- Jan 1 64th Sugar Bowl: #4 Florida State beats #9 Ohio State, 31-14
- Jan 1 84th Rose Bowl: #1 Michigan beats #8 Washington State, 21-16
- Jan 2 64th Orange Bowl: #2 Nebraska beats #3 Tennessee, 42-17
- Jan 3 Los Angeles Clippers Bill Fitch coaches his 2,000th NBA game, a 97-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks at the LA Memorial Sports Arena
Don Sutton Selected
Jan 6 Don Sutton selected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Shaq's New Block Total
Jan 7 Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal blocks 3 shots in a 114-102 win over Milwaukee to bring his career total to 1,002
- Jan 8 NY Giant GM George Young resigns to accept NFL position
Karpov vs. Viswanathan
Jan 9 Anatoly Karpov defeats Viswanathan Anand to retain chess title
- Jan 9 Boston Red Sox Mo Vaughn pleads not guilty to drunken driving
Gretsky Best Player Ever
Jan 9 Hockey News selects Wayne Gretzky as the best NHL player ever
Hopman Cup
Jan 10 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Karina Habšudová & Karol Kučera beat French pair Mary Pierce & Cédric Pioline 6-3, 6-4 for a 2-1 win, and Slovakia's first title
Sports History
Jan 10 Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan wins his 600th NBA game with a 111-84 victory at the Houston Rockets
1,000 Assists for Messier
Jan 10 Vancouver Canucks veteran center Mark Messier becomes the 6th player in NHL history to record 1,000 assists in a 2-2 tie against the Florida Panthers at General Motors Place
AFC Championship
Jan 11 AFC Championship Game: Denver Broncos beat Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21
- Jan 11 NFC Championship, 3Com Park, SF: Green Bay Packers beat San Francisco 49ers, 23-10
- Jan 11 US Ladies Figure Skating championship won by Michelle Kwan
Eldredge US Champion
Jan 11 US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldredge
Barkley Pleads Not Guilty
Jan 14 Charles Barkley pleads not guilty to an assault charge
- Jan 15 Australian schoolboy Ian Thorpe becomes youngest ever male to become a world swimming champion when he wins 400m freestyle aged 15 years, 3 months in Perth; also wins event at 2001 & 2003 World Championships
Ciccarelli to the Panthers
Jan 15 Future Hockey Hall of Fame right wing Dino Ciccarelli finds his 5th NHL club; traded from Tampa Bay Lightning to Florida Panthers
- Jan 18 48th NHL All-Star Game, General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC: North America beats World, 8-7; MVP: Teemu Selänne, Anaheim, RW
- Jan 18 Boston Celtics retire Robert Parrish's #00
Bird's Return, Parish Honored
Jan 18 Larry Bird returns to Boston as head coach of the Indiana Pacers for the first time, as former Celtics center Robert Parish is honoured by having his No. 00 raised to the Fleet Center rafters
- Jan 22 NHL's Minnesota franchise selects the nickname Wild
Henderson Rejoins Oakland Again
Jan 22 Rickey Henderson, rejoins Oakland A's for 4th time
- Jan 22 World League of American Football renamed as NFL Europe
- Jan 23 Denver Nuggets tie the NBA single-season record of 23 consecutive losses set by the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995-96; streak ends with a 99-81 win the next day against the LA Clippers
Jordan's 800th Game
Jan 23 Michael Jordan scores in double figures for 800th consecutive game in a 100-98 OT win over New Jersey; adds 40 more double-figure scoring games to his NBA record before retiring for the second time (1998)
Posh and Becks Get Engaged
Jan 25 Spice Girl Victoria Adams (Posh) and soccer player David Beckham get engaged
Hingis Defeats Martinez
Jan 31 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Switzerland's Martina Hingis retains her title; beats Conchita Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-3 for 5th Grand Slam title
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions