1981 in basketball

The following are the basketball events of the year 1981 throughout the world.

Basketball competitions taking place in 1981

Winners of major team competitions 1980–1981

Men

• Intercontinental Cup : Real Madrid

Europe West Germany : Saturn Cologne East Germany : BSG AdW Berlin Belgium : Sunair Oostende Bulgaria : Levski Sofia European Champions Cup : Maccabi Tel Aviv Cup Winners' Cup : Pallacanestro Cantù Korać Cup : Joventut Badalona Spain : FC Barcelona France : ASVEL Basket Greece : Panathinaikos Iceland : UMFN Njardvík Israel : Maccabi Tel Aviv Italy : Pallacanestro Cantù Netherlands : Nashua Poland : Śląsk Wrocław Switzerland : Fribourg Olympic Czechoslovakia : USK Praha Turkey : Eczacibasi USSR : CSKA Moscow Yugoslavia : Partizan Belgrade

Americas CBA : Rochester Zeniths South American Championships : Ferro Carril Oeste NBA : Boston Celtics NCAA : Indiana Hoosiers Venezuela : Guaiqueríes de Margarita

Africa, Asia, Oceania Angola : CD 1° de Agosto Australia : Launceston Casino City FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup : AS Forces Armées Tunisia : Étoile sportive du Sahel

Women

Europe West Germany : DJK Agon 08 Düsseldorf European Champions Cup : TTT Riga Ronchetti Cup : Spartak Moscow Spain : Club Comansi Barcelona France : Clermont UC Italy : Pagnossin Treviso Poland : Wisła Kraków Czechoslovakia : Sparta Prague USSR : TTT Riga

Africa, Asia, Oceania Senegal : ASCC BOPP

Player awards (NBA)

Regular Season MVP

Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Finals MVP

Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

• Class of 1981:
  • Tom Barlow
  • Arad McCutchan
  • Ferenc Hepp
  • J. Walter Kennedy

Deaths

• January 1 — Matt Vaniel, American professional player (born 1919)
• January 5 — Joe Dolhon, American professional player (born 1927)
• January 9 — Tommy Byrnes, American professional player (born 1923)
• January 10 — Chink Crossin, American professional player (born 1923)
• January 22 — Russ Wilkins, American professional player (born 1923)
• January 31 — Dick Edwards, American college coach (born 1930)
• February 7 — Connie Kunzmann, American professional player (born 1956)
• February 26 — Bud Lindberg, American professional player (born 1909)
• April 3 — Willis Young, American professional player (born 1911)
• June 7 — Ian Watson, Australian Olympic player (born 1949)
• June 20 — Rock Norman, American college coach (born 1892)
• June 23 — Lou Spicer, American professional player (born 1922)
• July 3 — Artūras Andrulis, Lithuanian national team player (born 1922)
• July 25 — Bobby Anet, college All-American and national champion (Oregon) (born 1917)
• August 6 — Jack Harvey, college All-American and AAU player (born 1918)
• September 4 — Carl Knowles, American Olympic gold medalist (1936) (born 1910)
• September 10 — John Lance, American college coach (born 1897)
• September 16 — John Azary, American college and professional player (born 1929)
• November 8 — George Nostrand, American professional player (born 1924)

See also

• 1981 in sports