1997–98 Phoenix Suns season explained

Team:	Phoenix Suns
End Year:	1998
Wins:	56
Losses:	26
Division:	pacific
Division Place:	3rd
Conf Place:	4th
Coach:	Danny Ainge
Gm:	Bryan Colangelo
Owner:	Jerry Colangelo
Arena:	America West Arena
Television:	KUTP Fox Sports Arizona Cox Sports
Radio:	KTAR
Playoffs:	First round (lost to Spurs 1–3)
Bbr Team:	PHO

The 1997–98 NBA season was the 30th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association.^[1] In the off-season, the Suns acquired Antonio McDyess from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team trade,^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} and signed free agents Clifford Robinson,^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} and George McCloud.^{[10] [11] [12]} Danny Ainge returned for his first full season as the Suns head coach, as they won nine of their first eleven games, which included a 140–139 quadruple overtime road win over the Portland Trail Blazers on November 14, 1997.^{[13] [14] [15] [16]} The Suns continued to play competitive basketball holding a 31–15 record at the All-Star break.^[17] At midseason, the team traded Cedric Ceballos to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for three-point specialist Dennis Scott,^{[18] [19] [20] [21]} as they posted a ten-game winning streak between March and April, winning eleven of their final twelve games of the season. The Suns posted a 56–26 record as members of the Pacific Division, finishing third in their division and fourth in the Western Conference.^[22] All home games were played in America West Arena.

The team's top scorer Rex Chapman, who averaged 15.9 points per game, was part of a Suns offense that included four other players averaging double-digits in points in McDyess, Robinson, Danny Manning and Jason Kidd. Kidd was the team's sole member to be selected as a member of the 1998 NBA All-Star Game,^{[23] [24] [25] [26]} averaging 11.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He also finished second in the league in assists. In addition, McDyess averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, while Robinson provided the team with 14.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.^[27] Manning averaged 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game off the bench, and was named Sixth Man of the Year, but did not play in any of the Suns' playoff games due to a knee ligament.^{[28] [29] [30] [31]} Kevin Johnson only played in just 50 games, starting in just 12 of them due to tendinitis in his right knee,^{[32] [33] [34]} as he averaged 9.5 points and 4.9 assists per game, while also off the bench, second-year guard Steve Nash contributed 9.1 points and 3.4 assists per game, and McCloud contributed 7.2 points per game.^[35]

The Suns would make their 10th consecutive playoff appearance. In the Western Conference First Round, they faced off against the 5th-seeded San Antonio Spurs, who were led by David Robinson, and Rookie of the Year, Tim Duncan. Despite having home-court advantage in the series, the Suns would lose to the Spurs, three games to one.^{[36] [37] [38] [39]}

Following the season, McDyess re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Denver Nuggets,^{[40] [41] [42] [43]} while Johnson retired after eleven seasons in the NBA, but would make a comeback late during the 1999–2000 season,^{[44] [45] [46] [47]} Nash was traded to the Dallas Mavericks,^{[48] [49] [50] [51]} Hot Rod Williams signed as a free agent with the Mavericks,^{[43] [52] [53]} Scott signed with the New York Knicks,^{[54] [55] [56]} and Mark Bryant was traded to the Chicago Bulls.^{[57] [58] [59]}

Offseason

NBA draft

See main article: 1997 NBA draft.

The Suns used their only draft pick to select future star Stephen Jackson, who was waived before the start of the season. The Suns traded their first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995 when they dealt Dan Majerle and Antonio Lang for John "Hot Rod" Williams.

Roster

Roster Notes

• Center Mike Brown did not play in any regular season games with the Suns this season, due to previously playing overseas in Italy. However, he was re-signed by the team on April 18, 1998, just one day before the final day of the regular season, and only played in one playoff game.
• Center Loren Meyer missed the entire season due to a back injury.^{[60] [61]}

Salaries

Player	Salary
Kevin Johnson	$8,000,000
Danny Manning	$6,833,333
Jason Kidd	$5,223,333
Hot Rod Williams	$4,550,000
Antonio McDyess	$2,876,640
Cedric Ceballos	$2,605,000
Mark Bryant	$2,250,000
Steve Nash	$1,053,360
Clifford Robinson	$1,000,000
Loren Meyer	$722,760
Mario Bennett	$630,000
Rex Chapman	$326,700
Tom Chambers	$272,250
George McCloud	$272,250
Horacio Llamas	$272,250
William Cunningham	$50,000
Total	$36,937,876

