The following are the basketball events of the year 1986 throughout the world.
Player awards (NBA)
Regular Season MVP
NBA Finals MVP
Collegiate awards
- Men
- John R. Wooden Award: Walter Berry, St. John's
- Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award: Jim Les, Bradley
- Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year: Walter Berry, St. John's
- NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player: Keith Smart, Indiana
- Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year: Eddie Sutton, Kentucky
- Naismith Outstanding Contribution to Basketball: Adolph Rupp
- Women
Births
- May 7—Matee Ajavon American college basketball player (Rutgers) and the WNBA (Atlanta Dream)
Deaths
- June 19 – Len Bias, American college player (Maryland) and Boston Celtics draft pick (born 1963)
- December 1 – Halbert Harvill, American college men's coach (Austin Peay) (born 1893)
