The following are basketball events that are expected to take place in 2021 throughout the world. Tournaments include international (FIBA), professional (club), and amateur and collegiate levels.

International tournaments

National senior team tournaments

3X3 championships

* September 10 – 12: 2021 FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

* November 12 - 14: 2021 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Other international championships

FIBA youth championships

*3-11 July:

2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup The 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup (Latvian: 2021. gada FIBA Pasaules kauss basketbolā līdz 19 gadu vecumam) was the 15th edition of the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship ...

*7-15 August:

2021 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup The 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup ( hu, 2021-es FIBA 19 év alatti kosárlabda-világbajnokság) was a tournament organised by FIBA for women's youth national teams aged 19 years old and below. The tournament was hosted in Debrec ...

Professional club seasons

FIBA Intercontinental Cup

Continental seasons

Men

Women

Regional seasons

Men

Women

Domestic league seasons

Men

Europe

Asia

Americas

African

Oceania

Other Country

Women

Europe

Asia

Americas

African

Oceania

Other Country

College seasons

Men's

Women's

Deaths

*January 2 —

Paul Westphal Paul Douglas Westphal (November 30, 1950 – January 2, 2021) was an American basketball player, head coach, and commentator. Westphal played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1972 to 1984. Playing the guard position, he won an ...

, 70,

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

American NBA player (

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

) and NBA (Phoenix Suns,

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

) and college coach (

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

Pepperdine Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...

). *January 5 — András Haán, 74, Hungarian Olympic player (

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

). *January 7 —

Grant Gondrezick Grant Gondrezick Sr. (January 19, 1963 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who took the court as a shooting guard. Basketball career After attending high school in his hometown, 6'5" Gondrezick played college ba ...

, 57, American NBA player (Phoenix Suns,

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

). *January 10 — Wayne Radford, 64, American NBA player (

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

) and NCAA champion at

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

(

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

). *January 10 —

Dee Rowe Dee may refer to: People Surname * Dee, an alternate spelling of the Welsh surname Day * Dee, a romanization of several Chinese surnames, including: ** Those listed at Di (surname) ** Some Hokkien pronunciations of the surname Li () * Di R ...

, 91, American college coach (

UConn The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Ha ...

). *January 13 —

Borivoje Cenić Borivoje "Bora" Cenić ( sr-cyr, Боривоје "Бора" Ценић; 25 September 1930 – 13 January 2021) was a Serbian professional basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, oppos ...

, 90, Serbian player ( Radnički Belgrade) and coach (

OKK Beograd Omladinski košarkaški klub Beograd ( sr-cyr, Омладински кошаркашки клуб Београд), commonly referred to as OKK Beograd, is a men's professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. They are currently competin ...

Apollon Patras :''The first version of this article has been based in the text of :el:Α.Σ. Απόλλων of the Greek Wikipedia published under the GFDL.'' A.S. Apollon Patras (Greek:''A.Σ. Απόλλων Πατρών'') is a multi-sports club that is ba ...

). *January 18 — Tony Ingle, 68, American college coach (

BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...

Kennesaw State Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was found ...

, Dalton State). *January 19 —

Lou Goetz Louis Goetz (March 3, 1946 – January 19, 2021) was the head men's basketball coach at the University of Richmond from 1978 through 1981. Prior to leading the Richmond Spiders basketball program, he was the assistant coach at Duke University and ...

, 74, American college coach (

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

). *January 19 —

Bob Williams Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob or Bobby Williams may refer to: Entertainment Film * Robert Williams (actor, born 1894) (1894–1931), American stage and film actor * Robert B. Williams (actor) (1904–1978), American film actor * R. J. Williams (born 1 ...

, 89, American NBA player (

Minneapolis Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, th ...

). *January 22 —

Gianfranco Lombardi Gianfranco "Franco" Lombardi (20 March 1941 – 22 January 2021) was an Italian professional basketball player and coach. During his playing career, his nickname was "Dado". In 2006, he was inducted into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame. Pr ...

, 79, Italian player (

Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...

) and coach (

Scaligera Verona Scaligera Basket Verona, known for sponsorship reasons as Tezenis Verona, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Verona, Italy. It competes in the LBA. History 1951–1982: Decades within the minor leagues Scaligera Basket was found ...