Regular season

Record vs. opponents

1997-98 NBA Records
width=100	Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	VAN	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–1	4–0	1–3	4–0	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–3	3–1	0–2	1–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	4–0
Boston	1–2	—	1–2	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–0	0–2	2–0	3–2
Charlotte	0–4	2–1	—	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2
Chicago	3–1	3–1	3–1	—	2–2	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–1	4–0	1–1	4–0	4–0	3–1	2–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	3–1
Cleveland	0–4	3–1	2–2	2–2	—	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–0	3–1	1–2	2–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	2–0	1–2
Dallas	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	—	3–1	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–1	1–3	0–4	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–1	0–4	4–0	1–1
Denver	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–3	—	0–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	2–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1
Detroit	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–0	2–0	—	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–2	2–2	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–0	0–2	0–2	2–2
Golden State	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	3–1	3–1	0–2	—	1–3	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–3	2–2	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–4	1–3	0–2
Houston	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	—	1–1	4–0	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–3	4–0	2–2	1–3	2–0	0–4	3–1	1–1
Indiana	3–1	4–0	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	—	2–0	0–2	3–1	4–0	2–0	2–1	2–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	0–2	4–0	1–1	2–0	4–0
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–1	2–2	0–2	3–1	0–4	0–2	—	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–4	3–1	1–3	0–4	1–1	1–3	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	4–0	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	4–0	—	1–1	2–0	4–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	4–0	1–3	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1
Miami	3–1	4–0	1–3	1–2	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–1	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	—	3–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	0–2	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2
Milwaukee	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–0	0–2	1–3	—	1–1	0–4	3–1	2–1	2–2	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–2
Minnesota	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–2	3–1	2–0	4–0	3–1	0–2	4–0	0–4	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–3	4–0	0–2
New Jersey	2–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–3	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	4–0	0–2	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3
New York	2–2	2–2	3–1	0–4	2–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–1	2–2	—	4–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3
Orlando	2–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–1	1–1	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–2	2–0	1–3	0–4	—	4–0	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	3–1
Philadelphia	1–3	1–3	1–2	1–2	1–3	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	0–4	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	—	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–2	2–0	3–1
Phoenix	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–0	4–0	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	—	2–2	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	1–3	4–0	1–1
Portland	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	—	3–1	2–2	0–4	2–0	3–1	2–2	1–1
Sacramento	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0	3–1	1–1	2–2	0–4	0–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–3	—	0–4	1–3	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–1
San Antonio	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	2–0	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–0	3–1	0–4	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–2	4–0	—	2–2	2–0	1–3	4–0	1–1
Seattle	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	4–0	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	4–0	3–1	2–2	—	2–0	2–2	4–0	1–1
Toronto	0–4	0–3	0–4	0–4	1–3	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–0	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	—	0–2	1–1	0–3
Utah	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	4–0	2–0	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–0	—	4–0	0–2
Vancouver	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	3–1	2–0	3–1	1–3	0–2	3–1	0–4	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	1–1	0–4	—	1–1
Washington	0–4	2–3	2–2	1–3	2–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–1	2–0	3–1	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–0	2–0	1–1	—

Playoffs

Even with a 56–26 record, the Suns were the fourth seed in the West heading into the Playoffs. They would face the fifth-seeded San Antonio Spurs, headlined by star center David Robinson and Rookie of the Year forward Tim Duncan. Duncan led the Spurs to a game one upset in Phoenix, scoring 28 second-half points in a 102–96 victory. The Suns recovered to win game two 108–101. Antonio McDyess led the Suns with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while holding Duncan to 16 points with six turnovers. On the night he received the Rookie of the Year Award, Duncan again led the Spurs with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. Despite 26 points and 17 rebounds from McDyess, the Suns fell 88–100 and into a 1–2 series hole. The Spurs would clinch the series 3–1 in San Antonio, behind 30 points from Avery Johnson, 21 rebounds from Robinson, and 6 blocks from Duncan. McDyess pulled down 19 rebounds for the Suns, but shot only 5 of 14 from the field, while Kevin Johnson led the team with 18 points.^[62]

