1998–99_Philadelphia_76ers_season
1998–99 Philadelphia 76ers season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the 76ers 50th season in the National Basketball Association, and 36th season in Philadelphia.[1] On March 23, 1998, the owners of all 29 NBA teams voted 27–2 to reopen the league's collective bargaining agreement, seeking changes to the league's salary cap system, and a ceiling on individual player salaries. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) opposed to the owners' plan, and wanted raises for players who earned the league's minimum salary. After both sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners called for a lockout, which began on July 1, 1998, putting a hold on all team trades, free agent signings and training camp workouts, and cancelling many NBA regular season and preseason games.[2][3][4][5][6] Due to the lockout, the NBA All-Star Game, which was scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 1999, was also cancelled.[7][8][9][10][11] However, on January 6, 1999, NBA commissioner David Stern, and NBPA director Billy Hunter finally reached an agreement to end the lockout. The deal was approved by both the players and owners, and was signed on January 20, ending the lockout after 204 days. The regular season began on February 5, and was cut short to just 50 games instead of the regular 82-game schedule.[12][13][14][15][16]
The Sixers had the eighth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, and selected Larry Hughes out of Saint Louis University.[17][18][19][20][21] In the off-season, the Sixers signed free agents Matt Geiger, George Lynch and Harvey Grant,[22][23][24][25] and later on re-signed former 76ers forward Rick Mahorn in late February.[26][27] At midseason, they traded second-year forward Tim Thomas and Scott Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Tyrone Hill.[28][29][30][31] The Sixers won six straight games after a 4–5 start, and had their first winning month in five years winning 8 of 13 games in February, on their way to making the playoffs for the first time in eight years with a 28–22 record, third in the Atlantic Division.[32]
After playing point guard for the previous two seasons, Allen Iverson moved into the shooting guard position, and led the league in scoring averaging 26.8 points, 4.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game, and was selected to the All-NBA First Team. In addition, Geiger averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while Theo Ratliff provided the team with 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Hughes contributed 9.1 points per game off the bench. Eric Snow became the team's starting point guard, and provided with 8.6 points, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and Lynch averaged 8.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.[33] Iverson also finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting,[34] while Snow finished in second place in Most Improved Player voting,[35][36] and head coach Larry Brown finished in second place in Coach of the Year voting.[37]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, and Iverson's first ever playoff appearance, the Sixers defeated the 3rd–seeded Orlando Magic in four games,[38][39][40][41] in which Iverson recorded a playoff career-high of ten steals in a 97–85 Game 3 home win over the Magic.[42][43][44] However, the Sixers were swept in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals by the Indiana Pacers in four straight games.[45][46][47][48]
Following the season, Grant and second-year guard Anthony Parker were both traded to the Orlando Magic, who released Grant to free agency,[49][50][51] and Mahorn retired after playing in his second stint with the 76ers.
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