1997–98 San Antonio Spurs season

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1997–98 San Antonio Spurs season
Head coachGregg Popovich
General managerGregg Popovich
PresidentGregg Popovich (vice)
Owner(s)Peter Holt
ArenaAlamodome
Results
Record56–26 (.683)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Midwest)
Conference: 5th (Western)
Playoff finishConference Semifinals
(Lost to Jazz 1–4)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKSAT-TV
KRRT
Fox Sports Southwest
RadioWOAI
< 1996–97 1998–99 >

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Spurs' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season as a franchise.[1] This season is most memorable when the Spurs selected Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft.[2][3][4] After finishing with the third-worst record in 1996–97, the Spurs won the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery, dubbed as the "Tim Duncan sweepstakes".[5] During the off-season, the team signed free agents, three-point specialist Jaren Jackson and second-year forward Malik Rose. The Spurs got off to a mediocre 10–10 start, but then won 17 of their next 19 games, and held a 34–14 record at the All-Star break.[6] Despite losing Sean Elliott for the remainder of the season to a knee injury after 36 games,[7] the Spurs finished second in the Midwest Division with a 56–26 record, and returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence.[8] The Spurs had the second best team defensive rating in the NBA.[9]

Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, and was named Rookie of the Year,[10][11] and was also named to the All-NBA First Team and NBA All-Rookie First Team, while David Robinson averaged 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Avery Johnson provided the team with 10.2 points and 7.9 assists per game, while Vinny Del Negro contributed 9.5 points per game, and Elliott provided with 9.3 points per game. Off the bench, Jackson contributed 8.8 points per game, while three-point specialist Chuck Person contributed 6.7 points per game, and Will Perdue averaged 5.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.[12] Both Duncan and Robinson were named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, which was Duncan's first All-Star appearance.[13] Duncan finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting,[14] while Robinson finished in seventh place. Robinson also finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,[15] while Duncan finished tied in fifth place.[16]

In the playoffs, the Spurs defeated the 4th-seeded Phoenix Suns 3–1 in the Western Conference First Round,[17][18] but lost 4–1 to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semi-finals.[19][20] The Jazz would go on to lose in six games to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.[21][22][23] Following the season, Del Negro signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks,[24][25] while Person signed with the Charlotte Hornets, Monty Williams was released to free agency, and Carl Herrera was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies.[26]

NBA Draft

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 1 Tim Duncan PF/C  United States Virgin Islands Wake Forest

Roster

1997–98 San Antonio Spurs roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
F 9 Burton, Willie Injured 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1968–05–26 Minnesota
G 15 Del Negro, Vinny 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1966–08–09 NC State
F 21 Duncan, Tim 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1976–04–25 Wake Forest
F 32 Elliott, Sean Injured 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1968–02–02 Arizona
G 4 Geary, Reggie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1973–08–31 Arizona
F 7 Herrera, Carl 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1966–12–14 Houston
G 2 Jackson, Jaren 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1967–10–27 Georgetown
G 6 Johnson, Avery 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1965–03–25 Southern
F 54 Lohaus, Brad 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1964–09–29 Iowa
F/C 41 Perdue, Will 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1965–08–29 Vanderbilt
F 45 Person, Chuck 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1964–06–27 Auburn
C 50 Robinson, David 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1965–08–06 Navy
F 31 Rose, Malik 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1974–11–23 Drexel
F 3 Williams, Monty 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1971–10–08 Notre Dame
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster

Regular season

Tim Duncan

The Spurs were coming off a poor 1996–97 NBA season; in which their best player, David Robinson—himself a number one draft pick in 1987—was sidelined for most of the year with an injury. The Spurs had finished with a 20–62 win–loss record.[27] However, as the 1997–98 NBA season approached, the Spurs were considered a notable threat in the NBA. With both an experienced center in Robinson and the number one pick in Duncan, the Spurs featured one of the best frontcourts in the NBA. Duncan and Robinson became known as the "Twin Towers", having earned a reputation for their exceptional defense close to the basket, forcing opponents to take lower percentage shots from outside. From the beginning, Duncan established himself as a quality player: in his second-ever road game, he grabbed 22 rebounds against opposing Chicago Bulls power forward Dennis Rodman, a multiple rebounding champion and NBA Defensive Player of the Year.[28]