Game log

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 1| April 23| San Antonio| L 96–102| Kevin Johnson (18)| George McCloud (9)| Jason Kidd (11)| America West Arena
19,023| 0–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"| 2| April 25| San Antonio| W 108–101| George McCloud (22)| Antonio McDyess (11)| Jason Kidd (10)| America West Arena
19,023| 1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 3| April 27| @ San Antonio| L 88–100| Antonio McDyess (26)| Antonio McDyess (17)| Johnson, Kidd (6)| Alamodome
20,486| 1–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"| 4| April 29| @ San Antonio| L 80–99| Kevin Johnson (18)| Antonio McDyess (19)| Steve Nash (5)| Alamodome
27,528| 1–3|-

Awards and honors

Week/Month

• Jason Kidd was named Player of the Week for games played March 8 through March 14.
• Jason Kidd was named Player of the Week for games played April 12 through April 18.

All-Star

• Jason Kidd was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second All-Star selection. Kidd finished fifth in voting among Western Conference guards with 305,834 votes.

Season

• Danny Manning was awarded the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
• Jason Kidd finished 13th in MVP voting.^[63]

Injuries/Missed games

• 10/28/97: George McCloud: Deep knee bruise; did not play
• 10/30/97: Loren Meyer: Lumbar spine surgery; placed on injured reserve for season
• 10/30/97: Tom Chambers; Strained lower back; placed on injured list until November 21
• 10/31/97: George McCloud: Concussion; did not play
• 11/20/97: Horacio Llamas: Strained lower back; placed on injured list until January 30
• 12/02/97: Kevin Johnson: Right knee tendinitis; out until December 11
• 12/09/97: George McCloud: Flu; did not play
• 12/09/97: Rex Chapman: Strained left hamstring; out until December 16
• 12/11/97: Kevin Johnson: Right knee tendinitis; placed on injured list until January 31
• 12/26/97: George McCloud: Thigh bruise; did not play
• 12/26/97: Brooks Thompson: Ill; did not play
• 12/29/97: Danny Manning: Abdominal strain; out until January 12
• 01/04/98: Jason Kidd: Sprained right ankle; left game
• 01/18/98: Hot Rod Williams; Flu, did not play
• 01/30/98: Cedric Ceballos: Strained right calf; placed on injured list until February 12
• 02/12/98: Horacio Llamas: Bruised left heel; placed on injured list until April 9
• 02/17/98: Rex Chapman: Sprained left ankle; did not play
• 02/22/98: Steve Nash: Did not play
• 03/05/98: Rex Chapman: Sore right foot; out until March 13
• 03/09/98: Antonio McDyess: Suspended one game for fighting Hakeem Olajuwon on March 7; did not play
• 03/13/98: Mark Bryant: Flu; out until March 17
• 03/25/98: Rex Chapman: Pulled right groin; out until April 4
• 04/06/98: Steve Nash: Did not play
• 04/09/98: Danny Manning: Injured right ACL; placed on injured list, out for season
• 04/18/98: Rex Chapman: Aggravated left hamstring; placed on injured reserve until April 23
• 04/23/98: Rex Chapman: Aggravated left hamstring; did not play
• 04/29/98: Rex Chapman: Aggravated left hamstring; did not play

Player statistics

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
	70	22	15.9	.484	.000	.768	3.5	0.7	.5	.2	4.2
	35	16	17.9	.500	.300	.714	4.3	1.0	.6	.2	9.5
	68	67	33.3	.427	.386	.781	2.5	3.0	1.0	.2	15.9
	50	12	25.8	.447	.154	.871	3.3	4.9	.5	.2	9.5
	82	82	38.0	.416	.313	.799	6.2	9.1	2.0	.3	11.6
	8	0	5.3	.381	.333	.700	2.3	0.1	.1	.4	3.0
	70	11	25.6	.516	.000	.739	5.6	2.0	1.0	.7	13.5
	63	13	19.3	.405	.341	.765	3.5	1.3	.9	.2	7.2
	81	81	30.1	.536†	.000	.702	7.6	1.3	1.2	1.7	15.1
	33	0	4.9	.609†	.500^	.647	0.8	0.4	.3	.0	2.8
	76	9	21.9	.459	.415^	.860	2.1	3.4	.8	.1	9.1
	80	64	29.5	.479	.321	.689	5.1	2.1	1.2	1.1	14.2
	29	3	17.0	.438	.449^	.667	1.7	0.8	.3	.2	6.2
	13	0	3.5	.370	.313	.333	0.4	0.2	.3	.0	2.0
	71	30	18.8	.470	.	.699	4.4	0.7	.5	.8	3.6

• – Stats with the Suns.
  

