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1999–2000 NBA season
League National Basketball Association
Sport Basketball
TV partner/s NBC, TBS, TNT
Draft
Top draft pick Elton Brand
Picked by Chicago Bulls
Regular season
Season MVP Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers)
Top scorer Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers)
Playoffs
Eastern champions Indiana Pacers
Eastern runners-up New York Knicks
Western champions Los Angeles Lakers
Western runners-up Portland Trail Blazers
Finals
Finals champions Los Angeles Lakers
Runners-up Indiana Pacers
Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers)

The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 in the 2000 NBA Finals.


Notable occurrences[]

  • The 2000 NBA All-Star Game held in Oakland, California. The West won 137–126. Tim Duncan from the San Antonio Spurs and Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers shared the game's MVP honors. The Slam Dunk Contest returned after a two-year absence, with Vince Carter winning the title.
  • Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers played their first games at the Staples Center. The Lakers would also go on to win 19 consecutive games between February 4, 2000 and March 16, 2000, the fifth-longest winning streak in NBA history.
  • Staples Center's first season saw its tenants at two opposite ends of the league: the Lakers finished with a regular season record of 67–15 and won the NBA title, while the Clippers finished 15–67, the worst record of the season.
  • The Denver Nuggets played their first game at the Pepsi Center.
  • The Indiana Pacers played their first game at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
  • The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
  • The Atlanta Hawks played their first game at the Philips Arena.
  • The Miami Heat started the season playing their home games at Miami Arena. In January, they played their first game at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
  • The Toronto Raptors played their first full season at the Air Canada Centre. They also made the playoffs for the first time becoming the first Canadian team to do so.
  • During Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers held a 15-point lead over the Los Angeles Lakers with 10:28 left to play. During the fourth quarter, the Blazers would miss thirteen consecutive shots, allowing the Lakers to claw back and take the game, 89–84. The game was capped off with a famous alley-oop pass to Shaquille O'Neal from Kobe Bryant.
  • Two players are killed in automobile accidents within four months of each other. On January 12, Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed in reckless driving while racing against teammate David Wesley. On May 20, Malik Sealy of the Minnesota Timberwolves was driving home from a birthday party being held for Kevin Garnett, when a drunk-driver driving on the wrong side, struck his SUV.
  • The Boston Celtics officially retired their trademark parquet floor on December 22, 1999 after 54 years. The floor would be replaced by a replica combining elements of the old floor and new wooden sections.
  • The season marked Patrick Ewing's last in a New York Knicks uniform. He was traded during the 2000 offseason to the Seattle Supersonics in a three-team deal.
  • Hall of Fame player Wilt Chamberlain passed away on October 12, 1999 at age 63. Wilt's former teams, the Lakers, Sixers, and Warriors honored him by sporting black patches for the rest of the season.

Final standings[]

Eastern Conference[]

Atlantic Division
Team W L PCT GB
Miami Heat 52 30 .634 -
New York Knicks 50 32 .610 2
Philadelphia 76ers 49 33 .598 3
Orlando Magic 41 41 .500 11
Boston Celtics 35 47 .427 17
New Jersey Nets 31 51 .378 21
Washington Wizards 29 53 .354 23
Central Division
Team W L PCT GB
Indiana Pacers 56 26 .683 -
Charlotte Hornets 49 33 .598 7
Toronto Raptors 45 37 .549 11
Detroit Pistons 42 40 .512 14
Milwaukee Bucks 42 40 .512 14
Cleveland Cavaliers 32 50 .390 24
Atlanta Hawks 28 54 .341 28
Chicago Bulls 17 65 .207 39

Western Conference[]

Midwest Division
Team W L PCT GB
Utah Jazz 55 27 .671 -
San Antonio Spurs 53 29 .646 2
Minnesota Timberwolves 50 32 .610 5
Dallas Mavericks 40 42 .488 15
Denver Nuggets 35 47 .427 20
Houston Rockets 34 48 .415 21
Vancouver Grizzlies 22 60 .268 33
Pacific Division
Team W L PCT GB
Los Angeles Lakers C 67 15 .817 -
Portland Trail Blazers 59 23 .720 8
Phoenix Suns 53 29 .646 14
Seattle SuperSonics 45 37 .549 22
Sacramento Kings 44 38 .537 23
Golden State Warriors 19 63 .232 48
Los Angeles Clippers 15 67 .183 52

C – NBA Champions

Statistics leaders[]

Category Player Team Stat
Points per game Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers 29.7
Rebounds per game Dikembe Mutombo Atlanta Hawks 14.1
Assists per game Jason Kidd Phoenix Suns 10.1
Steals per game Eddie Jones Charlotte Hornets 2.7
Blocks per game Alonzo Mourning Miami Heat 3.7
FG% Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers 57.4
FT% Jeff Hornacek Utah Jazz 95.0
3FG% Hubert Davis Dallas Mavericks 49.1

NBA awards[]

  • Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
  • Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
  • Sixth Man of the Year: Rodney Rogers, Phoenix Suns
  • Most Improved Player: Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers
  • Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers, Orlando Magic
  • All-NBA First Team:
    • F – Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
    • F – Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
    • C – Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
    • G – Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
    • G – Jason Kidd, Phoenix Suns
  • All-NBA Second Team:
    • F – Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
    • F – Grant Hill, Detroit Pistons
    • C – Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
    • G – Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
    • G – Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
  • All-NBA Third Team:
    • F – Chris Webber, Sacramento Kings
    • F – Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors
    • C – David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs
    • G – Eddie Jones, Charlotte Hornets
    • G – Stephon Marbury, New Jersey Nets
  • All-Defensive First Team:
    • Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
    • Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
    • Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
    • Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
    • Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
  • All-Defensive Second Team:
    • Scottie Pippen, Portland Trail Blazers
    • Clifford Robinson, Phoenix Suns
    • Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
    • Eddie Jones, Charlotte Hornets
    • Jason Kidd, Phoenix Suns
  • All-Rookie First Team:
    • Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls
    • Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
    • Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Clippers
    • Wally Szczerbiak, Minnesota Timberwolves
    • Andre Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers
  • All-Rookie Second Team:
    • Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns
    • Ron Artest, Chicago Bulls
    • James Posey, Denver Nuggets
    • Jason Terry, Atlanta Hawks
    • Chucky Atkins, Orlando Magic
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