2012 in basketball

Tournaments include international, professional and amateur and collegiate levels.

National team tournaments

2012 Olympic Basketball Tournament

Men

United States

Women

2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championships

Men

2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Lithuania:
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Women

2012 FIBA Women's Under-17 World Championships in Netherlands:
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Other FIBA-sanctioned tournaments

Men:

Professional club seasons

Continental championships

Men:

Euroleague:
* Olympiacos CSKA Moscow FC Barcelona Regal
**Euroleague MVP: Andrei Kirilenko, CSKA Moscow
**Euroleague Final Four MVP: Vassilis Spanoulis, Olympiacos
**Alphonso Ford Trophy : Bo McCalebb, Montepaschi Siena
Eurocup:
* Khimki Valencia Basket Lietuvos rytas
EuroChallenge:
* Beşiktaş Milangaz Élan Chalon Triumph Lyubertsy

Women:

Domestic league seasons for men

*Includes one team from New Zealand.
**Includes one team each from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Latvia. The highest ranking team is also named as the Russian champions.
***Includes one team from Canada.

Domestic league seasons for women

WNBA
*Season:
** Eastern Conference: Indiana Fever
** Western Conference: Minnesota Lynx
* Finals: The Fever defeat the Lynx 3–1 in the best-of-5 series.

College seasons for men

College seasons for women

NCAA
*Division I: [2011–12 Baylor University|Baylor Lady Bears basketball team|Baylor] 80, Notre Dame 61
** Baylor becomes the first team in NCAA basketball history to win 40 games in a season.
** Most Outstanding Player: Brittney Griner, Baylor
*WNIT: Oklahoma State 75, James Madison 68
*Women's Basketball Invitational:
*Division II: Shaw 88, Ashland 82
*Division III: Illinois Wesleyan 57, George Fox 43
NAIA
*NAIA Division I:
*NAIA Division II:
NJCAA
* Division I:Trinity Valley Community College 69, Hutchinson Community College 55
* Division II:Monroe College 78, Lake Michigan College 73
* Division III:Rock Valley College 82, Roxbury Community College 64
UAAP Women's: FEU defeated La Salle in two games to win their second consecutive champion and finish an undefeated season.

Prep

USA Today Boys Basketball Ranking #1:
USA Today Girls Basketball Ranking #1:
NCAA (Philippines) Juniors: defeated 2+1–1 in the best-of-5 finals. Because San Beda were unbeaten in the elimination round, they were given a 1–0 series lead before finals play started.
UAAP Juniors: defeated 2–1 in the best-of-3 finals.

Awards and honors

[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]

Class of 2012:
*Players: Mel Daniels, Katrina McClain, Reggie Miller, Ralph Sampson, Chet Walker, Jamaal Wilkes
*Coaches: Lidia Alexeyeva, Don Nelson
*Contributors: Don Barksdale, Phil Knight
*Referees: Hank Nichols
*Teams: All American Red Heads

[Women's Basketball Hall of Fame]

Professional

Collegiate

Combined
*Legends of Coaching Award: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
Men
*John R. Wooden Award: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
*Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
*Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Reggie Hamilton, Oakland
*Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
*NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Luke Hancock, Louisville
*USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
*Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Frank Haith, Missouri
*Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Don Meyer
Women
*John R. Wooden Award: Brittney Griner, Baylor
*Naismith College Player of the Year: Brittney Griner, Baylor
*Naismith College Coach of the Year: Kim Mulkey, Baylor
*Wade Trophy: Brittney Griner, Baylor
*Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan
*Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Brittney Griner, Baylor
*NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Brittney Griner, Baylor
*Basketball Academic All-America Team: Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
*Kay Yow Award: Karl Smesko, Florida Gulf Coast
*Carol Eckman Award: Sue Ramsey, Ashland University
*Maggie Dixon Award: Jennifer Hoover, High Point
*USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Elizabeth Williams, Duke
*Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Kim Mulkey, Baylor
*List of Senior CLASS Award women's basketball winners: Nneka Ogwumike, Stanford
*Nancy Lieberman Award: Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
*Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Teresa Edwards

Events

April 18 – Tennessee Lady Volunteers coach Pat Summitt stepped down after 38 years and 8 NCAA championships. She was succeeded by assistant Holly Warlick.
December 17 – Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim became the third NCAA Division I men's coach with 900 career wins following the Orange's 72–68 win over Detroit. He had been preceded to 900 wins by Bob Knight and current leader Mike Krzyzewski.