† – Minimum 300 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 55 three-pointers made.

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
	1	0	1.0	.	.	.	0.0	0.0	.0	.0	0.0
	4	1	23.3	.500	.	.500	5.8	0.3	1.0	.5	10.0
	2	2	29.0	.261	.000	.857^	0.0	2.0	1.0	.0	9.0
	4	1	30.5	.548†	.250	.667	2.3	4.8	.5	.2	13.8
	4	4	42.8	.379	.000	.813^	5.8	7.8	4.0	.5	14.3
	4	3	31.5	.512	.571	.750	4.8	2.0	.2	.2	14.3
	4	4	36.8	.477	.	.643	13.3	1.0	.5	1.5	17.8
	2	0	2.0	.667†	.	.	0.5	0.0	.5	.0	2.0
	4	1	12.8	.444	.200	.625	2.5	1.8	.5	.0	5.5
	4	4	23.0	.273	.000	.778	3.0	0.8	.7	.5	6.3
	4	0	15.5	.412	.375	.	2.0	0.3	.2	.0	4.3
	3	0	11.0	.286	.	.667	1.3	0.3	.0	.7	2.0

† – Minimum 20 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 10 free throws made.

Transactions

Trades

October 1, 1997	To Denver Nuggets----1998 first-round draft pick ( Tyronn Lue) 1999 first-round draft pick ( James Posey) 2000 second-round draft pick ( Dan McClintock) 2001 first-round draft pick ( Joseph Forte) 2002 second-round draft pick ( Rod Grizzard)	To Phoenix Suns---- Antonio McDyess 2005 first-round draft pick ( Sean May)	To Cleveland Cavaliers---- Wesley Person Tony Dumas
November 21, 1997	To Philadelphia 76ers---- Tom Chambers	To Phoenix Suns---- Marko Milič
February 18, 1998	To Dallas Mavericks---- Cedric Ceballos	To Phoenix Suns---- Dennis Scott

Free agents

Additions

Date	Player	Contract	Former Team
June 23, 1997	Kevin Johnson	Signed one-year contract for $8,000,000	Phoenix Suns
July 1, 1997	Mark Bryant	Signed two-year contract for $4,300,000	Phoenix Suns
July 8, 1997	John "Hot Rod" Williams	Signed one-year contract for $4,550,000	Phoenix Suns
July 8, 1997	Rex Chapman	Signed one-year contract for $326,700	Phoenix Suns
July 8, 1997	Horacio Llamas	Signed one-year contract for $272,250	Sioux Falls Skyforce
August 22, 1997	Tom Chambers	Signed one-year contract for $272,250	Charlotte Hornets
August 22, 1997	William Cunningham	Undisclosed	n/a
August 25, 1997	Clifford Robinson	Signed one-year contract for $1 million	Portland Trail Blazers
September 2, 1997	George McCloud	Signed one-year contract for $272,250	Los Angeles Lakers
December 11, 1997	Brooks Thompson	Undisclosed	Denver Nuggets
January 9, 1998	Brooks Thompson	Signed two 10-day contracts	Phoenix Suns
April 18, 1998	Mike Brown	Signed for rest of season	Viola Reggio Calabria (Italy)

Subtractions

Date	Player	Reason Left	New Team
May 3, 1997	Kevin Johnson	Retired	Phoenix Suns
July 1, 1997	Wayman Tisdale	Free agent	n/a
July 1, 1997	Mike Brown	Free agent	Viola Reggio Calabria (Italy)
September 29, 1997	Ben Davis	Free agent	Miami Heat
October 13, 1997	William Cunningham	Waived	Utah Jazz
October 30, 1997	Stephen Jackson	Waived	La Crosse Bobcats (CBA)
January 7, 1998	Brooks Thompson	Waived	Phoenix Suns
January 29, 1998	Brooks Thompson	10-day contract expired	New York Knicks

Player Transactions Citation:^[64]

