The 1997–98 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 31st season in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

, and 22nd season in

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner suburb, inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 Unit ...

. The Nets received the seventh overall pick in the

1997 NBA draft The 1997 NBA draft took place on June 25, 1997, at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Vancouver Grizzlies had the highest probability to win the NBA draft lottery, but since they were an expansion team along with the Toronto R ...

, and selected small forward Tim Thomas out of

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

, but soon traded him to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

in exchange for power forward, and top draft pick

Keith Van Horn Keith Adam Van Horn (born October 23, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, Van Horn played for five teams in a National Basketball Association (NBA) career that spanned from 1997 to 2006. Van Horn finished his ...

from the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

, Lucious Harris,

Michael Cage Michael Jerome Cage Sr. (born January 28, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player and current broadcast analyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Basketball career A 6'9" power forward/ center from San Diego State, he is the Az ...

and Don MacLean, and then signed free agent

Sherman Douglas Sherman Douglas (born September 15, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player from Syracuse University who played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers from 1989 to 2 ...

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. The Nets won their first four games of the regular season, and played above .500 for the entire season, holding a 27–21 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded David Benoit, Kevin Edwards and Yinka Dare to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

in exchange for Rony Seikaly, and second-year forward Brian Evans. Despite a 7-game losing streak between February and March, the Nets showed improvement by finishing in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 record, which earned them the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference, as they qualified for the

NBA playoffs The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held afte ...

. Van Horn shook off a preseason ankle injury, which cost him to miss the first month of the regular season, and averaged 19.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 62 games, as was named to the

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

. In addition,

Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall in th ...

averaged 19.6 points, 8.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while second-year star Kerry Kittles provided the team with 17.2 points and 1.7 steals per game, while leading them with 110 three-point field goals, Kendall Gill contributed 13.4 points and 1.9 steals per game, and Jayson Williams averaged 12.9 points, led the Nets with 13.6 rebounds per game, and was selected for the

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 t ...

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

. Off the bench, sixth man

Chris Gatling Chris Raymond Gatling (born September 3, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. Gatling played for many National Basketball Association (NBA) teams from 1991 to 2002. He played for the US national team in the 1990 FIBA Wor ...

provided with 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Douglas contributed 8.0 points and 4.0 assists per game, and Cage averaged 1.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Van Horn also finished in second place in Rookie of the Year voting behind

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...

of the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, while Gill finished tied in eleventh place in

Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...

voting, and head coach

John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball, University of Arkansas. He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2 ...

finished tied in ninth place in

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

voting. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the

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 Weste ...

, the Nets faced off against

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

Scottie Pippen Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with th ...

, and the 2-time defending champion

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

; however, due to injuries to Cassell (groin), Williams (thumb), and Van Horn (stomach virus), the Nets were swept by the Bulls in three straight games. The Bulls would go on to defeat the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

in six games in the

1998 NBA Finals The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1997–98 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls ...

for their third consecutive championship, and sixth overall in eight years. Following the season, Douglas signed as a free agent with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

, while Cage and MacLean were both traded to the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...

, whom Cage used to play for, and Xavier McDaniel retired, although he was released to free agency in January. The Nets new primary logo and home uniforms both remained in use until 2012, while the road jerseys lasted until 2009.

Off-season

NBA draft

Roster

;Roster notes * Small forward Xavier McDaniel was waived on January 24, 1998.

Regular season

The Nets began the season by winning their first four games, and maintained a winning record through all 82 games for the first time in the franchise's NBA history. The Nets clinched a playoff berth with a victory over the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

on the final day of the season. It was the Nets first postseason appearance since 1994, and the season brought excitement back to the Meadowlands. The heart and soul of the Nets was center Jayson Williams, who averaged 13.6 rebounds, (2nd in the NBA), and 12.9 points per game.NETS: New Jersey Nets History
Williams became the first Net to appear in an

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

since 1994. After missing the first 17 games of the season due to a leg injury, rookie

quickly acclimated himself to the NBA game and led the Nets in scoring at 19.7 points per game. Another strong presence in the frontcourt was forward Kendall Gill, who averaged 13.4 points per game. The Nets backcourt consisted of

and Kerry Kittles in the backcourt. Cassell ranked second on the team in scoring, behind Van Horn at 19.6 ppg, and led the Nets in assists with 8.0 apg. Kittles was in his second NBA season, and was third on the team in scoring with 17.2 ppg. The Nets bench included

(8.0 ppg, 4.0 apg) and

(11.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg). Late in the season, the Nets added depth with the trade for Rony Seikaly, who joined the Nets in a five-player trade with the

on Feb. 19. Seikaly played in only nine games for New Jersey, because of a nagging injury to his right foot.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule

Playoffs

Injuries would become a problem in the playoffs for the Nets. In Game 1 against Chicago, Cassell nursed a strained groin and Williams played despite a broken thumb. Williams would manage to get 21 rebounds in the game. The Nets forced overtime at the United Center before falling by a score of 96–93. The Bulls ultimately swept the series, but the Nets' effort suggested that the team had a bright future. , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 24 , @

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

L 93–96 (OT)
,

(24) , Jayson Williams (21) ,

(5) ,

United Center The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

23,844 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 26 , @

L 91–96
, Kerry Kittles (23) , Jayson Williams (11) ,

(12) ,

23,844 , 0–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , April 29 ,

L 101–116
,

(19) , Jayson Williams (10) ,

(8) ,

Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...

