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1998–99 Los Angeles Lakers season

NBA professional basketball team season

Del Harris (fired)
Bill Bertka (interim)
Kurt Rambis Fox Sports West (Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz) (Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz) (lost to Spurs 0–4)

The 1998–99 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 51st season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 39th season in Los Angeles, California. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.

This season was also the Lakers' final season playing at the Great Western Forum. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Derek Harper, and re-acquired former Lakers center Travis Knight after one season with the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers played around .500 in winning percentage with a 6–6 start to the regular season, as head coach Del Harris was fired. After one game under interim Bill Bertka, the team hired former Laker Kurt Rambis as their new coach. The Lakers had signed free agent and rebounding specialist Dennis Rodman, who was well known for winning NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls; however, after 23 games, Rodman was released by the team, averaging 11.2 rebounds per game.

At mid-season, Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell were both traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for All-Star forward Glen Rice, J.R. Reid and B. J. Armstrong, who was released to free agency and signed with the Orlando Magic; the team also released Corie Blount, as he later on signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers won ten straight games between February and March, and finished in second place in the Pacific Division with a 31–19 record, earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

Shaquille O'Neal averaged 26.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Kobe Bryant became the team's starting shooting guard, averaging 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, Rice provided the team with 17.5 points per game in 27 games after the trade, while Rick Fox contributed 9.0 points per game off the bench, Harper provided with 6.9 points and 4.2 assists per game, and Derek Fisher contributed 5.9 points, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Meanwhile, Reid averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 25 games, Robert Horry provided with 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and Knight contributed 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the 5th–seeded Houston Rockets, who were led by the All-Star trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the Lakers had home-court advantage in the series. The Lakers won the first two games over the Rockets at home at the Great Western Forum, before losing Game 3 on the road, 102–88 at the Compaq Center. The Lakers won Game 4 over the Rockets on the road, 98–88 to win the series in four games.

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the top–seeded, and Midwest Division champion San Antonio Spurs, who were led by All-Star forward Tim Duncan, All-Star center David Robinson, and Sean Elliott. The Lakers lost the first two games to the Spurs on the road at the Alamodome, and then lost the next two games at home, including a Game 4 loss to the Spurs at the Great Western Forum, 118–107, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep. The Spurs would reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, and defeat the 8th-seeded New York Knicks in five games in the 1999 NBA Finals, winning their first ever NBA championship.

The Lakers finished twelfth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 430,007 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season. Following the season, Rambis was fired as head coach, while Reid signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks, Sean Rooks was traded back to his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, rookie small forward Ruben Patterson signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Harper was dealt to the Detroit Pistons, but was released and then retired.

Draft picks

Main article: 1998 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	26	Sam Jacobson	Guard	United States	Minnesota

Roster

Del Harris (fired)
Bill Bertka (interim)
Kurt Rambis
Bill Bertka
Larry Drew
Dave Wohl | access-date = April 16, 1999

Roster Notes

Power forward Dennis Rodman was waived on April 16, 1999.

Regular season

The Lakers went through three coaches during the season: Del Harris (6–6), Bill Bertka (1–0) and Kurt Rambis (24–13). Fourteen different Lakers started at least one game during the season. From February 25 to March 12, the Lakers won ten consecutive games. Outside of the streak, the Lakers were 21–19 in all other games. During the season, over half of the Lakers' games were televised nationally.

At season's end, the Lakers ranked second in the league in scoring at 99.0 points per game (only Sacramento averaged more points: 100.2 ppg). Despite the high scoring, the Lakers were the fourth worst Free Throw shooting team in the league with a percentage of .683. Shaquille O'Neal had a percentage of .540. Following the season, Rambis was fired as coach.