Later, when Duncan played against opposing Houston Rockets Hall-of-Fame power forward Charles Barkley, Barkley was so impressed he said: "I have seen the future and he wears number 21 [Duncan's jersey number]."[29] In his rookie season, Duncan lived up the expectations of being the number one draft pick, starting in all 82 regular-season games, and averaging 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. His defensive contributions ensured that he was elected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and was also named NBA Rookie of the Year. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich lauded Duncan's mental toughness, stating his rookie's "demeanor was singularly remarkable", Duncan always "put things into perspective" and never got "too upbeat or too depressed."[30] Center Robinson was equally impressed with Duncan: "He's the real thing. I'm proud of his attitude and effort. He gives all the extra effort and work and wants to become a better player."[31]

Season standings

Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
z-Utah Jazz 62 20 .756 36–5 26–15 22–2
x-San Antonio Spurs 56 26 .683 6 31–10 25–16 18–6
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 45 37 .549 17 26–15 19–22 14–10
x-Houston Rockets 41 41 .500 21 24–17 17–24 14–10
Dallas Mavericks 20 62 .244 42 13–28 7–34 9–15
Vancouver Grizzlies 19 63 .232 43 14–27 5–36 4–20
Denver Nuggets 11 71 .134 51 9–32 2–39 3–21
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Utah Jazz 62 20 .756
2 y-Seattle SuperSonics 61 21 .744 1
3 x-Los Angeles Lakers 61 21 .744 1
4 x-Phoenix Suns 56 26 .683 6
5 x-San Antonio Spurs 56 26 .683 6
6 x-Portland Trail Blazers 46 36 .561 16
7 x-Minnesota Timberwolves 45 37 .549 17
8 x-Houston Rockets 41 41 .500 21
9 Sacramento Kings 27 55 .329 35
10 Dallas Mavericks 20 62 .244 42
11 Vancouver Grizzlies 19 63 .232 43
11 Golden State Warriors 19 63 .232 43
13 Los Angeles Clippers 17 65 .207 45
14 Denver Nuggets 11 71 .134 51


Record vs. opponents

1997-98 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta 2–1 4–0 1–3 4–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–0 0–2 1–3 3–1 0–2 1–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 2–0 4–0
Boston 1–2 1–2 1–3 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 1–1 0–4 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–2 1–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–0 0–2 2–0 3–2
Charlotte 0–4 2–1 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–2
Chicago 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 2–1 4–0 1–1 4–0 4–0 3–1 2–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 4–0 0–2 2–0 3–1
Cleveland 0–4 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–2 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–2 2–0 3–1 1–2 2–2 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 3–1 1–1 2–0 1–2
Dallas 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–1 0–2 1–3 0–4 1–1 1–3 0–4 0–2 0–2 2–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–1 0–4 4–0 1–1
Denver 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–3 0–2 1–3 0–4 0–2 2–2 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–3 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–4 2–2 1–3 0–4 0–4 0–2 0–4 1–3 1–1
Detroit 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–0 0–2 1–2 2–2 0–2 2–2 2–2 1–2 3–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 4–0 0–2 0–2 2–2
Golden State 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 3–1 3–1 0–2 1–3 0–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 0–2 0–4 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–4 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–2 0–4 1–3 0–2
Houston 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 4–0 4–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 4–0 1–3 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–0 0–4 3–1 1–1
Indiana 3–1 4–0 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 3–1 4–0 2–0 2–1 2–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 4–0 1–1 2–0 4–0
L.A. Clippers 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–1 2–2 0–2 3–1 0–4 0–2 0–4 0–2 0–2 0–4 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–4 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–1 1–3 1–3 0–2
L.A. Lakers 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 4–0 4–0 2–0 3–1 3–1 2–0 4–0 1–1 2–0 4–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 4–0 1–3 2–0 3–1 4–0 1–1
Miami 3–1 4–0 1–3 1–2 3–1 2–0 2–0 2–1 2–0 2–0 1–3 2–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 0–2 0–2 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–2
Milwaukee 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–0 0–2 1–3 1–1 0–4 3–1 2–1 2–2 0–2 2–0 2–0 0–2 1–1 3–1 0–2 1–1 1–2
Minnesota 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 3–1 2–0 4–0 3–1 0–2 4–0 0–4 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–1 1–3 4–0 0–2
New Jersey 2–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–3 4–0 0–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 3–1 0–2 2–0 1–3
New York 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–4 2–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–0 1–1 2–2 1–3 1–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–1 0–2 2–0 1–3
Orlando 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–1 1–1 2–0 1–3 2–0 1–1 1–3 1–2 2–0 1–3 0–4 4–0 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–1 3–1 0–2 2–0 3–1
Philadelphia 1–3 1–3 1–2 1–2 1–3 2–0 2–0 1–3 2–0 1–1 0–4 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–2 0–2 1–3 2–2 0–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–2 0–2 2–0 3–1
Phoenix 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–2 4–0 4–0 1–1 4–0 3–1 1–1 4–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 1–3 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 1–3 4–0 1–1
Portland 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 4–0 2–2 2–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 4–0 2–2 0–2 0–2 3–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 0–4 2–0 3–1 2–2 1–1
Sacramento 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 4–0 3–1 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 1–3 0–4 0–2 0–2 1–3 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–3 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1
San Antonio 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 4–0 4–0 1–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 3–1 0–4 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–0 1–3 4–0 1–1
Seattle 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 4–0 2–0 3–1 3–1 2–0 4–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–0 2–2 4–0 1–1
Toronto 0–4 0–3 0–4 0–4 1–3 1–1 2–0 0–4 2–0 0–2 0–4 1–1 0–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–3
Utah 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 4–0 4–0 2–0 4–0 4–0 1–1 3–1 1–3 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–0 4–0 0–2
Vancouver 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–4 3–1 2–0 3–1 1–3 0–2 3–1 0–4 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 1–1 0–4 1–1
Washington 0–4 2–3 2–2 1–3 2–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–0 1–1 0–4 2–0 1–1 2–2 2–1 2–0 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–0 2–0 1–1