20,049 , 0–3

Player statistics

Regular season

, - ,

, 62 , 62 , 37.5 , .426 , .308 , .846 , 6.6 , 1.7 , 1.0 , 0.4 , 19.7 , - ,

, 75 , 72 , 34.7 , .441 , .188 , .860 , 3.0 , 8.0 , 1.6 , 0.3 , 19.6 , - , Kerry Kittles , 77 , 76 , 36.5 , .440 , .418 , .808 , 4.7 , 2.3 , 1.7 , 0.5 , 17.2 , - , Kendall Gill , 81 , 81 , 33.7 , .429 , .257 , .688 , 4.8 , 2.5 , 1.9 , 0.8 , 13.4 , - , Jayson Williams , 65 , 65 , 36.0 , .498 , .000 , .666 , 13.6 , 1.0 , 0.7 , 0.8 , 12.9 , - ,

, 57 , 16 , 23.8 , .455 , .250 , .600 , 5.9 , 0.9 , 0.9 , 0.5 , 11.5 , - ,

, 80 , 11 , 21.2 , .495 , .304 , .669 , 1.7 , 4.0 , 0.7 , 0.1 , 8.0 , - , David Benoit , 53 , 0 , 15.1 , .379 , .345 , .841 , 2.7 , 0.3 , 0.5 , 0.3 , 5.3 , - , Rony Seikaly , 9 , 2 , 16.9 , .317 , , .593 , 4.0 , 0.9 , 0.3 , 0.4 , 4.7 , - , Brian Evans , 28 , 1 , 11.9 , .434 , .405 , .667 , 1.9 , 0.9 , 0.3 , 0.2 , 4.1 , - , Lucious Harris , 50 , 0 , 13.4 , .390 , .308 , .745 , 1.0 , 0.8 , 0.8 , 0.1 , 3.8 , - , Kevin Edwards , 27 , 5 , 13.0 , .349 , .364 , .867 , 1.3 , 1.0 , 0.8 , 0.0 , 3.4 , - , David Vaughn , 15 , 2 , 10.7 , .576 , , .667 , 3.3 , 0.1 , 0.3 , 0.3 , 2.9 , - ,

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1898 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer, drummer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 193 ...

, 16 , 0 , 3.2 , .278 , .000 , .571 , 0.9 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.1 , 1.4 , - ,

, 79 , 17 , 15.2 , .512 , .000 , .556 , 3.9 , 0.4 , 0.6 , 0.6 , 1.3 , - , Xavier McDaniel , 20 , 0 , 9.0 , .333 , , .625 , 1.6 , 0.5 , 0.2 , 0.1 , 1.3 , - , Yinka Dare , 10 , 0 , 6.0 , .222 , , .500 , 1.7 , 0.1 , 0.0 , 0.2 , 1.2 , - , Don MacLean , 9 , 0 , 4.7 , .100 , .500 , , 0.6 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.3

Playoffs

, - ,

, 3 , 2 , 41.7 , .523 , .400 , .700 , 2.7 , 8.3 , 2.0 , 0.0 , 18.3 , - , Kerry Kittles , 3 , 3 , 42.0 , .425 , .385 , .909 , 5.0 , 2.7 , 1.3 , 0.7 , 16.3 , - ,

, 3 , 1 , 27.0 , .500 , , .667 , 3.3 , 0.7 , 0.7 , 0.7 , 15.3 , - , Kendall Gill , 3 , 3 , 33.3 , .450 , , .875 , 4.3 , 1.0 , 1.3 , 0.3 , 14.3 , - ,

, 3 , 3 , 25.7 , .448 , .000 , .800 , 3.0 , 0.3 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 12.7 , - , Jayson Williams , 3 , 2 , 38.7 , .429 , , .500 , 14.0 , 1.7 , 0.7 , 1.0 , 7.0 , - , Rony Seikaly , 3 , 0 , 12.3 , .778 , , .667 , 3.0 , 0.0 , 0.3 , 0.0 , 6.0 , - , Lucious Harris , 3 , 0 , 17.3 , .333 , .000 , .833 , 2.7 , 0.3 , 0.7 , 0.0 , 3.0 , - ,

, 3 , 1 , 8.7 , .333 , , , 1.0 , 1.7 , 0.0 , 0.3 , 2.0 , - , Brian Evans , 3 , 0 , 1.3 , , , , 0.3 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.0 , - , David Vaughn , 1 , 0 , 1.0 , , , , 0.0 , 0.0 , 0.0 , 1.0 , 0.0 Player Statistics Citation:

Awards, Records and Honors

* Jayson Williams, NBA All-Star Game *

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

1st Team

Transactions

References

*
New Jersey Nets on Basketball Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1997-98 New Jersey Nets season New Jersey Nets season New Jersey Nets seasons

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

20th century in East Rutherford, New Jersey Meadowlands Sports Complex