Season standings

:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Preseason

Regular season

Playoffs

3–1
- style="background:#fcc;"
1
May 17
@ San Antonio
L 81–87
3 players tied (21)
Shaquille O'Neal (15)
Kobe Bryant (6)
Alamodome
25,297
0–1
- style="background:#fcc;"
2
May 19
@ San Antonio
L 76–79
Kobe Bryant (28)
3 players tied (8)
Kobe Bryant (4)
Alamodome
33,293
0–2
- style="background:#fcc;"
3
May 22
San Antonio
L 91–103
Glen Rice (24)
Shaquille O'Neal (15)
Derek Fisher (9)
Great Western Forum
17,505
0–3
- style="background:#fcc;"
4
May 23
San Antonio
L 107–118
Shaquille O'Neal (36)
Shaquille O'Neal (14)
Fisher & Lue (6)
Great Western Forum
17,505
0–4
-

Player stats

Regular season

GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
14	3	11.6	.394	.000	.500	3.3	.1	.1	.3	2.3
50	50	37.9	.465	.267	.839	5.3	3.8	1.4	1.0	19.9
17	1	19.1	.436	.	.613	5.6	.5	.1	.9	7.4
50	21	22.6	.376	.392	.756	1.8	3.9	1.2	.0	5.9
44	1	21.5	.448	.337	.742	2.0	2.0	.6	.2	9.0
45	29	24.9	.412	.368	.813	1.5	4.2	1.0	.1	6.9
38	5	19.6	.459	.444	.739	4.0	1.5	.9	1.0	4.9
2	0	6.0	.600	.000	1.000	1.5	.0	.0	.0	4.0
20	20	36.2	.423	.313	.738	3.8	3.1	1.8	1.2	13.6
37	23	14.2	.515	.000	.759	3.5	.8	.6	.7	4.2
15	0	12.5	.431	.438	.571	.4	1.7	.3	.0	5.0
49	49	34.8	.576	.000	.540	10.7	2.3	.7	1.7	26.3
24	2	6.0	.412	.167	.710	1.3	.1	.2	.1	2.7
25	10	18.9	.407	.000	.717	4.0	.9	.6	.0	5.0
27	25	36.5	.432	.393	.856	3.7	2.6	.6	.2	17.5
23	11	28.6	.348	.000	.436	11.2	1.3	.4	.5	2.1
36	0	8.8	.405	.000	.708	2.0	.3	.1	.3	2.7

Shaquille O'Neal averaged 26.3 ppg (2nd), 10.7 rpg (8th), and shot 57.6% (1st). For his efforts, he was named to the All-NBA second-team.
Kobe Bryant had a career high 19.9 ppg and added 3.8 apg. He was recognized as an All-NBA third-team.
Dennis Rodman played 23 games with the Lakers in 1999. He averaged 11.2 rebounds per game and the Lakers went 17–6 with Rodman in the lineup.
Glen Rice played in 27 games with the club and averaged 17.5 points per game. With Rice in the lineup, the Lakers went 16–11

Playoffs

GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
8	8	39.4	.430	.348	.800	6.9	4.6	1.9	1.3	19.8
8	8	29.8	.418	.345	.800	3.6	4.9	1.0	.0	9.8
8	1	22.6	.400	.190	1.000	2.8	1.5	.5	.6	6.6
7	0	16.1	.419	.100	.500	1.4	2.1	.3	.1	4.3
8	0	22.1	.462	.417	.786	4.5	1.4	.8	.8	5.0
3	0	3.3	.333	.	.500	1.7	.3	.0	.0	1.0
3	0	11.0	.412	.000	.	.7	2.0	.7	.0	4.7
8	8	39.4	.510	.	.466	11.6	2.3	.9	2.9	26.6
3	0	1.7	.000	.	.	.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
8	8	22.3	.357	.	.750	5.3	.4	.5	.6	3.3
7	7	43.9	.446	.357	.966	3.9	1.6	.7	.1	18.3
7	0	6.9	.333	.	.833	.3	.4	.0	.1	1.3

Player statistics citation:

