1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers season

The 1997–98 NBA season was the 49th season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association, and their 35th season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[1] The 76ers received the second overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected power forward Keith Van Horn from the University of Utah,^[2][3][4] but soon traded him to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Jim Jackson, Eric Montross, small forward and top draft pick Tim Thomas out of Villanova University, and first-round draft pick Anthony Parker out of Bradley University,^[5][6][7] signed free agent and former All-Star forward Terry Cummings,^[8][9][10] and hired Larry Brown as their new head coach during the off-season.^[11][12][13]

1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers season
Head coach	Larry Brown
General manager	Larry Brown
Owners	Comcast Spectacor
Arena	CoreStates Center
Results
Record	31–51 (.378)
Place	Division: 7th (Atlantic) Conference: 14th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WPSG CSN Philadelphia
Radio	WIP
< 1996–97 1998–99 >

In November, the team traded their second-round draft pick, Slovenian rookie forward Marko Milič, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for former All-Star forward Tom Chambers; however, after only just one game for the 76ers, Chambers retired in December.^[14][15][16]

The 76ers got off to a rough start losing their first five games of the regular season. In late December, the team traded Montross along with Jerry Stackhouse to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Theo Ratliff, and Aaron McKie,^[17][18][19] then later on acquired Eric Snow from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for a draft pick.^[20] At mid-season, they traded Jackson along with Clarence Weatherspoon to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Joe Smith and Brian Shaw,^[21][22][23] while Cummings was dealt to the New York Knicks in exchange for Herb Williams, who was released by the 76ers, and re-signed with the Knicks.^[24][25][26] With a 14–31 record at the All-Star break,^[27] the 76ers showed improvement posting a 17–20 record for the remainder of the season, finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 31–51 record, and missing the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.^[28]

Second-year star Allen Iverson had a stellar season leading the team with 22.0 points, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while Derrick Coleman provided the team with 17.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, but only played 59 games due to an irregular heartbeat, and an ankle injury,^[29][30][31] and Thomas contributed 11.0 points per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, for the players who were acquired via trades during the regular season, Ratliff averaged 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game in 58 games, and finished in sixth place in Most Improved Player voting,^[32] while off the bench, Smith averaged 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 30 games, Shaw provided with 6.1 points and 4.4 assists per game in 20 games, and Snow contributed 3.9 points, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 47 games. McKie contributed 3.9 points and 1.4 steals per game in 57 games, but struggled as he only shot .346 in field-goal percentage.^[33]

The start of the rebuilding of the franchise began with the acquisitions of Ratliff, McKie and Snow; these three players blended well with coach Brown's philosophy, and this would be the last season in which the 76ers missed the postseason until 2004. Following the season, Coleman signed as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets,^[34][35][36] while Smith signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves,^[37][38][39] and Shaw and Mark Davis were both released to free agency.

For the season, the 76ers revealed a new primary logo with the team name "76ers" in gold,^[40] and changed their uniforms, replacing the red and blue colors with black and gold in their color scheme.^[41][42] The jerseys were slightly redesigned in 2000, while the logo remained in use until 2009.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 1997 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	2	Keith Van Horn	SF/PF	United States	University of Utah
2	33	Marko Milič	SG/SF	Slovenia
2	35	Kebu Stewart	PF	United States	California State University, Bakersfield
2	36	James Collins	SG	United States	Florida State University

Roster

1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From C 00 Benoit Benjamin 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1964–11–22 Creighton F 44 Derrick Coleman 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1967–06–21 Syracuse F 7 Mark Davis 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1973–04–26 Texas Tech G 3 Allen Iverson 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1975–06–07 Georgetown G 8 Aaron McKie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1972–10–02 Temple G 11 Doug Overton 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1969–08–03 La Salle G 12 Anthony Parker 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1975–06–19 Bradley C 42 Theo Ratliff 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1973–04–17 Wyoming G 22 Brian Shaw 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1966–03–22 UC Santa Barbara F 9 Joe Smith 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1975–07–26 Maryland G 20 Eric Snow 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1973–04–24 Michigan State F 41 Kebu Stewart 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 239 lb (108 kg) 1973–12–19 Cal State Bakersfield F 1 Tim Thomas 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1977–02–26 Villanova C 55 Scott Williams 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1968–03–21 North Carolina