Game log

Playoffs

1998 playoff game log
First Round: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 April 23 @ Phoenix W 102–96 Tim Duncan (32) David Robinson (15) Vinny Del Negro (6) America West Arena
19,023
1–0
2 April 25 @ Phoenix L 101–108 David Robinson (23) David Robinson (16) Avery Johnson (8) America West Arena
19,023
1–1
3 April 27 Phoenix W 100–88 Tim Duncan (22) Tim Duncan (14) Avery Johnson (5) Alamodome
20,486
2–1
4 April 29 Phoenix W 99–80 Avery Johnson (30) David Robinson (21) Avery Johnson (7) Alamodome
27,528
3–1
Conference Semifinals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance
Series
1 May 5 @ Utah L 82–83 Tim Duncan (33) David Robinson (16) Avery Johnson (8) Delta Center
19,911
0–1
2 May 7 @ Utah L 106–109 Tim Duncan (26) David Robinson (14) Vinny Del Negro (5) Delta Center
19,911
0–2
3 May 9 Utah W 86–64 David Robinson (21) Will Perdue (11) Avery Johnson (5) Alamodome
26,086
1–2
4 May 10 Utah L 73–82 Tim Duncan (22) David Robinson (11) Avery Johnson (7) Alamodome
28,587
1–3
5 May 12 @ Utah L 77–87 David Robinson (21) David Robinson (13) Avery Johnson (8) Delta Center
19,911
1–4
1998 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Cory Alexander 37 3 13.5 .414 .313 .676 1.3 1.9 .7 .1 4.5
Willie Burton 13 0 3.3 .381 .333 .667 .7 .1 .2 .2 2.1
Vinny Del Negro 54 38 31.9 .441 .436 .796 2.8 3.4 .7 .1 9.5
Tim Duncan 82 82 39.1 .549 .000 .662 11.9 2.7 .7 2.5 21.1
Reggie Geary 62 2 11.0 .331 .300 .500 1.1 1.2 .6 .2 2.5
Sean Elliott 36 36 28.1 .403 .378 .718 3.4 1.7 .7 .4 9.3
Carl Herrera 58 1 8.9 .434 .000 .409 1.6 .4 .3 .2 2.9
Jaren Jackson 82 45 27.1 .394 .377 .797 2.6 1.9 .7 .1 8.8
Avery Johnson 75 73 35.7 .478 .154 .726 2.0 7.9 1.1 .2 10.2
Brad Lohaus 9 0 11.3 .333 .286 .333 1.3 .6 .1 .2 2.1
Will Perdue 79 30 18.9 .549 . .526 6.8 .7 .3 .6 5.0
Chuck Person 61 11 23.9 .359 .344 .757 3.3 1.4 .5 .2 6.7
David Robinson 73 73 33.7 .511 .250 .735 10.6 2.7 .9 2.6 21.6
Malik Rose 53 0 8.1 .434 .333 .639 1.7 .4 .4 .1 3.0
Monty Williams 72 16 18.3 .448 .500 .670 2.5 1.2 .5 .3 6.3