). Three-time Olympian (

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, 1964,

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

). *January 23 — Wayne Stevens, 84, American NBA player (

Cincinnati Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

). *January 23 —

Harthorne Wingo Harthorne Nathaniel Wingo (October 9, 1947 – January 23, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. Early life and career A 6'6" forward born in Tryon, North Carolina and from Friendship Junior College, Wingo (also known as "Wingo ...

, 73, American NBA player (

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

). *January 24 — Jerry Johnson, 102, American college coach ( LeMoyne–Owen). *January 26 —

Sekou Smith Sekou Kimathi Sinclair Smith (May 15, 1972 – January 26, 2021) was an American sportswriter who covered the National Basketball Association (NBA). Early life and education Smith was a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated from Jackso ...

, 48, American sportswriter who covered the NBA. *January 29 — John Chaney, 89, Hall of Fame American college coach ( Cheyney,

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

). *February 7 — Lew Hill, 55, American college coach ( Texas–Rio Grande Valley) *February 8 —

Phil Rollins Phil Lee Rollins (January 19, 1934 – February 8, 2021) was an American professional basketball player.Philadelphia Warriors The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden St ...

, Cincinnati Royals,

St. Louis Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, New York Knicks). *February 10 —

Dick Bunt Richard J. Bunt (July 13, 1929 – February 10, 2021) was an American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 1952–53 season. He played collegiately for New York University and was selected by the N ...

, 91, American NBA player (New York Knicks, Baltimore Bullets). *February 13 —

Ansley Truitt Ansley Hoover Truitt Jr. (August 24, 1950 – February 13, 2021) was an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Chaparrals in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Life and career He played one season with the Chaparrals from ...

, 70, American ABA player (

Dallas Chaparrals The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The team moved to San Antonio, Texas for the 1973–74 season and were renamed the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs joined the National Basketball Association ...

). *March 10 —

Joe Tait Joseph Tait (May 15, 1937 – March 10, 2021) was an American sports broadcaster who was the play-by-play announcer on radio for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and both TV and radio for the Cleveland Indian ...

, 83, American NBA announcer (

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

). *March 12 —

Miodrag Baletić Miodrag Baletić (15 October 1948 – 12 March 2021) was a Montenegrin professional basketball Coach (basketball), coach. References External links Eurobasket Women (2011) , FIBA Europe
1948 births 2021 deaths KK Budućnost coaches KK Bos ...

, 72, Montenegrin coach (

KK Budućnost KK Budućnost (, ), currently known as Budućnost VOLI () for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball Sports club, club based in Podgorica, Montenegro. The club competes in Montenegrin Basketball League, Adriatic League and EuroCup Bas ...

KK MZT Skopje MZT Skopje Aerodrom ( mk, МЗТ Скопје Аеродром) is a basketball club based in Skopje, North Macedonia. The club competes in the Macedonian League and ABA League. The club's home ground is Jane Sandanski Arena, but due to small capa ...

). *March 12 — Dwight Waller, 75, American NBA (Atlanta Hawks) and ABA (

Denver Rockets Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

) player. *March 13 — Bob Davis, 93, American college coach ( High Point, Georgetown (KY),

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

). *March 20 — Jack Phelan, 95, American NBA player (

Waterloo Hawks The Waterloo Hawks were a National Basketball League and National Basketball Association team based in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks remain the only sports franchise ever based in Iowa from any of the current Big Four Leagues. Franchise history ...

Sheboygan Red Skins The Sheboygan Red Skins (or Redskins) was a professional basketball team based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which was an original National Basketball Association franchise during the 1949–1950 season. History Overview The Redskins played in th ...

). *March 22 —

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lake ...

, 86, American Hall of Fame NBA player (Los Angeles Lakers) and executive (Los Angeles Clippers). *March 23 —

Benny Dees Benny Dees (December 29, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American college basketball coach. He was head coach of the University of New Orleans Privateers team from 1985 to 1987, the University of Wyoming team from 1987 to 1993 and Western Carolina ...

, 86, American college coach ( VCU,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

Western Carolina Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded t ...

). *March 23 — Joe Vancisin, 98, American college coach (

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

). *March 23 —

Granville Waiters Granville S. Waiters (January 8, 1961 – March 23, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. At 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and 225 lb (102 kg), Waiters played center. As a senior in high school, Waiters helped Columbus East ...

