Discover

'The 1997-98 NBA season' was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. 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. This would also be in many people's eyes the end of the golden era of basketball with the dismantling of the Chicago Bulls.

Contents

Notable occurrences

Final standings

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

1997-98 NBA statistics leaders

NBA awards

See also

Notable occurrences

★ The NBA All-Star Game was played at Madison Square Garden.

★ 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 implosion 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.

★ 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, Michael Jordan announces his second retirement from the NBA during the following offseason. This was Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls.

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

1997-98 NBA 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

★ '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''

See also

★ 1998 NBA Playoffs

★ 1998 NBA Finals

★ 1998 NBA Draft