1999–2000 NBA season

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1999–2000 NBA season
League National Basketball Association
Sport Basketball
Duration November 2, 1999 – April 19, 2000
April 22 – June 4, 2000 (Playoffs)
June 7 – 19, 2000 (Finals)
Number of teams 29
TV partner(s) NBC, TBS, TNT
Draft
Top draft pick Elton Brand
Picked by Chicago Bulls
Regular season
Top seed Los Angeles Lakers
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
Champions Los Angeles Lakers
  Runners-up Indiana Pacers
Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers)
NBA seasons

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.

Players warming up prior to an April 2000 game between the Charlotte Hornets and the season's eventual Eastern Conference champions Indiana Pacers at the Charlotte Coliseum.

Notable occurrences

Coaching changes
Offseason
Team 1998-99 coach 1999-2000 coach
Cleveland Cavaliers Mike Fratello Randy Wittman
Denver Nuggets Mike D'Antoni Dan Issel
Los Angeles Lakers Kurt Rambis Phil Jackson
Orlando Magic Chuck Daly Doc Rivers
Washington Wizards Jim Brovelli Gar Heard
In-season
Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach
Detroit Pistons Alvin Gentry George Irvine
Golden State Warriors P.J. Carlesimo Garry St. Jean
Los Angeles Clippers Chris Ford Jim Todd
Phoenix Suns Danny Ainge Scott Skiles
Vancouver Grizzlies Brian Hill Lionel Hollins
Washington Wizards Gar Heard Darrell Walker
  • Effective this season, the first game of the NBA regular season begins on either the first Tuesday of November or the last Tuesday of October, and the last game on the third Wednesday of April. The NBA playoffs begin on the third Saturday of April.
  • 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 sixth-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 best regular season record of 67–15 and the NBA title, while the Clippers finished 15–67, the worst 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 (now Bankers Life 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 75-60 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 to Shaquille O'Neal from Kobe Bryant.
  • Two players were 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.
  • San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott was sidelined for most of the season while undergoing kidney transplant operations. He successfully returned on March 13, becoming the first player to return following kidney transplant.
  • 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.
  • Doc Rivers became the first recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year Award to have not led his team to the playoffs. He coached the Magic to respectable 41-41 (.500) record, good enough for the 9th seed in the East
  • 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 Famer Wilt Chamberlain died on October 12, 1999 at 63. Wilt's former teams, the Lakers, Sixers, and Warriors honored him by sporting black patches for the rest of the season.
  • Kevin Johnson returned from retirement to replace the injured Jason Kidd of Phoenix Suns in this season's playoffs, but the Suns fell to the Lakers in the second round and Johnson would retire again.
  • 36-year-old Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley suffered a devastating injury early in the season but returned for a final game before retiring.

Final standings

By division

Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Miami Heat 52 30 .634 33–8 19–22 18–6
x-New York Knicks 50 32 .610 2 33–8 17–24 14–10
x-Philadelphia 76ers 49 33 .598 3 29–12 20–21 13–11
Orlando Magic 41 41 .500 11 26–15 15–26 12–13
Boston Celtics 35 47 .427 17 26–15 9–32 12–12
New Jersey Nets 31 51 .378 21 22–19 9–32 9–16
Washington Wizards 29 53 .354 23 17–24 12–29 7–17


Central Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Indiana Pacers 56 26 .683 36–5 20–21 20–8
x-Charlotte Hornets 49 33 .598 7 30–11 19–22 20–8
x-Toronto Raptors 45 37 .549 11 26–15 19–22 16–12
x-Detroit Pistons 42 40 .512 14 27–14 15–26 16–12
x-Milwaukee Bucks 42 40 .512 14 23–18 19–22 16–12
Cleveland Cavaliers 32 50 .390 24 22–19 10–31 8–20
Atlanta Hawks 28 54 .341 28 21–20 7–34 11–17
Chicago Bulls 17 65 .207 39 12–29 5–36 5–23


Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Utah Jazz 55 27 .671 31–10 24–17 14–10
x-San Antonio Spurs 53 29 .646 2 31–10 22–19 16–8
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 50 32 .610 5 26–15 24–17 18–6
Dallas Mavericks 40 42 .488 15 22–19 18–23 12–12
Denver Nuggets 35 47 .427 20 25–16 10–31 10–14
Houston Rockets 34 48 .415 21 22–19 12–29 8–16
Vancouver Grizzlies 22 60 .268 33 12–29 10–31 6–18


Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Los Angeles Lakers 67 15 .817 36–5 31–10 20–4
x-Portland Trail Blazers 59 23 .720 8 30–11 29–12 21–3
x-Phoenix Suns 53 29 .646 14 32–9 21–20 15–9
x-Seattle SuperSonics 45 37 .549 22 24–17 21–20 12–12
x-Sacramento Kings 44 38 .537 23 30–11 14–27 9–15
Golden State Warriors 19 63 .232 48 12–29 7–34 2–22
Los Angeles Clippers 15 67 .183 52 10–31 5–36 5–19


By conference

# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Indiana Pacers 56 26 .683
2 y-Miami Heat 52 30 .634 4
3 x-New York Knicks 50 32 .610 6
4 x-Charlotte Hornets 49 33 .598 7
5 x-Philadelphia 76ers 49 33 .598 7
6 x-Toronto Raptors 45 37 .549 11
7 x-Detroit Pistons 42 40 .512 14
8 x-Milwaukee Bucks 42 40 .512 14
9 Orlando Magic 41 41 .500 15
10 Boston Celtics 35 47 .427 21
11 Cleveland Cavaliers 32 50 .390 24
12 New Jersey Nets 31 51 .378 25
13 Washington Wizards 29 53 .354 27
14 Atlanta Hawks 28 54 .341 28
15 Chicago Bulls 17 65 .207 39
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Los Angeles Lakers 67 15 .817
2 y-Utah Jazz 55 27 .671 12
3 x-Portland Trail Blazers 59 23 .720 8
4 x-San Antonio Spurs 53 29 .646 14
5 x-Phoenix Suns 53 29 .646 14
6 x-Minnesota Timberwolves 50 32 .610 17
7 x-Seattle SuperSonics 45 37 .549 22
8 x-Sacramento Kings 44 38 .537 23
9 Dallas Mavericks 40 42 .488 27
10 Denver Nuggets 35 47 .427 32
11 Houston Rockets 34 48 .415 33
12 Vancouver Grizzlies 22 60 .268 45
13 Golden State Warriors 19 63 .232 48
14 Los Angeles Clippers 15 67 .183 52


Notes

  • z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
  • c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
  • y – Clinched division title
  • x – Clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.

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First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
                       
1 L.A. Lakers 3
8 Sacramento 2
1 L.A. Lakers 4
5 Phoenix 1
4 San Antonio 1
5 Phoenix 3
1 L.A. Lakers 4
Western Conference
3 Portland 3
3 Portland 3
6 Minnesota 1
3 Portland 4
2 Utah 1
2 Utah 3
7 Seattle 2
W1 L.A. Lakers 4
E1 Indiana 2
1 Indiana 3
8 Milwaukee 2
1 Indiana 4
5 Philadelphia 2
4 Charlotte 1
5 Philadelphia 3
1 Indiana 4
Eastern Conference
3 New York 2
3 New York 3
6 Toronto 0
3 New York 4
2 Miami 3
2 Miami 3
7 Detroit 0

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 2.67
Blocks per game Alonzo Mourning Miami Heat 3.72
FG% Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers .574
FT% Jeff Hornacek Utah Jazz .950
3FG% Hubert Davis Dallas Mavericks .491

NBA awards

Players of the month

The following players were named the Players of the Month.

Month Player
October – November Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
December Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat)
January Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves)
February Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
March Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
April Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics)

Rookies of the month

The following players were named the Rookies of the Month.

Month Player
October – November Adrian Griffin (Boston Celtics)
Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Clippers)
December Steve Francis (Houston Rockets)
January Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)
February Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)
March Steve Francis (Houston Rockets)
April Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)
Steve Francis (Houston Rockets)

Coaches of the month

The following coaches were named Coaches of the Month.

Month Coach
October – November Mike Dunleavy (Portland Trail Blazers)
December Phil Jackson (Los Angeles Lakers)
January Flip Saunders (Minnesota Timberwolves)
February Phil Jackson (Los Angeles Lakers)
March Jerry Sloan (Utah Jazz)
April Paul Silas (Charlotte Hornets)

References