1998–99 Chicago Bulls season

The 1998–99 NBA season was the 33rd season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association.^[1] Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50 games.^[2][3]

1998–99 Chicago Bulls season
Head coach	Tim Floyd
General manager	Jerry Krause
Owner(s)	Jerry Reinsdorf
Arena	United Center
Results
Record	13–37 (.260)
Place	Division: 8th (Central) Conference: 15th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television	WGN-TV (Wayne Larrivee, John Paxson) Fox Sports Chicago (Tom Dore, John Paxson)
Radio	WMVP (Neil Funk, Johnny "Red" Kerr)
< 1997–98 1999–00 >

The Bulls entered the regular season as the three-time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals in six games, winning their sixth NBA championship, and completing a second three-peat in the 1990s. During the offseason, Phil Jackson's resignation as head coach, the departures of Scottie Pippen (who was traded to the Houston Rockets), Dennis Rodman (who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent), and Michael Jordan's second retirement marked the end of the Bulls' dynasty.^[4]

Under new head coach Tim Floyd,^[5][6][7] plus the off-season acquisitions of Brent Barry,^[8][9][10] Mark Bryant, and Andrew Lang,^[11][12][13] the Bulls were a shell of their former selves, losing eight of their first nine games of the regular season. The team lost 14 of their final 17 games, and finished in last place in the Central Division with a 13–37 record (roughly the equivalent of 21–61),^[14] missing the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1983–84 season;^[15] the Bulls were just the second defending champions to miss the postseason, behind the 1969–70 Boston Celtics.

Toni Kukoč led the team with 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, while Ron Harper averaged 11.2 points and 1.7 steals per game, and Barry contributed 11.1 points per game. In addition, Dickey Simpkins showed improvement averaging 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while Bryant provided the team with 9.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and Randy Brown contributed 8.8 points and 1.7 steals per game.^[16]

On April 10, 1999, the Bulls set an all-time NBA record for the fewest amount of points in a game during the shot clock era, in an 82–49 home loss to the Miami Heat at the United Center.^{[17][18][19][20]} Following the season, Barry was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics,^[21][22][23] while Harper signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers to reunite with Jackson, who was hired to coach the Lakers,^[24][25][26] Bryant signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Lang and Bill Wennington were both released to free agency.^[27]

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 1998 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	28	Corey Benjamin	SG	United States	Oregon State
2	34	Shammond Williams	PG	United States	North Carolina
2	58	Maceo Baston	F	United States	Michigan

Roster

1998–99 Chicago Bulls roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From G 31 Brent Barry 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1971–12–31 Oregon State G 25 Corey Benjamin 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1978–02–24 Oregon State F 44 Mario Bennett 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1973–08–01 Arizona State F 22 Keith Booth 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 226 lb (103 kg) 1974–10–09 Maryland G 1 Randy Brown 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1968–05–22 New Mexico State F/C 2 Mark Bryant 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1965–04–25 Seton Hall G 21 Cory Carr 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1975–12–05 Texas Tech F 18 Kornél Dávid 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1971–10–22 Hungary G/F 9 Ron Harper 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1964–01–20 Miami (OH) G 11 Charles Jones 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1975–07–17 Long Island F 7 Toni Kukoc 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1968–09–18 Croatia C 28 Andrew Lang 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1966–06–28 Arkansas F 42 Jeff Sanders (IN) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1966–01–14 Georgia Southern F/C 8 Dickey Simpkins 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 248 lb (112 kg) 1972–04–06 Providence C 34 Bill Wennington 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1963–04–26 St. John's

Head coach Tim Floyd Assistant(s) Bill Cartwright Frank Hamblen Tex Winter Jim Woolridge Fred Tedeschi (trainer) Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (IN) Inactive Injured Roster Updated: February 16, 1999

Roster Notes

• Small forward Jeff Sanders missed the entire season due to injury.

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div	GP
y-Indiana Pacers	33	17	.660	–	18‍–‍7	15‍–‍10	15–7	50
x-Atlanta Hawks	31	19	.620	2.0	16‍–‍9	15‍–‍10	15–8	50
x-Detroit Pistons	29	21	.580	4.0	17‍–‍8	12‍–‍13	13–8	50
x-Milwaukee Bucks	28	22	.560	5.0	17‍–‍8	11‍–‍14	13–11	50
Charlotte Hornets	26	24	.520	7.0	16‍–‍9	10‍–‍15	12–10	50
Toronto Raptors	23	27	.460	10.0	14‍–‍11	9‍–‍16	9–14	50
Cleveland Cavaliers	22	28	.440	11.0	15‍–‍10	7‍–‍18	9–13	50
Chicago Bulls	13	37	.260	20.0	8‍–‍17	5‍–‍20	4–19	50

Eastern Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	GP
1	c-Miami Heat *	33	17	.660	–	50
2	y-Indiana Pacers *	33	17	.660	–	50
3	x-Orlando Magic	33	17	.660	–	50
4	x-Atlanta Hawks	31	19	.620	2.0	50
5	x-Detroit Pistons	29	21	.580	4.0	50
6	x-Philadelphia 76ers	28	22	.560	5.0	50
7	x-Milwaukee Bucks	28	22	.560	5.0	50
8	x-New York Knicks	27	23	.540	6.0	50
9	Charlotte Hornets	26	24	.520	7.0	50
10	Toronto Raptors	23	27	.460	10.0	50
11	Cleveland Cavaliers	22	28	.440	11.0	50
12	Boston Celtics	19	31	.380	14.0	50
13	Washington Wizards	18	32	.360	15.0	50
14	New Jersey Nets	16	34	.320	17.0	50
15	Chicago Bulls	13	37	.260	20.0	50