External links

• Pacific Division standings on Basketball Reference

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1997-98 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats.
2. News: Berger . Ken . Nuggets Send McDyess to Phoenix . Associated Press . October 1, 1997 . September 17, 2022.
3. News: Associated Press . PLUS: IN THE NEWS -- PRO BASKETBALL; McDyess to Suns in Three-Team Deal . The New York Times . October 2, 1997 . December 4, 2022.
4. News: Staff and Wire Reports . Suns Make Trade for McDyess . Los Angeles Times . October 2, 1997 . December 4, 2022.
5. News: Associated Press . Nuggets Deal McDs to Phoenix . The Spokesman-Review . October 2, 1997 . June 24, 2023.
6. News: Associated Press . Robinson Joins Suns . The New York Times . August 26, 1997 . June 24, 2023.
7. News: Staff and Wire Reports . Robinson Takes Pay Cut to Sign with Suns . Los Angeles Times . August 26, 1997 . July 17, 2022.
8. News: Thompson . Jack . Suns Sign Clifford Robinson . Chicago Tribune . August 26, 1997 . October 13, 2021.
9. News: Wire Services . Parish Ends NBA Career After 21 Seasons and 1,611 Games . The Spokesman-Review . August 26, 1997 . December 3, 2022.
10. News: Smith . Sam . Suns' Fortunes on the Rise . Chicago Tribune . October 5, 1997 . June 24, 2023.
11. News: Springer . Steve . Season's Greetings . Los Angeles Times . October 31, 1997 . November 18, 2022.
12. News: Kurkjian . Tim . No.4: Phoenix Suns . Sports Illustrated Vault . November 10, 1997 . June 24, 2023.
13. News: Associated Press . Portland Falls in Fourth OT . Los Angeles Times . November 15, 1997 . January 4, 2023.
14. News: Baum . Bob . Suns 140, Trail Blazers 139, 4OT . Associated Press . November 15, 1997 . July 8, 2021.
15. News: Associated Press . Hawks Remain Unbeaten . The Spokesman-Review . November 15, 1997 . January 29, 2023.
16. News: Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers Box Score, November 14, 1997 . Basketball-Reference . October 22, 2022.
17. News: NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998 . Basketball-Reference . July 20, 2022.
18. News: Gardner . Kris . Dennis Scott Goes to Phoenix . The Houston Roundball Review . February 18, 1998 . September 17, 2022.
19. News: Associated Press . Celtics Land Anderson in Deal with Raptors . Los Angeles Times . February 19, 1998. July 4, 2021.
20. News: Heisler . Mark . It's a Big Deal for Clippers: There Are No Slam Dunks in the Flurry of NBA Deals . Los Angeles Times . February 20, 1998 . December 5, 2022.
21. News: Smith . Sam . NBA's Rash of Trades Ends with Another Seikaly Deal . Chicago Tribune . February 20, 1998 . June 22, 2023.
22. Web site: 1997–98 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results. Basketball-Reference. June 21, 2021.
23. News: Howard-Cooper . Scott . Lakers Get Four-Star Rating as Van Exel, Jones Honored . Los Angeles Times . January 28, 1998 . April 20, 2023.
24. News: NBA.com Staff . 1998 NBA All-Star Recap . NBA.com . September 13, 2021 . May 16, 2023.
25. Web site: 1997-98 All-Star Events and Contestants - in New York . Eskimo North . December 27, 2022.
26. Web site: 1998 NBA All-Star Game: East 135, West 114 . Basketball-Reference . November 27, 2021.
27. Web site: 1997–98 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats. Basketball-Reference. June 21, 2021.
28. News: Associated Press . Suns Top Kings; Lose Manning . Deseret News . April 8, 1998 . October 22, 2022.
29. News: Howard-Cooper . Scott . Bryant Second to Manning in Voting for Sixth Man . Los Angeles Times . April 24, 1998 . July 18, 2021.
30. News: Associated Press . Suns Player Wins NBA Sixth 'Manning' Award . Deseret News . April 24, 1998 . February 2, 2023.
31. News: NBA & ABA Sixth Man of the Year Award Winners . Basketball-Reference . November 29, 2022.
