The following are the basketball events of the year 1996 throughout the world.

• Men: United States of America 96, Yugoslavia 69
• Women: United States of America 111, Australia 87

• Men
  • 1996 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2. MVP: Michael Jordan
    • 1996 NBA Playoffs
    • 1995-96 NBA season
    • 1996 NBA draft
    • 1996 NBA All-Star Game
  • Eurobasket: None.
• Women
  • Eurobasket Women: None

• Men
  • NCAA
    • Division I: Kentucky 76, Syracuse 67
    • NIT: University of Nebraska def. St. Joseph's University
    • Division II: Fort Hays State University 70, Northern Kentucky University 63
    • Division III: Rowan University 100, Hope College 93
  • NAIA
    • Division I Oklahoma City University 86, Georgetown (Ky.) 80
    • Division II Albertson (Idaho) 81, Whitworth (Wash.) 72 OT
  • NJCAA
    • Division I Sullivan College, Louisville, KY 103, Allegany CC, Cumberland, MD 98 O/T
    • Division II Penn Valley CC, Mo. 93, Kishwukee CC, Ill. 88
    • Division III Sullivan County CC 74, Gloucester County College 63
• Women
  • NCAA
    • Division I: University of Tennessee 83, University of Georgia 65
    • Division II: North Dakota State 104, Shippensburg 78
    • Division III: Wis.-Oshkosh 66 Mount Union 50
  • NAIA
    • Division I: Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 80, Southeastern Oklahoma State University 79
    • Division II Western Oregon 80, Huron (S.D.) 77
  • NJCAA ^[1]
    • Division I Trinity Valley CC 69, Independence CC 55
    • Division II Lansing CC 74, Kankakee CC 68
    • Division III Central Lakes College-Brainerd 71, Monroe CC 57

• Men
  • NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Michael Jordan
  • NBA Rookie of the Year Award: Damon Stoudamire, Toronto Raptors
  • NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
  • NBA Coach of the Year Award: Phil Jackson, Chicago Bulls

• Men
  • John R. Wooden Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
  • Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
  • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Eddie Benton, Vermont
  • Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, UMass
  • NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Miles Simon, Arizona
  • Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Gene Keady, Purdue
  • Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Boris Stankovic
• Women
  • Naismith College Player of the Year: Saudia Roundtree, Georgia
  • Naismith College Coach of the Year: Andy Landers, Georgia
  • Wade Trophy: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
  • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
  • Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year: Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
  • NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Michelle M. Marciniak, Tennessee
  • Basketball Academic All-America Team: Jennifer Rizzotti, UConn
  • Basketball Academic All-America Team: Katie Smith, Ohio State
  • Basketball Academic All-America Team: Tricia Wakely, Drake
  • Carol Eckman Award: Joann Rutherford, Missouri
  • Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Angie Lee, Iowa

• Class of 1996: ^[2]
  • Krešimir Ćosić
  • George Gervin
  • Gail Goodrich
  • Nancy Lieberman
  • David Thompson
  • George Yardley

• The WNBA formed.

• Celtic Pride
• Space Jam
• Sunset Park (film)

• January 13 — Dean Kelley, American national college champion at Kansas ( 1952), Olympic gold medalist ( 1952) (born 1931)
• May 18 — Chet Forte, All-American college player ( Columbia) (born 1935)
• June 14 — Jack Ragland, American Olympic gold medalist ( 1936) (born 1913)
• July 16 — Harold E. Foster, Hall of Fame player and Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball head coach (born 1906)
• July 29 — Lauren "Laddie" Gale, Hall of Fame player for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball and early professional (born 1917)
• August 10 — Derek Smith, American NBA player (born 1961)
• September 25 — Red Mihalik, Hall of Fame NBA, NCAA and Olympic referee (born 1916)

• Timeline of women's basketball