, 60, American NBA player (Indiana Pacers,

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

). *March 25 —

Stan Albeck Charles Stanley Albeck (May 17, 1931 – March 25, 2021) was an American professional basketball coach. Albeck coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), including the Denver ...

, 89, American NBA (Cleveland Cavaliers,

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, Chicago Bulls) and college (

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

) coach. *March 31 —

Ron Greene Ronald L. Greene (December 27, 1938 – March 31, 2021) was an American basketball coach who served as head coach of three Division I college basketball teams, as well as teams in Division II, the World Basketball League, the American Basketball ...

, 82, American college coach (

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...

Murray State Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, ...

Indiana State Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

). *April 3 — Ho Lien Siew, 88, Singaporean Olympic player (1956). *April 10 — Vito Fabris, 66, Italian player (

Fulgor Libertas Forlì Fulgor Libertas Forlì was an Italian professional basketball team based in Forlì, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The club ceased operating in January 2015 due to financial problems. History Fulgor Forlì was founded in 1949 by Stefano Cozzi. It reache ...

Pallacanestro Firenze Pallacanestro is the Italian word for basketball. It can refer to the following basketball clubs: *A.S. Junior Pallacanestro Casale * Associazione Pallacanestro Udinese *Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino *Nuova Pallacanestro Gorizia * Nuova Pallacanest ...

, Basket Mestre, Olimpia Pistoia). *April 11 — Miguel López Abril, 66, Spanish player (

FC Barcelona Bàsquet FC Barcelona Bàsquet (English: FC Barcelona Basketball), commonly referred to as FC Barcelona () and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional basketball club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a part of the FC Barcelona mul ...

Bàsquet Manresa Bàsquet Manresa, S.A.D., also known as Baxi Manresa for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Manresa, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and Basketball Champions League. Their home arena is the Pavelló Nou Congost ...

Baloncesto Málaga Baloncesto Málaga, S.A.D., for sponsorship reasons named Unicaja, is a Spanish professional basketball team that is based in Málaga, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the Basketball Champions League. The team is sponsored by the Spanis ...

). *April 13 —

Bruce Larson Bruce Larson (1937) is an American retired drag racer from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He became nationally known for his match races. He quit funny Car racing in 1972 after a bad fire and raced in the Pro Stock class for 2 years. He then returned ...

, American college coach (

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

). *April 13 —

Bobby Leonard William Robert "Slick" Leonard (July 17, 1932April 13, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach and color commentator. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball, Indiana Hoosiers, where he was a t ...

, 88, American NBA player (Los Angeles Lakers,

Chicago Packers The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

) and Hall of Fame ABA coach (Indiana Pacers). *April 13 — Ruth Roberta de Souza, 52, Brazilian Olympic player (

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

). *April 14 —

Frank Card Frank Howard Card (December 28, 1944 – April 14, 2021) was an American basketball player who played five seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he played collegiately for the South Carolina St ...

, 76, American ABA player (

Minnesota Pipers Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

Carolina Cougars The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...

). *April 15 —

Bill Thieben William Bernard Thieben (March 28, 1935 – April 15, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Fort Wayne Pistons in and the Detroit Pistons in (the franchise was moved ...

, 86, American NBA player (

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

). *April 16 — Nelson Haggerty, 47, American college coach ( Midwestern State) *April 18 — Frank McCabe, 93, American Olympic gold medalist (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

). *April 19 — Shaler Halimon, 76, American NBA and ABA player (

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

, Chicago Bulls,

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Chaparrals). *April 22 — Terrence Clarke, 19, American college player (

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

) *May 3 — Steve McKean, 77, New Zealand coach. *May 3 —

Masatomo Taniguchi was a Japanese basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He died on 3 May 2021 in Toride from pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular org ...

, 75, Japanese Olympic player (

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

). *May 4 —

Jim Hagan James Hagan (born 10 August 1956) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer and football club manager. Career Born in Monkstown, Hagan began his career in Northern Ireland with Larne and was voted Ulster young player of the year in t ...

, 83, American college All-American (

Tennessee Tech Tennessee Technological University, commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech, is a public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of Dixie ...

) and AAU player (

Phillips 66ers The Phillips 66ers (also known as the Oilers) were an amateur basketball team located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The 66ers were a national phenomenon that grew from a small-town team to an ...

