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1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

  • WPSG
  • CSN Philadelphia

The 1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 49th season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association, and their 35th season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers received the second overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected power forward Keith Van Horn from the University of Utah; however, Van Horn refused to play for the 76ers, and was soon traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Jim Jackson, Eric Montross, rookie small forward, and top draft pick Tim Thomas out of Villanova University, and rookie shooting guard, and first-round draft pick Anthony Parker out of Bradley University.

The 76ers also signed free agent and former All-Star forward Terry Cummings, and hired Larry Brown as their new head coach during the off-season. In November, the team traded their second-round draft pick, Slovenian rookie forward Marko Milič, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for former All-Star forward Tom Chambers; however, after only just one game for the 76ers, Chambers retired in December.

The 76ers got off to a rough start losing their first five games of the regular season. In late December, the team traded Montross along with Jerry Stackhouse to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Theo Ratliff, and Aaron McKie, then later on acquired Eric Snow from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for a draft pick. At mid-season, they traded Jackson along with Clarence Weatherspoon to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Joe Smith and Brian Shaw, while Cummings was dealt to the New York Knicks in exchange for Herb Williams, who was released by the 76ers, and re-signed with the Knicks. With a 14–31 record at the All-Star break, the 76ers showed improvement posting a 17–20 record for the remainder of the season, finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 31–51 record, and missing the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.

Second-year star Allen Iverson had a stellar season leading the team with 22.0 points, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while Derrick Coleman provided the team with 17.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, but only played 59 games due to an irregular heartbeat, and an ankle injury, and Thomas contributed 11.0 points per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, for the players who were acquired via trades during the regular season, Ratliff averaged 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game in 58 games, while off the bench, Smith averaged 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 30 games, Shaw provided with 6.1 points and 4.4 assists per game in 20 games, and Snow contributed 3.9 points, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 47 games. McKie contributed 3.9 points and 1.4 steals per game in 57 games, but struggled as he only shot .346 in field-goal percentage.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Thomas was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team. Ratliff finished in sixth place in Most Improved Player voting. The start of the rebuilding of the franchise began with the acquisitions of Ratliff, McKie and Snow; these three players blended well with coach Brown's philosophy, and this would be the last season in which the 76ers missed the postseason until 2004.

The 76ers finished 20th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 655,417 at the CoreStates Center during the regular season. Following the season, Coleman signed as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets, while Smith signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Shaw and Mark Davis were both released to free agency.

For the season, the 76ers revealed a new primary logo with the team name "76ers" in gold, and changed their uniforms, replacing the red and blue colors with black and gold in their color scheme; the uniforms would slightly be redesigned in 2000, while the primary logo would remain in use until 2009.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1997 NBA draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
12Keith Van HornSF/PFUniversity of Utah
233Marko MiličSG/SF
235Kebu StewartPFCalifornia State University, Bakersfield
236James CollinsSGFlorida State University

Roster

  • Larry Brown
  • Maurice Cheeks
  • Gar Heard
  • John Kuester
  • Mark Turgeon

Regular season

Season standings

:z - clinched division title :y - clinched division title :x - clinched playoff spot :° - did not make playoffs

Player statistics

Regular season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
14014.1.537.6333.8.2.3.34.5
1010.01.0001.0002.0.02.0.06.0
595836.2.411.265.7729.92.5.81.217.6
†44214.9.458.000.6723.4.5.5.15.3
†101.02.0.0.0.0.0
711212.8.447.000.6342.21.0.7.34.0
808039.4.461.298.7293.76.22.2.322.0
†484737.3.460.348.8184.74.6.9.113.7
†573123.5.347.196.6882.92.41.4.23.9
†202016.9.395.3684.6.4.4.63.4
23212.0.381.000.875.61.6.3.02.7
3705.3.397.321.650.7.5.3.11.9
†585532.1.512.7067.3.7.73.511.2
†20225.1.367.250.6323.24.4.7.26.1
†30623.3.448.000.7884.4.9.6.410.3
†47018.0.429.125.7211.63.51.3.13.9
†222234.0.452.348.8023.53.01.41.016.0
1507.3.462.6402.1.1.3.12.7
774823.1.447.363.7403.71.2.7.211.0
†1906.7.379.2141.000.51.1.3.02.2
†481826.9.426.7077.0.8.91.18.4
58713.8.437.000.8103.6.5.3.44.1
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the 76ers only. Player statistics citation:

