The Golden Anniversary Award is presented annually to a NABC member who has devoted at least 50 years of outstanding service to the game of basketball.
| 1977 | Eddie Hickey, Creighton, Saint Louis, Marquette |
| 1978 | Glen Rose, Arkansas |
| 1981 | Harry Litwack, Temple |
| 1982 | Jack Gardner, Kansas State, Utah |
| 1983 | Ozzie Cowles, Dartmouth, Michigan, Minnesota |
| 1984 | John Wooden, Indiana State, UCLA |
| 1985 | Everett Dean, Carleton, Indiana, Stanford |
| 1986 | Tony Hinkle, Butler |
| 1987 | Howard Hobson, Southern Oregon, Oregon, Yale |
| 1988 | Hank Iba, N.W. Missouri State, Colorado, Oklahoma State |
| 1989 | Frank McGuire, St. John’s, North Carolina, South Carolina |
| 1990 | Stan Watts, Brigham Young |
| 1991 | Pete Newell, San Francisco, California, Michigan State |
| 1992 | Ray Meyer, DePaul |
| 1993 | Clarence Gaines, Winston-Salem State |
| 1994 | Ben Carnevale, North Carolina, Navy |
| 1995 | Marv Harshman, Pacific Lutheran, Washington State, Washington |
| 1996 | Ray Mears, Wittenberg, Tennessee |
| 1997 | Ralph Miller, Wichita State, Iowa, Oregon State |
| 1998 | Guy Lewis, Houston |
| 1999 | Tex Winter, Marquette, Kansas State, Washington, Northwestern, Long Beach State |
| 2000 | Johnny Orr, Massachusetts, Michigan, Iowa State |
| 2001 | Jud Heathcote, Montana, Michigan State |
| 2002 | Abe Lemons, Oklahoma City, Pan American, Texas |
| 2003 | Lefty Driesell, Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, Georgia State |
| 2004 | Don Haskins, UTEP |
| 2005 | Joe Vancisin, Yale, NABC |
| 2006 | Jim Phelan, Mount St. Mary’s |
| 2007 | John Chaney, Temple |
| 2008 | Lou Henson, New Mexico State, Illinois |
| 2009 | Dale Brown, LSU |
| 2010 | Gene Keady, Purdue |
| 2011 | Norm Stewart, Missouri |
| 2012 | Rollie Massimino, Northwood |
| 2013 | Denny Crum, Louisville |
| 2014 | Glenn Wilkes, Stetson |
| 2015 | Lonnie Porter, Regis |
| 2016 | Billy Tubbs, Lamar, Oklahoma, TCU |
| 2017 | Lute Olson, Long Beach State, Iowa, Arizona |
| 2018 | Homer Drew, Bethel, Indiana-South Bend, Valparaiso |
| 2019 | Harry Statham, McKendree |
| 2021 | Herb Magee, Philadelphia, Jefferson |
| 2022 | Glenn Robinson, Franklin & Marshall |
| 2023 | Tom Klusman, Rollins |
| 2024 | Leonard Hamilton, Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma State |
| 2025 | Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s, Michigan |