1999–2000 NBA season explained
| 1999–2000 NBA season |
| League: | National Basketball Association |
| Sport: | Basketball |
| No Of Teams: | 29 |
| Tv: | NBC, TBS, TNT |
| Draft: | Draft |
| Draft Link: | 1999 NBA draft |
| Top Pick: | Elton Brand |
| Top Pick Link: | List of first overall NBA draft picks |
| Picked By: | Chicago Bulls |
| Season: | Regular season |
| Top Seed: | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Mvp: | Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers) |
| Mvp Link: | NBA Most Valuable Player Award |
| Top Scorer: | Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers) |
| Top Scorer Link: | List of National Basketball Association annual scoring leaders |
| Playoffs: | Playoffs |
| Playoffs Link: | 2000 NBA playoffs |
| Conf1: | Eastern |
| Conf1 Link: | Eastern Conference (NBA) |
| Conf1 Champ: | Indiana Pacers |
| Conf1 Runner-Up: | New York Knicks |
| Conf2: | Western |
| Conf2 Link: | Western Conference (NBA) |
| Conf2 Champ: | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Conf2 Runner-Up: | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Finals: | Finals |
| Finals Link: | 2000 NBA Finals |
| Finals Champ: | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Finals Runner-Up: | Indiana Pacers |
| Finals Mvp: | Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers) |
| Finals Mvp Link: | Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award |
| Seasonslist: | List of NBA seasons |
| Seasonslistnames: | NBA |
| Prevseason Link: | 1998–99 NBA season |
| Prevseason Year: | 1998–99 |
| Nextseason Link: | 2000–01 NBA season |
| Nextseason Year: | 2000–01 |
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. The season began on November 2, 1999, and ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 in the 2000 NBA Finals.
Notable occurrences
- 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.
- Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain died on October 12, 1999, at 63.[1] Wilt's former teams, the Lakers, Sixers, and Warriors honored him by sporting black patches for the rest of the season.
- 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.[2]
- Two active players were killed in automobile accidents within four months of each other.
- On January 12, Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed as a result of reckless driving while racing against teammate David Wesley.[3] Phills would have his jersey retired during the season after news of his unexpected death was announced.[4]
- On May 20, Malik Sealy of the Minnesota Timberwolves was driving home from a birthday party being held for Kevin Garnett when his SUV was struck by a drunk driver who had been driving on the wrong side of the road.[5] Sealy would have his jersey retired on November 4, 2000.[6]
- 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.[7]
- The 2000 NBA All-Star Game was 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.[8] The Slam Dunk Contest returned after a two-year absence, with Vince Carter winning the title in what is considered to be the best Dunk Contest performance of all time.[9]
- 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.[10]
- 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.[11]
- The Toronto Raptors also made the playoffs for the first time, becoming the first Canadian team to do so.
- 36-year-old Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley suffered a devastating injury early in the season but returned for a final game before retiring.[12]
- 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 four-team deal.[13]
- 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 Orlando Magic to a respectable 41–41 (.500) record, good enough for the 9th seed in the East.[14]
- 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.[15]
- The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.[16]
- Kevin Johnson returned from retirement to replace the injured Jason Kidd of the Phoenix Suns in this season's playoffs, but the Suns fell to the Lakers in the second round and Johnson would retire again.
1999–2000 NBA changes
- The Atlanta Hawks moved into the Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena) and changed their uniforms added white (road), and red (home) side panels to their jerseys and shorts.[17]
- The Boston Celtics added their alternate logo of a cloverleaf above the shorts of their uniforms.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers changed their uniforms, removing the blue areas from their jerseys.
- The Denver Nuggets moved into the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena).[18]
- The Detroit Pistons added new maroon alternate uniforms added black side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
- The Indiana Pacers moved into Conseco Fieldhouse, now Gainbridge Fieldhouse.[19]
- The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers both moved into the Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, while the Lakers changed their uniforms added gold (road), and purple (home) side panels to their jerseys and shorts.[20]
- The Miami Heat changed their logo and uniforms added dark red (road), and also dark red (home) side panels to their jerseys and shorts, and moved into the AmericanAirlines Arena in January 2000 (now Kaseya Center).[21]
- The Philadelphia 76ers added new blue alternate uniforms.
- The Seattle SuperSonics added new red alternate uniforms added dark green side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
- The Toronto Raptors changed their uniforms removing the pinstripes added side panels to their jerseys and shorts. They also played their first full season at Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena).