Head coach Larry Brown Assistant(s) Maurice Cheeks Gar Heard John Kuester Mark Turgeon Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster Updated: March 30, 1998

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Miami Heat	55	27	.671	–	30-11	25–16	18–6
x-New York Knicks	43	39	.524	12	28–13	15–26	13–11
x-New Jersey Nets	43	39	.524	12	26–15	17–24	12–12
Washington Wizards	42	40	.512	13	24–17	18–23	12–13
Orlando Magic	41	41	.500	14	24–17	17–24	11–13
Boston Celtics	36	46	.439	19	24–17	12–29	12–12
Philadelphia 76ers	31	51	.378	24	19–22	12–29	7–17

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Chicago Bulls	62	20	.756	–
2	y-Miami Heat	55	27	.671	7
3	x-Indiana Pacers	58	24	.707	4
4	x-Charlotte Hornets	51	31	.622	11
5	x-Atlanta Hawks	50	32	.610	12
6	x-Cleveland Cavaliers	47	35	.573	15
7	x-New York Knicks	43	39	.524	19
8	x-New Jersey Nets	43	39	.524	19
9	Washington Wizards	42	40	.512	20
10	Orlando Magic	41	41	.500	21
11	Detroit Pistons	37	45	.451	25
12	Boston Celtics	36	46	.439	26
13	Milwaukee Bucks	36	46	.439	26
14	Philadelphia 76ers	31	51	.378	31
15	Toronto Raptors	16	66	.195	46

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

° - did not make playoffs

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	—

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

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Benoit Benjamin	14	0	14.1	.537		.633	3.8	.2	.3	.3	4.5
Tom Chambers	1	0	10.0	1.000		1.000	2.0	.0	2.0	.0	6.0
Derrick Coleman	59	58	36.2	.411	.265	.772	9.9	2.5	.8	1.2	17.6
Terry Cummings†	44	2	14.9	.458	.000	.672	3.4	.5	.5	.1	5.3
William Cunningham†	1	0	1.0				2.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
Mark Davis	71	12	12.8	.447	.000	.634	2.2	1.0	.7	.3	4.0
Allen Iverson	80	80	39.4	.461	.298	.729	3.7	6.2	2.2	.3	22.0
Jim Jackson†	48	47	37.3	.460	.348	.818	4.7	4.6	.9	.1	13.7
Aaron McKie†	57	31	23.5	.347	.196	.688	2.9	2.4	1.4	.2	3.9
Eric Montross†	20	20	16.9	.395		.368	4.6	.4	.4	.6	3.4
Doug Overton	23	2	12.0	.381	.000	.875	.6	1.6	.3	.0	2.7
Anthony Parker	37	0	5.3	.397	.321	.650	.7	.5	.3	.1	1.9
Theo Ratliff†	58	55	32.1	.512		.706	7.3	.7	.7	3.5	11.2
Brian Shaw†	20	2	25.1	.367	.250	.632	3.2	4.4	.7	.2	6.1
Joe Smith†	30	6	23.3	.448	.000	.788	4.4	.9	.6	.4	10.3
Eric Snow†	47	0	18.0	.429	.125	.721	1.6	3.5	1.3	.1	3.9
Jerry Stackhouse†	22	22	34.0	.452	.348	.802	3.5	3.0	1.4	1.0	16.0
Kebu Stewart	15	0	7.3	.462		.640	2.1	.1	.3	.1	2.7
Tim Thomas	77	48	23.1	.447	.363	.740	3.7	1.2	.7	.2	11.0
Rex Walters†	19	0	6.7	.379	.214	1.000	.5	1.1	.3	.0	2.2
Clarence Weatherspoon†	48	18	26.9	.426		.707	7.0	.8	.9	1.1	8.4
Scott Williams	58	7	13.8	.437	.000	.810	3.6	.5	.3	.4	4.1

• ^† Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the 76ers only.

Player Statistics Citation:^[33]

Awards and records

• Tim Thomas, NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team

Transactions