1998–99 NBA season

1999 NBA season
League National Basketball Association
Sport Basketball
Duration February 5 – May 5, 1999
May 8 – June 11, 1999 (Playoffs)
June 16 – 25, 1999 (Finals)
Number of games 50
Number of teams 29
TV partner(s) NBC, TBS, TNT
Draft
Top draft pick Michael Olowokandi
Picked by Los Angeles Clippers
Regular season
Top seed San Antonio Spurs
Season MVP Karl Malone (Utah)
Top scorer Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)
Playoffs
Eastern champions New York Knicks
  Eastern runners-up Indiana Pacers
Western champions San Antonio Spurs
  Western runners-up Portland Trail Blazers
Finals
Champions San Antonio Spurs
  Runners-up New York Knicks
Finals MVP Tim Duncan (San Antonio)

The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999 after a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. All 29 teams played a shortened 50-game regular season schedule- 61% of the regular 82 games- and the 16 teams who qualified for the playoffs played a full post-season schedule. That season's All-Star Game was also canceled. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs winning the franchise's first NBA championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the 1999 NBA Finals.

Lockout

Main article: 1998–99 NBA lockout

The second lockout in the history of the NBA lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999. NBA owners were seeking changes to the league's salary cap system and a ceiling on individual player salaries. The National Basketball Players Association opposed the owners' plans and wanted raises for players who earned the league's minimum salary.

As the labor dispute continued into September, the preseason was shortened to just two games instead of the normal eight, and training camps were postponed indefinitely.[1] By October, it became the first time in NBA history that games were canceled due to a labor dispute.[2] Further games were canceled by November and December, including the All-Star Game, which had been scheduled to be played on February 14, 1999. The preseason also got cancelled as well.

An agreement between the owners and players was eventually reached on January 18, 1999. When play resumed, the regular season was shortened to 50 games per team, as opposed to the normal 82. As a result, some teams did not meet each other at all during the course of the shortened season. In addition, to preserve games between teams in the same conference, much of the time missed was made up for by skipping well over half of the games played between teams in the opposite conference.

Notable occurrences

Coaching changes
Offseason
Team 1997-98 coach 1998-99 coach
Chicago Bulls Phil Jackson Tim Floyd
Denver Nuggets Bill Hanzlik Mike D'Antoni
Los Angeles Clippers Bill Fitch Chris Ford
Milwaukee Bucks Chris Ford George Karl
Sacramento Kings Eddie Jordan Rick Adelman
Seattle SuperSonics George Karl Paul Westphal
In-season
Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach
Charlotte Hornets Dave Cowens Paul Silas
Los Angeles Lakers Del Harris Bill Bertka
Bill Bertka Kurt Rambis
New Jersey Nets John Calipari Don Casey
Washington Wizards Bernie Bickerstaff Jim Brovelli

Final standings

By division

Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Miami Heat 33 17 .660 18–7 15–10 12–8
x-Orlando Magic 33 17 .660 21–4 12–13 12–6
x-Philadelphia 76ers 28 22 .560 5 17–8 11–14 9–10
x-New York Knicks 27 23 .540 6 19–6 8–17 12–8
Boston Celtics 19 31 .380 14 10–15 9–16 10–9
Washington Wizards 18 32 .360 15 13–12 5–20 6–13
New Jersey Nets 16 34 .320 17 12–13 4–21 6–13
Central Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Indiana Pacers 33 17 .660 18–7 15–10 15–7
x-Atlanta Hawks 31 19 .620 2 16–9 15–10 15–8
x-Detroit Pistons 29 21 .580 4 17–8 12–13 13–8
x-Milwaukee Bucks 28 22 .560 5 17–8 11–14 13–11
Charlotte Hornets 26 24 .520 7 16–9 10–15 12–10
Toronto Raptors 23 27 .460 10 14–11 9–16 9–14
Cleveland Cavaliers 22 28 .440 11 15–10 7–18 9–13
Chicago Bulls 13 37 .260 20 8–17 5–20 4–19
Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-San Antonio Spurs 37 13 .740 21–4 16–9 17–4
x-Utah Jazz 37 13 .740 22–3 15–10 15–3
x-Houston Rockets 31 19 .620 6 19–6 12–13 12–9
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 25 25 .500 12 18–7 7–18 11–9
Dallas Mavericks 19 31 .380 18 15–10 4–21 8–12
Denver Nuggets 14 36 .280 23 12–13 2–23 5–16
Vancouver Grizzlies 8 42 .160 29 7–18 1–24 3–18
Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Portland Trail Blazers 35 15 .700 22–3 13–12 15–7
x-Los Angeles Lakers 31 19 .620 4 18–7 13–12 14–8
x-Sacramento Kings 27 23 .540 8 16–9 11–14 11–9
x-Phoenix Suns 27 23 .540 8 15–10 12–13 9–10
Seattle SuperSonics 25 25 .500 10 17–8 8–17 11–10
Golden State Warriors 21 29 .420 14 13–12 8–17 8–11
Los Angeles Clippers 9 41 .180 26 6–19 3–22 3–16

