Ernie Andres, All-American college player, NBL player
November 17 — Pete Newell, American Hall of Fame coach of the California Golden Bears, 1959 National Champions