The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals in a repeat of the previous year's Finals. This would also be in many people's eyes the end of a golden era of basketball with the departure of Michael Jordan and the end of the dynasty for the Bulls before Jordan returned in 2001 for the Washington Wizards.
The "Washington Bullets" are renamed as the "Washington Wizards." They begin the season at US Airways Arena, then in December, they play their first game at the MCI Center (now Verizon Center) during this season.
Due to the demolition of The Omni and the construction of the new Philips Arena, the Atlanta Hawks split home games between Georgia Tech's Alexander Coliseum and the Georgia Dome.
The Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls shared the league's best record with 62-20. Fittingly, they met each other in the NBA Finals. The Jazz had home-court advantage by virtue of a better conference record.
Two new records are set in Game 3 of the NBA Finals: biggest margin of victory (42 points) and fewest points scored in an NBA Finals game (54) in the Chicago Bulls' rout of the Utah Jazz.
Following head coach Phil Jackson's decision to not return to the Bulls, Jordan announces his second retirement from the NBA during the following offseason. This was Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls. Scottie Pippen was traded for Roy Rogers (who was released in February 1999) and a conditional second round draft pick from the Houston Rockets. Dennis Rodman was not resigned either leading to the end of an era for the Chicago Bulls and the NBA.
The restricted area arc was allowed
On February 26, the Indiana Pacers handily defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 124-59, marking the first time in NBA history that one team scored more than twice as many points as its opponent.[citation needed]
Nike became the official outfitter for select NBA teams (Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards), which ran for seven years. Other NBA teams were either outfitted by Starter Clothing Line, Puma or Champion.
The Denver Nuggets lost 71 games, joining the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers, 1987 Los Angeles Clippers, and 1993 Dallas Mavericks as the only teams to lose 70 games in a season. The Nuggets would also equal the longest single-season losing streak with 23 consecutive losses, sharing the mark with the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies.
Final standings[]
Eastern Conference[]
Atlantic Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Miami Heat
55
27
.671
-
New York Knicks
43
39
.524
12
New Jersey Nets
43
39
.524
12
Washington Wizards
42
40
.512
13
Orlando Magic
41
41
.500
14
Boston Celtics
36
46
.439
19
Philadelphia 76ers
31
51
.378
24
Central Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Chicago Bulls C
62
20
.756
-
Indiana Pacers
58
24
.707
4
Charlotte Hornets
51
31
.622
11
Atlanta Hawks
50
32
.610
12
Cleveland Cavaliers
47
35
.573
15
Detroit Pistons
37
45
.451
25
Milwaukee Bucks
36
46
.439
26
Toronto Raptors
16
66
.195
46
Western Conference[]
Midwest Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Utah Jazz
62
20
.756
-
San Antonio Spurs
56
26
.683
6
Minnesota Timberwolves
45
37
.549
17
Houston Rockets
41
41
.500
21
Dallas Mavericks
20
62
.244
42
Vancouver Grizzlies
19
63
.232
43
Denver Nuggets
11
71
.134
51
Pacific Division
Team
W
L
PCT.
GB
Seattle SuperSonics
61
21
.744
-
Los Angeles Lakers
61
21
.744
-
Phoenix Suns
56
26
.683
5
Portland Trail Blazers
46
36
.561
15
Sacramento Kings
27
55
.329
34
Golden State Warriors
19
63
.232
42
Los Angeles Clippers
17
65
.207
44
C - NBA Champions
Statistics leaders[]
Category
Player
Team
Stat
Points per game
Michael Jordan
Chicago Bulls
28.7
Rebounds per game
Dennis Rodman
Chicago Bulls
15.0
Assists per game
Rod Strickland
Washington Wizards
10.5
Steals per game
Mookie Blaylock
Atlanta Hawks
2.6
Blocks per game
Marcus Camby
Toronto Raptors
3.7
FG%
Shaquille O'Neal
Los Angeles Lakers
58.4
FT%
Chris Mullin
Indiana Pacers
93.9
3FG%
Dale Ellis
Seattle SuperSonics
46.4
NBA awards[]
Yearly awards[]
Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
Rookie of the Year: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Defensive Player of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta Hawks
Sixth Man of the Year: Danny Manning, Phoenix Suns
Most Improved Player: Alan Henderson, Atlanta Hawks
Coach of the Year: Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers
All-NBA First Team:
F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
F - Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
C - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
G - Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
G - Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
All-NBA Second Team:
F - Vin Baker, Seattle SuperSonics
F - Grant Hill, Detroit Pistons
C - David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs
G - Tim Hardaway, Miami Heat
G - Rod Strickland, Washington Wizards
All-NBA Third Team:
F - Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls
F - Glen Rice, Charlotte Hornets
C - Dikembe Mutumbo, Atlanta Hawks
G - Mitch Richmond, Sacramento Kings
G - Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers
NBA All-Defensive First Team:
F - Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls
F - Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
C - Dikembe Mutumbo, Atlanta Hawks
G - Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
G - Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
NBA All-Defensive Second Team:
F - Charles Oakley, New York Knicks
F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
C - David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs
G - Eddie Jones, Los Angeles Lakers
G - Mookie Blaylock, Atlanta Hawks
All-NBA Rookie First Team:
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Keith Van Horn, New Jersey Nets
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers
Ron Mercer, Boston Celtics
Brevin Knight, Cleveland Cavaliers
All-NBA Rookie Second Team:
Maurice Taylor, Los Angeles Clippers
Cedric Henderson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tim Thomas, Philadelphia 76ers
Bobby Jackson, Denver Nuggets
Derek Anderson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on NBA.com
Player of the week[]
The following players were named NBA Player of the Week.
Week
Player
Oct. 31 – Nov. 8
Dikembe Mutombo (Atlanta Hawks)
Nov. 9 – Nov. 15
Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Nov. 16 – Nov. 22
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Nov. 23 – Nov. 29
Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
Nov. 30 – Dec. 6
Wesley Person (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Dec. 7 – Dec. 13
Glen Rice (Charlotte Hornets)
Dec. 14 – Dec. 20
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Dec. 21 – Dec. 27
David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs)
Dec. 28 – Jan. 3
Rik Smits (Indiana Pacers)
Jan. 4 – Jan. 10
Steve Smith (Atlanta Hawks)
Jan. 11 – Jan. 17
Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jan. 18 – Jan. 24
Jayson Williams (New Jersey Nets)
Jan. 25 – Jan. 31
David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs)
Feb. 10 – Feb. 14
Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
Feb. 15 – Feb. 21
Nick Anderson (Orlando Magic)
Feb. 22 – Feb. 28
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
Mar. 1 – Mar. 7
Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
Mar. 8 – Mar. 14
Jason Kidd (Phoenix Suns)
Mar. 15 – Mar. 21
Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Mar. 22 – Mar. 28
Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat)
Mar. 29 – Apr. 4
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Apr. 5 – Apr. 11
Sam Cassell (New Jersey Nets)
Apr. 12 – Apr. 18
Jason Kidd (Phoenix Suns)
Player of the month[]
The following players were named NBA Player of the Month.
Month
Player
November
Eddie Jones (Los Angeles Lakers)
December
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
January
Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
February
Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
March
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
April
Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
Rookie of the month[]
The following players were named NBA Rookie of the Month.
Month
Rookie
November
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
December
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
January
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
February
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
March
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
April
Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
Coach of the month[]
The following coaches were named NBA Coach of the Month.