Teams
| 1999-2000 National Basketball Association |
|
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|
| Atlantic | Boston Celtics | Boston, Massachusetts | FleetCenter | 19,156 |
|---|
| Miami Heat | Miami, Florida | Miami Arena
American Airlines Arena | 15,200
19,500 |
| New Jersey Nets | East Rutherford, New Jersey | Continental Airlines Arena | 20,049 |
| New York Knicks | New York, New York | Madison Square Garden | 19,812 |
| Orlando Magic | Orlando, Florida | TD Waterhouse Centre | 17,283 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | First Union Center | 20,338 |
| Washington Wizards | Washington, District of Columbia | MCI Center | 20,356 |
| Central | Atlanta Hawks | Atlanta, Georgia | Philips Arena | 20,233 |
|---|
| Charlotte Hornets | Charlotte, North Carolina | Charlotte Coliseum | 24,042 |
| Chicago Bulls | Chicago, Illinois | United Center | 21,711 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Cleveland, Ohio | Gund Arena | 19,432 |
| Detroit Pistons | Auburn Hills, Michigan | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 22,076 |
| Indiana Pacers | Indianapolis, Indiana | Conseco Fieldhouse | 18,345 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Bradley Center | 18,717 |
| Toronto Raptors | Toronto, Ontario | Air Canada Centre | 19,800 |
|
| Midwest | Dallas Mavericks | Dallas, Texas | Reunion Arena | 18,293 |
|---|
| Denver Nuggets | Denver, Colorado | Pepsi Center | 19,099 |
| Houston Rockets | Houston, Texas | Compaq Center | 16,285 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Center | 18,798 |
| San Antonio Spurs | San Antonio, Texas | Alamodome | 20,557 |
| Utah Jazz | Salt Lake City, Utah | Delta Center | 18,306 |
| Vancouver Grizzlies | Vancouver, British Columbia | General Motors Place | 19,193 |
| Pacific | Golden State Warriors | Oakland, California | The Arena in Oakland | 19,596 |
|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | Los Angeles, California | Staples Center | 19,079 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles, California | Staples Center | 19,079 |
| Phoenix Suns | Phoenix, Arizona | America West Arena | 19,023 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Portland, Oregon | Rose Garden | 21,401 |
| Sacramento Kings | Sacramento, California | ARCO Arena | 17,317 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle, Washington | Key Arena | 17,072 | |
Map of teams
Final standings
By division
- Eastern Conference
Western Conference
By conference
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
See main article: 2000 NBA 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.
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|
| Points per game | | | 29.7 |
| Rebounds per game | | | 14.1 |
| Assists per game | | | 10.1 |
| Steals per game | | | 2.67 |
| Blocks per game | | | 3.72 |
| FG% | | | .574 |
| FT% | | | .950 |
| 3FG% | | | .491 |
|
NBA awards
Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
Rodney Rogers, Phoenix Suns
Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers
Doc Rivers, Orlando Magic
John Gabriel, Orlando Magic
Eric Snow, Philadelphia 76ers
- All-Defensive Second Team:
Players of the month
The following players were named the Players of the Month.
Rookies of the month
The following players were named the Rookies of the Month.
Coaches of the month
The following coaches were named Coaches of the Month.
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Litsky . Frank . October 12, 1999 . Wilt Chamberlain Is Dead at 63 . February 1, 2024 . archive.nytimes.com.
- Web site: November 22, 2000 . ESPN.com - NBA - Celtics to officially replace parquet floor . February 1, 2024 . www.espn.com.
- Web site: January 16, 2000 . ESPN.com - NBA - Hornets' Phills, 30, killed in car crash . February 1, 2024 . a.espncdn.com.
- Web site: February 7, 2000 . Hornets Retire Phills' No. 13 . February 1, 2024 . www.nba.com . en.
- Web site: May 22, 2024 . ESPN.com - NBA - Sealy dies in collision with pickup truck . February 1, 2024 . www.espn.com.
- Web site: Timberwolves . Minnesota . Timberwolves History - Wolves Transactions . February 1, 2024 . www.nba.com . en.
- Web site: Fromal . Adam . March 22, 2013 . Ranking Most Impressive Stretches of Kobe Bryant's Career . February 1, 2024 . Bleacher Report . en.
- Web site: 2000 NBA All-Star recap . February 1, 2024 . NBA.com . en.
- Web site: Zarum . Dave . The oral history of Vince Carter's dunk contest win . https://web.archive.org/web/20230923064419/https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/the-oral-history-of-vince-carters-dunk-contest-win/ . September 23, 2023 . February 1, 2024 . sportsnet.ca.
- Web site: Rayford . Meg . November 10, 2014 . National Kidney Foundation's Michele Anthony and Wizards Alumni Association Executive Director Bob Dandridge on the 34th Annual Kidney Ball WashingtonExec . February 1, 2024 . en-US.
- Web site: Treat . Jeremy . April 15, 2016 . A Mini History of the L.A. Clippers . February 1, 2024 . LAmag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles . en.
- Web site: Alexander . Rachel . December 9, 1999 . Washingtonpost.com: Barkley's Career Ends on Injury . February 1, 2024 . www.washingtonpost.com.
- Web site: Legends profile: Patrick Ewing . February 1, 2024 . NBA.com . en.
- Web site: Ferguson . Mike . April 26, 2020 . 20-year Orlandoversary: Magic's Doc Rivers named NBA Coach of the Year . February 1, 2024 . Orlando Pinstriped Post . en.
- Web site: Beck . Howard . June 4, 2020 . 'Bryant...to Shaq!' . February 1, 2024 . Bleacher Report . en.
- Web site: Michael . J. . June 5, 2020 . 20 years later, Pacers reflect on only NBA Finals trip: 'You always wonder what could've been.' . February 1, 2024 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
- Web site: Atlanta Hawks Historical Timeline: Heritage Hall . February 1, 2024 . www.nba.com . en.
- Web site: January 15, 2024 . Pepsi Center . February 1, 2024 . InsideArenas.com . en-US.
- Web site: November 19, 2019 . 20 Years of Fieldhouse Memories with Many More to Come . February 1, 2024 . www.nba.com . en.
- Web site: A behind-the-scenes look at the center of NBA star power . February 1, 2024 . ESPN.com.
- Web site: April 6, 2023 . Kaseya Center: These Are All the Names the Miami-Dade Arena Has Had in Over 20 Years . February 1, 2024 . NBC 6 South Florida . en-US.
- News: April 5, 2000 . League Honors . February 1, 2024 . . C8.
- Web site: Payton NBA player of the month - UPI Archives . 2024-08-02 . UPI . en.
- Web site: ESPN.com - NBA - Francis, Brand tie in rookie voting . 2024-08-02 . www.espn.com.