Awards and honors

Kobe Bryant, All-NBA Third Team
Shaquille O'Neal, All-NBA Second Team

References

[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1999.html 1998-99 Los Angeles Lakers]
(January 6, 1999). "NBA: Let The Games Begin!". CBS News.
Kawakami, Tim. (January 20, 1999). "Good Signs for Lakers?". Los Angeles Times.
Wise, Mike. (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times.
(January 20, 1999). "Knight's Out". Hartford Courant.
(February 24, 1999). "Lakers Fire Coach Del Harris". CBS News.
Heisler, Mark. (February 25, 1999). "Lakers' Coach Fired as Team's Turmoil Continues". Los Angeles Times.
(February 25, 1999). "Harris Fired as Rodman Joins Lakers". Deseret News.
(February 27, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; Rambis Hired to Lead Lakers". The New York Times.
Kawakami, Tim. (February 27, 1999). "Rambis' Tenuous Hold on Job Recalls His Laker Beginnings". Los Angeles Times.
Heisler, Mark. (February 13, 1999). "Rodman Ready to Join Lakers". Los Angeles Times.
Wise, Mike. (February 23, 1999). "N.B.A.: ROUNDUP -- L.A. LAKERS; Rodman Is Closer to Returning". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (February 23, 1999). "Lakers Going Hollyweird". Los Angeles Times.
(April 16, 1999). "N.B.A. : ROUNDUP -- LAKERS; Rodman's Act Finally Wears Too Thin". The New York Times.
Plaschke, Bill. (March 16, 1999). "It's Time for Lakers to Let Rodman Go". Los Angeles Times.
(March 11, 1999). "N.B.A.: ROUNDUP; Heat Buries Hawks in 3d Quarter". The New York Times.
Kawakami, Tim. (March 11, 1999). "As Clippers Tie Record Losing Streak, Lakers Break Up Winning Hand in Five-Player Trade with Charlotte". Los Angeles Times.
(March 11, 1999). "Lakers Make Trade Official, Complete Swap with Hornets". Deseret News.
(March 15, 1999). "B.J. Armstrong Joins Magic". Orlando Sentinel.
(March 15, 1999). "Amstrong Stirs Up Magic in Win". CBS News.
(March 14, 1999). "Dallas Wins as A.C. Reaches Milestone". Los Angeles Times.
"1998–99 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
(June 4, 1999). "Malone MVP for Second Time". Los Angeles Times.
"1998–99 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
"1998–99 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
Kawakami, Tim. (May 16, 1999). "Lakers Can Keep Spurs On". Los Angeles Times.
Graczyk, Michael. (May 15, 1999). "Lakers Silence Rockets, 98-88". The Washington Post.
"1999 NBA Western Conference First Round: Rockets vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference.
Gurnick, Ken. (May 24, 1999). "N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Farewell to Lakers, and to Forum". The New York Times.
Plaschke, Bill. (May 24, 1999). "Laker Season Was Building to Anticlimax". Los Angeles Times.
"1999 NBA Western Conference semifinals: Lakers vs. Spurs". Basketball-Reference.
Roberts, Selena. (June 26, 1999). "Spurs Win Title as Knicks' Dream Ends". The New York Times.
Kawakami, Tim. (June 26, 1999). "Spurs Tower Over NBA". Los Angeles Times.
"1999 NBA Finals: Knicks vs. Spurs". Basketball-Reference.
"1998–99 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
Kawakami, Tim. (May 27, 1999). "Not So Fast There, Rambis Might Stay". Los Angeles Times.
Kawakami, Tim. (June 12, 1999). "Rambis Not Bitter About Lakers' Pursuit of Jackson". Los Angeles Times.
Crowe, Jerry. (August 21, 1999). "Reid Pulls a Power Play". Los Angeles Times.
Kawakami, Tim. (September 2, 1999). "Green Returns to Lakers: Pro Basketball: A Void Is Filled as Former Power Forward Is Re-Acquired in Deal That Sends Rooks and Draft Pick to the Mavericks". Los Angeles Times.
Wise, Mike. (October 31, 1999). "1999–2000 N.B.A. PREVIEW; The West Is Still the Best". The New York Times.
Demasio, Nunyo. (October 5, 1999). "Sonics -- Small Forward, Big Opportunity". The Seattle Times.
"1998 NBA Draft History - Round 1". Mynbadraft.com.
"CNN/SI - 1999 NBA Draft - - Tuesday June 29, 1999 02:59 am".
"1998-99 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com.

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