Playoffs

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Vinny Del Negro 9 3 31.4 .481 .200 .941 2.7 3.2 .9 . 10.7
Tim Duncan 9 9 41.6 .521 . .667 9.0 1.9 .6 2.6 20.7
Reggie Geary 7 0 6.6 .429 .250 .500 .3 .9 .1 . 1.3
Carl Herrera 5 0 5.0 .333 . . .8 .2 . . .4
Jaren Jackson 9 8 35.4 .341 .305 .737 4.3 1.6 .6 .1 10.2
Avery Johnson 9 9 38.0 .604 . .667 1.4 6.1 1.0 . 17.3
Brad Lohaus 4 0 2.5 . . . .5 .3 .3 . .
Will Perdue 9 7 21.2 .333 . .857 6.7 .1 .7 1.0 4.0
Chuck Person 9 0 21.8 .340 .350 1.000 3.0 .8 .4 . 5.8
David Robinson 9 9 39.2 .425 . .635 14.1 2.6 1.2 3.3 19.4
Malik Rose 5 0 3.6 .667 . .500 1.4 .2 .2 . 2.0
Monty Williams 5 0 5.6 .625 . .667 1.2 .2 . . 2.4

Award winners

Transactions

References

  1. ^ 1997-98 San Antonio Spurs
  2. ^ Wise, Mike (June 26, 1997). "After Duncan, Utah Forward Steals Show". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. ^ Cotton, Anthony (June 26, 1997). "No. 1 Pick Turns Duncan Into Spur of Moment". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Ludden, Johnny (January 14, 1998). "David and Goliath, Together". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  5. ^ El-Bashir, Tarik (May 19, 1997). "Spurs Win the Tim Duncan Sweepstakes". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  7. ^ "Spurs 109, Clippers 86". The Oklahoman. January 29, 1998. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  8. ^ "1997–98 San Antonio Spurs Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  9. ^ "Teams Defense". NBA.com. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Press, Associated (April 27, 1998). "Duncan Wins Rookie of Year Award". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  11. ^ "Duncan's Top Rookie". Deseret News. April 27, 1998. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  12. ^ "1997–98 San Antonio Spurs Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  13. ^ "1998 NBA All-Star Game: East 135, West 114". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  14. ^ Wise, Mike (May 19, 1998). "THE N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Jordan Is Winner of M.V.P. a 5th Time". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  15. ^ Press, Associated (May 5, 1998). "Mutombo NBA's Top Defensive Player". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  16. ^ "1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  17. ^ Press, Associated (April 30, 1998). "Spurs Stun Suns, Take Series". CBS News. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  18. ^ Press, Associated (April 30, 1998). "Spurs' Johnson Soars In Game of 'Small Ball'". Deseret News. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  19. ^ Press, Associated (May 13, 1998). "THE N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; The Finals In the West: It's Jazz Vs. Lakers". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  20. ^ Heisler, Mark (May 13, 1998). "Worth Getting Jazzed About". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  21. ^ Araton, Harvey (June 15, 1998). "Sports of the Times; At the End, Jordan Lifts Bulls to Their Sixth N.B.A. Title". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  22. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (June 15, 1998). "A Rousing Six-cess". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  23. ^ Armour, Terry (June 15, 1998). "Michael Jordan Hits 'The Shot', and the Chicago Bulls Beat Utah Jazz for Their 6th NBA Championship". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  24. ^ Press, Associated (January 31, 1999). "Del Negro Leaves Italy for Milwaukee". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  25. ^ "Del Negro Becomes a Buck". CBS News. January 30, 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  26. ^ Wise, Mike (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  27. ^ 1996-97 Standings Archived 2015-11-25 at the Wayback Machine, nba.com/history, accessed 19 April 2007.
  28. ^ Kernan, Kevin (2000). Slam Duncan. pp. 47. ISBN 978-1-58261-179-2.
  29. ^ Kernan, Kevin (2000). Slam Duncan. pp. 13. ISBN 978-1-58261-179-2.
  30. ^ Kernan, Kevin (2000). Slam Duncan. pp. 25. ISBN 978-1-58261-179-2.
  31. ^ Kernan, Kevin (2000). Slam Duncan. pp. 44. ISBN 978-1-58261-179-2.