Awards and records

  • Tim Thomas, NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team

References

References

  1. [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1998.html 1997-98 Philadelphia 76ers]
  2. Wise, Mike. (June 26, 1997). "After Duncan, Utah Forward Steals Show". The New York Times.
  3. Heisler, Mark. (June 26, 1997). "Draft Over, But Not Finished". Los Angeles Times.
  4. "1997 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
  5. Roberts, Selena. (June 28, 1997). "The Nets Decide the Future Can't Wait". The New York Times.
  6. (June 28, 1997). "Van Horn Finally on His Way to New Jersey in 76er Trade". Los Angeles Times.
  7. Kepner, Tyler. (June 28, 1997). "Nets Get Van Horn from 76ers". The Washington Post.
  8. (September 5, 1997). "Two Free Agents Sign". The New York Times.
  9. Shapiro, Mark. (September 5, 1997). "76ers Sign Cummings to 2-Year Deal". Chicago Tribune.
  10. (September 5, 1997). "NBA Referee Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns". Los Angeles Times.
  11. (May 3, 1997). "Larry Brown Meets with 76ers' Brass". The New York Times.
  12. (May 5, 1997). "Brown Expected to Coach 76ers". Los Angeles Times.
  13. Adande, J.A.. (May 6, 1997). "76ers Hire Brown for 5 Years". The Washington Post.
  14. Gardner, Kris. (November 21, 1997). "Tom Chambers Goes from Phoenix to Philly". The Houston Roundball Review.
  15. (November 23, 1997). "Suns Trade Chambers". Today's News-Herald.
  16. (December 12, 1997). "Chambers Retires from Sixers, Eyes Possible Post with Suns". Deseret News.
  17. (December 19, 1997). "PRO BASKETBALL; 76ers Send Stackhouse and Montross to Pistons". The New York Times.
  18. (December 19, 1997). "76ers Give Up on Backcourt, Deal Stackhouse to Pistons". Los Angeles Times.
  19. (December 19, 1997). "Stackhouse to Pistons". The Washington Post.
  20. (January 19, 1998). "76ers Get Snow from the Sonics". The Washington Post.
  21. (February 18, 1998). "76ers Acquire Smith from the Warriors". Los Angeles Times.
  22. (February 18, 1998). "76ers Obtain J. Smith in Four-Player Swap". The Washington Post.
  23. Heisler, Mark. (February 20, 1998). "It's a Big Deal for Clippers: There Are No Slam Dunks in the Flurry of NBA Deals". Los Angeles Times.
  24. Roberts, Selena. (February 20, 1998). "PRO BASKETBALL; Knicks Add Cummings to Fill a Hole". The New York Times.
  25. (February 20, 1998). "Smith Arrives Right on Time for 76ers' Loss". Los Angeles Times.
  26. (February 20, 1998). ""Terrible" Pacers Struggle, But Beat 76ers". The Washington Post.
  27. "NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference.
  28. "1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
  29. (December 17, 1997). "Coleman Is Cleared, But He Won't Play Yet". Los Angeles Times.
  30. Long, Ernie. (March 10, 1998). "Magic Thump Sixers Without Derrick Coleman; Philadelphia Has No Answer for the Orlando Frontcourt". The Morning Call.
  31. (March 11, 1998). "Basketball Briefs". Deseret News.
  32. "1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
  33. (February 6, 1998). "1998 NBA Rookie Game Roster". Times-Union.
  34. "1998 NBA Rising Stars: East 85, West 80". Basketball-Reference.
  35. "1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
  36. "1997–98 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
  37. (January 16, 1999). "Hornets Pick Up Derrick Coleman". CBS News.
  38. Wise, Mike. (January 17, 1999). "BASKETBALL; Derrick Coleman Could Be the Next to Cash In". The New York Times.
  39. (January 17, 1999). "Divac Is Out in Hornet Shuffle". Los Angeles Times.
  40. Kawakami, Tim. (January 23, 1999). "Lakers Propose Deal for Gugliotta". Los Angeles Times.
  41. (January 23, 1999). "NBA Transactions". The Washington Post.
  42. Wise, Mike. (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times.
  43. "Philadelphia 76ers Logo". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net.
  44. "Philadelphia 76ers Uniform". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net.
  45. "Philadelphia 76ers Uniform". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net.
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