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1997–98 Chicago Bulls Season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Bulls' 32nd season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as the two-time defending NBA champions, and in the Finals, they met the Utah Jazz in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like that year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win their sixth championship in eight years and complete the franchise's second "3-peat". During the off-season, the Bulls acquired Scott Burrell from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Joe Kleine. However, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen would miss the first half of the season due to an injured toe on his left foot sustained from the 1997 NBA Playoffs. Without Pippen, the Bulls started with a slow 9–7 record in November, but then would go on a 15–4 record until he returned in January. However, three-point specialist Steve Kerr went down with a knee injury in January, and only played just 50 games. Despite the injuries, the Bulls held a 34–15 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997–98 NBA Season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals. It also marked the departure of Michael Jordan and the end of the dynasty for the Chicago Bulls. This was the last time that both NBA and NHL regular seasons ended on the same day. Notable occurrences * The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was played at Madison Square Garden. However, the Slam Dunk Contest was not held, due to the risk of player injuries, lack of new dunking tricks and lack of big-name players in recent competitions. Instead, a 2Ball competition was held. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant became the youngest All-Star starter at age 19. The East beat the West, 135–114 for the third consecutive year, as Michael Jordan won his third All-Star MVP. * The Washington Bullets were renamed the "Wizards". They began th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jason Caffey
Jason Andre Caffey (born June 12, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who won two championship rings with the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s. He later became the head coach of the American Basketball Association's Mobile Bay Hurricanes. Basketball career Caffey was born in Mobile, Alabama and played basketball at Davidson High School, where he earned 1st team All State in Class 6A and was named Gatorade's choice for state Player Of The Year. The 6'8" power forward went on to play 4 years at the University of Alabama under coach Wimp Sanderson, and was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 20th pick of the 1995 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.3 points per game during the Bulls' second consecutive championship run in 1996–97. He started 5 playoff games this year, making him one of eleven Chicago Bulls players to start a playoff game amid their championship runs. Before Caffey could win a third championship ring with the Bulls, he was traded to the Golden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history". Nicknamed "the Worm", he played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rodman played at the small forward position in his early years before becoming a power forward. He earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice. He also led the NBA in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years and won five NBA championships. On April 1, 2011, the Pistons retired Rodman's No. 10 jersey, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later that year. In October 2021, Rodman was honored as one of the league’s greatest p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Award
The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points, second-place votes are worth three points, and a third-place vote is worth one. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award. Starting in the 2022–23 NBA season, the winner of this award will receive the Hakeem Olajuwon trophy, named after the two–time defensive player of the year winner. Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace have each won the award a record four times. Rudy Gobert and Dwight Howard have won the award three times, with Howard having won it in three consecutive seasons. Sidney Moncrief, Mark ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1998 NBA All-Star Game
The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was the 48th edition of the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game. The event was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The East won the game 135–114. Besides the NBA All-Star game, there were two other events that occurred in the All-Star Weekend including the Rookies Game and the Three-Point Shootout. Summary Coaches The Western Conference was coached by George Karl from the Seattle SuperSonics and the Eastern Conference was coached by Larry Bird of the Indiana Pacers. Players This would be the All-Star debut of Kobe Bryant, who became the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19 years of age. It would also be the debut for rookie Tim Duncan. Bryant had a team-high 18 points. Michael Jordan earned MVP honors, scoring 23 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out eight assists. This was Jordan's third MVP award. The game featured four all-stars from the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the first All-Star game to feature both Ko ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jordan Trophy, named for the five-time MVP often considered the best player in NBA history. Prior to 2021, the winner received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. With the switch to the Michael Jordan Trophy, his name was moved to a new Maurice Podoloff Trophy given to the team with the best regular season record. Until the , the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the , the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." He played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He was integral in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s,Markovits and Rensman, p. 89. becoming a global cultural icon in the process. Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 NBA Finals
The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Western Conference champion Utah Jazz took on the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls for the title, with the Bulls holding home court advantage. The series were played under a best-of-seven format, with the first 2 games in Chicago, the next 3 games in Salt Lake City, and the last 2 games in Chicago. The Bulls won the series 4 games to 2. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP. The Bulls and Jazz won a combined 133 regular season games, second most in Finals history. Until 2016, the 1997 NBA Finals was the last to feature teams that won a total of at least 130 regular season games. Background Chicago Bulls For the Chicago Bulls, the campaign was almost identical to their record-breaking 1995–96 season. They began the season 12–0, and by the All-Star br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997–98 Indiana Pacers Season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Pacers' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season as a franchise. In the off-season, the Pacers hired former Indiana State and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as head coach, acquired All-Star forward Chris Mullin from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Mark West. Bird and Mullin were once teammates on the "Dream Team" from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The Pacers struggled early in the season losing five of their first seven games, but then won 15 of their next 18 games, and held the best record in the Eastern Conference at 33–13 before the All-Star break. The Pacers won nine of their final eleven games, and returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence finishing second in the Central Division with a 58–24 record. It was also the first time since joining the NBA that the Pacers finished with a winning road record. The Pacers had the fifth best team defensive rating in the NBA. Reggie Miller, Rik S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997–98 Charlotte Hornets Season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the tenth season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Hornets signed free agents David Wesley, and Bobby Phills, while re-signing former Hornets forward J.R. Reid. Early into the season, the team traded long-time Hornets guard Muggsy Bogues, along with second-year guard Tony Delk to the 1997–98 Golden State Warriors season, Golden State Warriors in exchange for B. J. Armstrong, who won three championships with the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s. At midseason, the team signed free agent Vernon Maxwell, who was previously released by the 1997–98 Orlando Magic season, Orlando Magic, as the Hornets held a 29–18 record at the All-Star break. Despite injuries to Phills, Vlade Divac and long-time original Hornet Dell Curry, the Hornets had another stellar season posting a ten-game winning streak between February and March, winning 15 of 16 games between February 21 and March 26. The Hornets finish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997–98 New Jersey Nets Season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Nets' 31st season in the National Basketball Association, and 22nd season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets had the seventh overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected Tim Thomas out of Villanova University, but soon traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for top draft pick Keith Van Horn from the University of Utah, Lucious Harris, Michael Cage and Don MacLean, then signed free agent Sherman Douglas on the first day of the regular season, which began on October 31, 1997. The Nets had a new look as the team changed their primary logo, and added new uniforms adding dark navy to their color scheme. A youth movement began to pay off as the Nets won their first four games, and played above .500 for the entire season, holding a 27–21 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded David Benoit, Kevin Edwards and Yinka Dare to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Rony Seikaly and second-year forward Brian Evans. Despit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997–98 season. The tournament concluded with the two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Bulls also achieved a second three peat, a goal unrivaled since the Boston Celtics in 1966. The 1998 playoffs was the last involving the Jordan-led Bulls (Chicago didn't make the playoffs again until 2005). Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the sixth and final time. The Indiana Pacers took the Bulls to the limit in the Eastern Conference Finals, becoming 1 of only 2 teams to force a Game 7 in the Bulls' title years (the Knicks achieved this in 1992). This team was later named by Pacers.com as the greatest in franchise history, even better than the 2000 team that won the Eastern Conference Title, primarily due to their record. The New Jersey Nets made the playoff ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