Movies

Benji - A documentary about the life and 1984 murder of Chicago high school superstar Ben Wilson.
The Other Dream Team - A documentary about the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team.
''Thunderstruck''

Deaths

January 3 — Gene Bartow, American college coach, and member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame
January 5 — Alexander Sizonenko, Russian basketball player
January 10 — Jack Heron, American college coach
January 11 — Wally Osterkorn, NBA player
January 23 — Larry Striplin, American college coach
January 28 — Joseph Curran, American college coach
February 1 — Charlie Spoonhour, American college coach
February 1 — Jerry Steiner, American National Basketball League player
February 8 — Lew Hitch, NBA player
February 16 — Gene Vance, BAA/NBA player
February 25 — Dick Davies, gold medal-winning player for Team USA at the 1964 Summer Olympics
February 26 — Zollie Volchok, NBA Executive
March 8 — Charlie Hoag, 1952 Olympic Gold Medal winner and National Champion at Kansas
March 12 — Dick Harter, American coach
March 16 — Ed Dahler, NBA player
March 24 — Pete McCaffrey, gold medal-winning player for Team USA at the 1964 Summer Olympics
April 11 — Tippy Dye, American college coach
April 11 — Bob Lewis, National champion at Utah
April 15 — Dwayne Schintzius, NBA player
April 15 — Bob Wright, high school and college coach
April 30 — Andrew Levane, NBA player and coach
April 30 — Frank Zummach, NBL coach
May 1 — Greg Jackson, NBA player
May 6 — Pat Frink, NBA player
May 13 — Nolan Richardson III, American college coach
May 26 — Lou Watson, American college coach
May 28 — Ed Burton, NBA player
May 30 — Jack Twyman, Naismith Hall of Fame NBA player
May 31 — Orlando Woolridge, NBA player
June 2 — LeRoy Ellis, NBA player
June 4 — Jim Fitzgerald, NBA owner
June 7 — Chuck Share, NBA player
June 7 — Mervin Jackson, ABA player
June 8 — Pete Brennan, NBA player
June 14 — Dick Acres, 78, American college coach.
June 18 — Dennis Hamilton, NBA/ABA player
June 24 — Heino Kruus, Olympic Silver medalist for the Soviet Union in 1952.
June 24 — Ted Luckenbill, NBA player.
June 26 — Pat Cummings, NBA player.
June 26 — Jack Hewson, BAA player.
June 28 — Herb Scherer, NBA player.
July 9 — Kenny Heitz, three-time NCAA champion at UCLA.
July 13 — Warren Jabali, ABA player.
July 26 — Neil Reed, College player
August 2 — Ruy de Freitas, Olympic Bronze medalist for Brazil in 1948.
August 3 — John Pritchard, NBA player and Washington Generals player
August 4 — Arnie Risen, Naismith Hall of Fame NBA player
August 6 — Dan Roundfield, ABA and NBA player
August 17 — Pál Bogár, Hungarian Olympic player
August 27 — Art Heyman, NBA and ABA player
September 21 — Ed Conlin, NBA player
September 29 — Bob Stevens, college coach
October 8 — Donnie Butcher, NBA player and coach
October 9 — Kenny Rollins, NBA player, college national champion at Kentucky, Olympic gold medalist in 1948
October 12 — Ervin Kassai, Hungarian referee, FIBA Hall of Fame member
October 18 — Slater Martin, Naismith Hall of Fame player, five-time NBA champion
October 30 — Dan Tieman, NBA player
November 13 — Murray Arnold, college and professional coach
November 25 — Carlisle Towery, American National Basketball League player
December 1 — John Crigler, national championship college player at Kentucky
December 1 — Rick Majerus, college coach
December 4 — Ken Trickey, college coach
December 7 — Nikola Ilić, Serbian player
December 12 — Walt Kirk, American NBA player
December 20 — Jerome Whitehead, American NBA player
December 22 — Charles Cleveland, American college player
December 28 — Dan Kraus, American BAA player
December 28 — Fred Rehm, American NBL player, NCAA champion at Wisconsin
December 29 — Erv Staggs, American ABA player