1998–99 NBA season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, after a new six-year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. All 29 teams played a shortened 50-game-per-team regular season schedule and the 16 teams who qualified for the playoffs played a full post-season schedule. That season's All-Star Game, which would have been held in Philadelphia, was also canceled. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs winning the franchise's first NBA championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the 1999 NBA Finals. This was the 50th season since the BAA and NBL had merged into the NBA.
| 1998–99 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration |
|
| Number of games | 50 |
| Number of teams | 29 |
| TV partner(s) | NBC, TBS, TNT |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Michael Olowokandi |
| Picked by | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | San Antonio Spurs |
| Season MVP | Karl Malone (Utah) |
| Top scorer | Allen Iverson (Philadelphia) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | New York Knicks |
| Eastern runners-up | Indiana Pacers |
| Western champions | San Antonio Spurs |
| Western runners-up | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Finals | |
| Champions | San Antonio Spurs |
| Runners-up | New York Knicks |
| Finals MVP | Tim Duncan (San Antonio) |