The 1996–97 California Golden Bears men's basketball team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the 1996–97 season.
Led by head coach Ben Braun, the Bears finished the regular season with a 12–6 record in the Pac-10, placing them in a tie for second. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, where they made a run to the Sweet Sixteen. The Golden Bears defeated Princeton and Villanova before falling to North Carolina in the East Regional semifinal. The team finished the season with an overall record of 23–9.
Roster
Schedule and results
!colspan=9 style=| Regular season
!colspan=9 style=| NCAA Tournament
Rankings
Team players drafted into the NBA
1 22 Ed Gray Atlanta Hawks
References