By conference

# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Miami Heat 33 17 .660
2 y-Indiana Pacers 33 17 .660
3 x-Orlando Magic 33 17 .660
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 31 19 .620 2
5 x-Detroit Pistons 29 21 .580 4
6 x-Philadelphia 76ers 28 22 .560 5
7 x-Milwaukee Bucks 28 22 .560 5
8 x-New York Knicks 27 23 .540 6
9 Charlotte Hornets 26 24 .520 7
10 Toronto Raptors 23 27 .460 10
11 Cleveland Cavaliers 22 28 .440 11
12 Boston Celtics 19 31 .380 14
13 Washington Wizards 18 32 .360 15
14 New Jersey Nets 16 34 .320 17
15 Chicago Bulls 13 37 .260 20
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-San Antonio Spurs 37 13 .740
2 y-Portland Trail Blazers 35 15 .700 2
3 x-Utah Jazz 37 13 .740
4 x-Los Angeles Lakers 31 19 .620 6
5 x-Houston Rockets 31 19 .620 6
6 x-Sacramento Kings 27 23 .540 10
7 x-Phoenix Suns 27 23 .540 10
8 x-Minnesota Timberwolves 25 25 .500 12
9 Seattle SuperSonics 25 25 .500 12
10 Golden State Warriors 21 29 .420 16
11 Dallas Mavericks 19 31 .380 18
12 Denver Nuggets 14 36 .280 23
13 Los Angeles Clippers 9 41 .180 28
14 Vancouver Grizzlies 8 42 .160 29

Notes

Playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.

Main article: 1999 NBA Playoffs
First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
1 San Antonio 3
8 Minnesota 1
1 San Antonio 4
4 L.A. Lakers 0
4 L.A. Lakers 3
5 Houston 1
1 San Antonio 4
Western Conference
2 Portland 0
3 Utah 3
6 Sacramento 2
3 Utah 2
2 Portland 4
2 Portland 3
7 Phoenix 0
W1 San Antonio 4
E8 New York 1
1 Miami 2
8 New York 3
8 New York 4
4 Atlanta 0
4 Atlanta 3
5 Detroit 2
8 New York 4
Eastern Conference
2 Indiana 2
3 Orlando 1
6 Philadelphia 3
6 Philadelphia 0
2 Indiana 4
2 Indiana 3
7 Milwaukee 0

Statistics leaders

Category Player Team Stat
Points per game Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 26.8
Rebounds per game Chris Webber Sacramento Kings 13.0
Assists per game Jason Kidd Phoenix Suns 10.8
Steals per game Kendall Gill New Jersey Nets 2.68
Blocks per game Alonzo Mourning Miami Heat 3.91
FG% Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers .576
FT% Reggie Miller Indiana Pacers .915
3FG% Dell Curry Milwaukee Bucks .476

NBA awards

Players of the month

The following players were named the Players of the Month.

Month Player
4February Iverson, AllenAllen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers)
5March Duncan, TimTim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
6April Kidd, JasonJason Kidd (Phoenix Suns)

Rookies of the month

The following players were named the Rookies of the Month.

Month Player
4February Pierce, PaulPaul Pierce (Boston Celtics)
5March Carter, VinceVince Carter (Toronto Raptors)
6April Carter, VinceVince Carter (Toronto Raptors)

Coaches of the month

The following coaches were named Coaches of the Month.

Month Coach
4February Sloan, JerryJerry Sloan (Utah Jazz)
5March Dunleavy, Sr., MikeMike Dunleavy, Sr. (Portland Trail Blazers)
5April Popovich, GreggGregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs)

References

  1. "Lockout cuts into preseason schedule". The San Diego Union-Tribune. September 25, 1998. p. D11.
  2. Wise, Mike (October 15, 1998). "Pro Basketball; N.B.A. Owners Cool To Players' Proposal". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
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