). *May 8 —

Cal Luther Calvin Charles Luther (October 23, 1927 – May 8, 2021) was an American men's college basketball coach. He was the head coach at DePauw, Murray State, Longwood, UT Martin, and Bethel College. He was also head coach of the Egyptian national te ...

, 93, American college coach (

DePauw Pauw (Dutch for "peacock"), de Pauw or DePauw are variants of a Dutch or Flemish surname and may refer to: People ;Pauw * Adriaan Pauw (1585–1653), Dutch Grand Pensionary of Holland *Jacques Pauw, South African investigative journalist * Michiel ...

, Longwood, UT Martin,

Bethel Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...

). *May 10 — Miguel Arellano, 80, Mexican Olympic player (1964,

). *May 14 — Bob Jones, 81, American college coach (

Kentucky Wesleyan Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky. The college is known for its liberal arts programs. Fall 2018 enrollment was 830 students. History Kentucky Wesleyan College was founded in 1858 by the Kent ...

). *May 20 — Jean Bayle-Lespitau, 92, French administrator (

Ligue nationale de basket The Ligue nationale de basket (LNB; English: National Basketball League) is the governing body of men's professional club basketball in France. The LNB organises the first-tier Pro A and the second-tier Pro B. Additionally, the federation annu ...

). *May 26 — Spas Natov, 53, Bulgarian player (

BC Cherno More BC Cherno More Ticha Varna ( bg, БК Черно море Тича Варна) is a Bulgarian basketball team based in Varna. The last time Cherno More won the championship was in 1999. Honours * Bulgarian Championships :Champions (3): 1985, 199 ...

). *May 28 —

Mark Eaton Mark Edward Eaton (January 24, 1957 – May 28, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career (1982–1993) with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Named an NBA All-Star in 1989, he wa ...

, 64, American NBA player (

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

). *May 30 — Ralph Davis, 82, American NBA player (Cincinnati Royals, Chicago Packers). *June 2 —

Eric Mobley Eric Mobley (February 1, 1970 – June 2, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who played three seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round (18th pick overall) o ...

, 51, American NBA player (

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

Vancouver Grizzlies The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Vancouver. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995, along w ...

). *June 15 — Jim Phelan, 92, American NBA player (Philadelphia Warriors) and college coach ( Mount Saint Mary's). *July 7 —

Eddie Payne Edward G. Payne (July 10, 1951 – July 7, 2021) was an American college basketball coach and the head men's basketball coach at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Payne led the USC Upstate Spartans through their first season of Division ...

, 69, American college coach ( Belmont Abbey,

East Carolina East Carolina University (ECU) is a public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from its orig ...

Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

USC Upstate USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of S ...

). *July 21 — Stan McKenzie, 76, American NBA player (Baltimore Bullets, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets). *July 26 —

Cliff Anderson Clifford V. Anderson (September 7, 1944 – July 26, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately for Saint Joseph's University. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 4th round (35th pick overall) of t ...

, 76, American NBA player (Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers). *August 3 –

Tommy Curtis Thomas Lewis Curtis (January 8, 1952August 3, 2021) was an American college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins. He played on two undefeated national championship teams at UCLA. He did not lose a game in college until his final season, helpi ...

, 69, American college player (

UCLA Bruins The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). ...

) *August 24 –

Jerry Harkness Jerald B. Harkness (May 7, 1940 – August 24, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA ...

, 81, American NBA player (

), college national champion at Loyola Chicago (

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

). *August 26 —

Rafael Hechanova Rafael "Paing" Hechanova Sr. (July 8, 1928 – August 26, 2021) was a Filipino basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Early life Rafael "Paing" Hechanova was born on July 8, 1928 in the then-city of Jaro in Iloilo province ...

, 93, Filipino Olympic player (1952). *September 6 –

Dick Parfitt Richard Allen Parfitt (May 13, 1931 – September 6, 2021) was an American college basketball coach. He was head coach for Central Michigan University (CMU) from 1971 to 1985, during which time he led their move from the National Association of In ...

, 90, American college coach (

Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corre ...