32. News: Kevin Johnson Undergoes Knee Surgery . Associated Press . December 12, 1997 . July 18, 2021.
33. News: Suns' Johnson to Miss at Least Six Weeks . Tampa Bay Times . December 13, 1997 . October 22, 2022.
34. News: Johnson . L.C. . Povtak . Tim . Welcome Back . Orlando Sentinel . February 1, 1998 . April 2, 2023.
35. Web site: 1997–98 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats. Basketball-Reference. June 21, 2021.
36. News: Associated Press . Jordan Finishes Off the Nets; Rockets Put Jazz on the Ropes . Los Angeles Times . April 30, 1998 . November 25, 2022.
37. News: Associated Press . Spurs Stun Suns, Take Series . CBS News . April 30, 1998 . May 30, 2022.
38. News: Associated Press . Spurs' Johnson Soars in Game of 'Small Ball' . Deseret News . April 30, 1998 . June 25, 2021.
39. News: 1998 NBA Western Conference First Round: Spurs vs. Suns . Basketball-Reference . February 4, 2023.
40. News: CBS News.com Staff . Nuggets Finally Sign McDyess . CBS News . January 21, 1999 . June 24, 2023.
41. News: Heisler . Mark . McDyess, Nuggets Hit a Snag . Los Angeles Times . January 22, 1999 . October 3, 2022.
42. News: Associated Press . McDyess, Nuggets Agree to $67.5-Million Deal; Spurned Suns Now Expected to Turn Their Attention to Gugliotta . Deseret News . January 22, 1999 . January 9, 2023.
43. News: Associated Press . NBA DEALINGS: McDyess, Divac and Smith Sign . Kitsap Sun . January 23, 1999 . July 27, 2021.
44. News: Suns Quickly Fill Void with KJ . ESPN . March 23, 2000 . July 21, 2021.
45. News: Buckley . Tim . KJ's Back: Johnson Is a Sun Again After a 2-Year Hiatus . Deseret News . April 6, 2000 . June 24, 2023.
46. News: Associated Press . Suns Tap Johnson to Replace Kidd . Los Angeles Times . March 24, 2000 . June 24, 2023.
47. News: Heisler . Mark . Sunset, Sunrise . Los Angeles Times . April 29, 2000 . June 24, 2023.
48. News: CBS News.com Staff . Clippers Pick Olowokandi No. 1 . CBS News . June 24, 1998 . June 24, 2023.
49. News: Gardner . Kris . Steve Nash Dealt to Dallas . The Houston Roundball Review . June 24, 1998 . January 1, 2022.
50. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; 7 Feet 1 Inch of Potential at No. 1 . The New York Times . June 25, 1998 . June 24, 2023.
51. News: Taking Stock of the Trades . Tampa Bay Times . June 26, 1998 . June 24, 2023.
52. News: Mavericks Sign Hot Rod Williams . United Press International . January 23, 1999 . June 25, 2022.
53. News: NBA Midwest Division Capsules . The Washington Post . June 24, 2023.
54. News: Povtak . Tim . Scott Accepts Deal to Play for Knicks . Orlando Sentinel . January 23, 1999 . June 25, 2022.
55. News: Roberts . Selena . PRO BASKETBALL; Sprewell Rusty, But Happy to Be Back . The New York Times . January 25, 1999 . June 24, 2023.
56. News: Lewis . Brian . Scott's Debut Breathtaking . New York Post . January 25, 1999 . February 2, 2023.
57. News: CBS News.com Staff . Suns Sign Ex-Bull Luc Longley . CBS News . January 23, 1999 . June 24, 2023.
58. News: Wise . Mike . PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title . The New York Times . February 4, 1999 . June 28, 2022.
59. News: Armour . Terry . Result Raises Eyebrows--and Some Hope . Chicago Tribune . February 8, 1999 . February 2, 2023.
60. News: Suns Release Stephen Jackson . Associated Press . October 30, 1997 . May 1, 2023.
61. News: Barkley, NBA Officials to Talk . Tampa Bay Times . October 31, 1997 . December 24, 2023.
62. News: Associated Press . Spurs' Johnson Soars in Game of 'Small Ball' . Deseret News . April 30, 1998 . June 25, 2021.
63. News: 1997–98 NBA Awards Voting . Basketball-Reference . January 2, 2022.
64. Web site: 1997–98 Phoenix Suns Transactions. Basketball-Reference. July 2, 2021.