1998–99_Sacramento_Kings_season
1998–99 Sacramento Kings season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Kings' Golden Jubileu in the National Basketball Association, and 14th season in Sacramento.[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]
In the 1998 NBA draft, the Kings selected Jason Williams from the University of Florida with the seventh overall pick;[17][18][19][20][21] Williams would earn the nickname "White Chocolate", and would also be known for his flashy passes and crossovers.[22][23] During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star forward Chris Webber from the Washington Wizards,[24][25][26][27][28] and signed free agents Vlade Divac,[29][30][31][32] Vernon Maxwell, three-point specialist Jon Barry,[33] and second-year center Scot Pollard, who was signed midway through the season while Terry Dehere was released to free agency. After playing in Europe, Serbian forward Peja Stojaković, who was drafted 14th overall by the Kings in the 1996 NBA draft, would finally make his debut in the NBA.[34][35] Under new head coach Rick Adelman,[36][37] the Kings struggled playing below .500 with a 17–22 start, but then improved winning ten of their final eleven games, finishing third in the Pacific Division with a 27–23 record, their first winning season in 16 years.[38]
Webber averaged 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Divac averaged 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, and Williams provided the team with 12.8 points, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Corliss Williamson provided with 13.2 points per game, and second-year guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad contributed 9.3 points per game. Off the bench, Maxwell contributed 10.7 points per game, while second-year forward Lawrence Funderburke averaged 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and Stojaković provided with 8.4 points per game.[39] Webber also finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting,[40] while Williams finished in second place in Rookie of the Year voting behind Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors.[41][42][43]
In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Kings got off to a good start, taking a 2–1 series lead over the 3rd–seeded Utah Jazz.[44][45][46] However, the Jazz won Game 4 on the road by one point to even the series, 90–89, and force a decisive fifth game.[47][48][49] The Kings would lose Game 5 on the road in overtime, 99–92.[50][51][52][53] Following the season, Abdul-Wahad was traded to the Orlando Magic,[54][55] and Maxwell signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics.[56][57]
For the season, the Kings added new purple alternate road uniforms with black side panels to their shorts, which would remain in use until 2002.[58]