). *September 6 – Frank Russell, 72, American NBA player (Chicago Bulls). *September 9 —

Gene Littles Eugene Scape Littles (June 29, 1943 – September 10, 2021) was an American basketball player and coach. He played six seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Carolina Cougars and Kentucky Colonels between 1969 and 1975. Litt ...

, 78, American college (

North Carolina A&T North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (also known as North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina A&T, N.C. A&T, or simply A&T) is a public, historically black land-grant research university in Greensboro, North Caro ...

) and NBA (

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

) coach. *September 16 –

Dušan Ivković Dušan "Duda" Ivković ( sr-cyrl, Душан "Дуда" Ивковић; 29 October 1943 – 16 September 2021) was a Serbian professional basketball player and coach. He served as head coach of the senior Serbian national basketball team from 20 ...

, 77, Serbian coach (

Partizan Partizan may refer to: Sport * JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs: **AK Partizan, athletics ** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling ** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo **FK Partizan, association fo ...

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...

CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was a central piece ...

), FIBA Hall of Famer (2017), EuroLeague Basketball Legend (2017) *September 18 — Neil McCarthy, 82, American college coach (

Weber State Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was founded ...

New Mexico State New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...

). *October 2 — Major Wingate, 37, American player. *October 5 —

Jerry Shipp Jerome Franklin Shipp (September 27, 1935 – October 5, 2021) was an American basketball player. He played for the U.S. national team at the 1963 FIBA World Championship, 1963 Pan American Games and 1964 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal at ...

, 86, American player (

), Olympic gold medalist (1964) *October 12 —

Leon Black Leon David Black (born July 31, 1951) is an American investor and the co-founder and former-CEO of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management. Black also served as the chairman of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City from Ju ...

, American college coach ( Lon Morris,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

). *October 27 —

Bob Ferry Robert Dean Ferry (May 31, 1937 – October 27, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, assistant coach, and general manager (GM) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and ...

, 84, American NBA player (St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets) and executive (Washington Bullets). *October 30 —

Lafayette Stribling Lafayette Stribling (June 1, 1934 – October 30, 2021) was an American basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete wi ...

, 87, American college coach (

Mississippi Valley State Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU, The Valley or Valley) is a public historically black university in Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi, adjacent to Itta Bena, Mississippi.Tougaloo). *November 7 — Ronnie Williams, 59, American college player (

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

). *November 8 —

Medina Dixon Medina Dixon (November 2, 1962 – November 8, 2021) was an American basketball player born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a member of the United States women's national basketball team during the late 1980s and the early 1990s, collecting th ...

, 59, American college player (

Old Dominion Old Dominion most commonly refers to: *The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia ** Colony of Virginia *Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia **Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...

) and Olympic bronze medalist (

). *November 12 — Davíð Janis, 75, Icelandic and Indonesian basketball player and one of the first foreign basketball players to play in Iceland. *November 19 —

Don Kojis Donald R. Kojis (January 15, 1939 – November 19, 2021) was an American professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).. Career Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he attended Marquette Universi ...

, 82, American NBA player. *November 25 —

Risto Kala Risto Kala (24 July 1941 – 25 November 2021) was a Finnish basketball player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Kala was SM-sarja top scorer in 1968–1969 season. Representing Pantterit he won two Finnish champ ...

, 80, Finnish Olympic player (1964). *December 5 —

Stevan Jelovac Stevan Jelovac ( sr, Стеван Јеловац; 8 July 19895 December 2021) was a Serbian professional basketball player. Professional career Jelovac started his senior career with Vizura. On 25 August 2009, he signed with Mega Vizura. On 7 ...

, 32, Serbian player ( Mega Vizura,

CAI Zaragoza Basket Zaragoza 2002 S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Basket Zaragoza and as Casademont Zaragoza for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Zaragoza, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is th ...

, AEK B.C.). *December 11 — Ed Gayda, 94, American NBA player (

Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...

). *December 30 — Sam Jones, 88, American NBA player (Boston Celtics). 10-time NBA champion. *December 31 —

Christine Grant Christine Grant may refer to: * Christine Grant (administrator), American academic administrator *Christine Grant (alpine skier) (born 1962), New Zealand alpine skier *Christine Grant (scientist) Christine Sharon Grant is an American chemical en ...

, 85, American college athletics administrator (

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

), member of the

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...

.Dr. Christine Grant passes
/ref>

References

{{reflist 2021 sport-related lists