Record vs. opponents

1998-99 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	—	3–0	3–0	3–1	2–1	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–0	1–0	3–1	1–0	0–0	0–3	1–2	0–0	1–2	2–1	2–2	2–1	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	2–1
Boston	0–3	—	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–0	1–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–0	0–0	3–0	0–3	0–1	1–2	1–2	1–2	1–2	0–0	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	1–0	3–1
Charlotte	0–3	2–1	—	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	3–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–1	1–2	2–2	0–0	3–0	1–3	1–2	1–2	1–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	2–1
Chicago	1–3	1–2	1–2	—	0–3	0–1	0–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–0	0–0	1–2	1–3	0–0	2–1	1–2	0–3	1–2	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–1	1–2	0–1	1–0	1–2
Cleveland	1–2	2–2	1–2	3–0	—	0–0	0–0	1–2	1–0	0–1	0–3	0–0	1–0	0–3	1–2	0–0	3–0	1–2	1–2	1–2	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	2–2	0–1	0–0	1–2
Dallas	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	—	2–1	0–1	2–2	2–2	0–0	3–0	0–3	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–1	0–0	1–0	0–0	1–3	0–3	2–2	1–3	0–3	0–0	0–3	2–1	0–0
Denver	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–2	—	0–0	1–3	0–4	0–1	3–0	1–2	0–1	1–0	0–3	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–3	0–3	0–3	0–4	2–2	0–0	1–2	3–1	0–1
Detroit	2–1	3–0	0–3	3–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	—	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	0–0	2–1	2–1	0–1	2–1	2–1	0–4	1–3	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	1–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	2–1
Golden State	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	0–1	2–2	3–1	0–0	—	0–3	1–0	2–1	1–2	0–0	0–1	2–2	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	2–2	1–2	0–3	1–2	0–0	0–4	4–0	0–0
Houston	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	2–2	4–0	0–0	3–0	—	0–0	3–1	1–2	0–1	0–0	2–1	1–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	2–2	2–1	3–0	0–3	2–1	1–0	0–3	4–0	0–0
Indiana	1–2	3–0	2–1	3–0	3–0	0–0	1–0	1–2	0–1	0–0	—	0–0	1–0	2–2	3–0	0–0	3–1	2–1	1–2	1–2	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	3–0
L.A. Clippers	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–3	0–3	0–0	1–2	1–3	0–0	—	0–4	0–0	0–0	2–2	1–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–2	1–2	0–3	0–3	0–1	1–3	1–3	0–0
L.A. Lakers	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	0–1	3–0	2–1	0–0	2–1	2–1	0–1	4–0	—	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–0	0–1	3–1	2–2	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–0	1–3	2–1	0–0
Miami	3–0	0–3	2–1	2–1	3–0	1–0	1–0	1–2	0–0	1–0	2–2	0–0	0–0	—	2–1	0–1	3–1	2–2	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	3–0	0–1	0–0	3–0
Milwaukee	2–1	3–0	2–2	3–1	2–1	0–0	0–1	1–2	1–0	0–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	1–2	—	1–0	2–1	2–1	1–2	1–2	0–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	3–1	0–0	0–0	2–1
Minnesota	0–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–1	3–0	1–0	2–2	1–2	0–0	2–2	1–2	1–0	0–1	—	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–3	3–1	2–2	2–1	0–1	0–3	3–1	0–0
New Jersey	2–1	2–1	0–3	1–2	0–3	1–0	0–1	1–2	0–0	0–1	1–3	0–1	0–0	1–3	1–2	0–0	—	0–3	0–3	1–2	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	0–0	2–1
New York	1–2	2–1	3–1	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	1–2	1–0	0–1	2–2	1–2	1–0	3–0	—	0–3	3–1	1–0	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	2–1
Orlando	2–2	2–1	2–1	3–0	2–1	0–1	0–0	4–0	1–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	0–1	1–2	2–1	0–0	3–0	3–0	—	1–2	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	2–1
Philadelphia	1–2	2–1	2–1	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	3–1	0–0	0–0	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–2	2–1	0–0	2–1	1–3	2–1	—	0–0	0–1	1–0	0–1	0–1	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–2
Phoenix	0–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–1	3–1	3–0	0–1	2–1	2–2	0–0	3–0	1–3	0–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	—	0–3	0–3	2–2	3–0	0–0	2–2	3–0	0–0
Portland	0–0	1–0	0–1	0–0	0–0	3–0	3–0	0–0	2–2	1–2	1–0	2–1	2–2	0–0	0–0	3–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	3–0	—	4–0	1–3	2–2	0–0	1–2	4–0	0–0
Sacramento	0–0	1–0	1–0	0–0	0–0	2–2	3–0	0–0	2–1	0–3	0–0	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	1–3	0–0	1–0	0–1	0–1	3–0	0–4	—	1–2	2–2	0–0	1–2	4–0	1–0
San Antonio	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–1	3–1	4–0	1–0	3–0	3–0	0–0	3–0	1–2	0–0	0–0	2–2	0–0	0–0	1–0	1–0	2–2	3–1	2–1	—	2–1	0–1	2–1	3–0	0–0
Seattle	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	3–0	2–2	0–1	2–1	1–2	0–0	3–0	2–2	0–0	0–1	1–2	0–1	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–3	2–2	2–2	1–2	—	0–0	2–2	2–1	0–1
Toronto	1–2	2–1	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–0	0–0	1–2	0–0	0–1	1–2	1–0	0–0	0–3	1–3	1–0	1–2	2–1	2–1	1–2	0–0	0–0	0–0	1–0	0–0	—	0–0	1–0	2–2
Utah	0–0	0–0	0–1	1–0	1–0	3–0	2–1	0–1	4–0	3–0	0–0	3–1	3–1	1–0	0–0	3–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	2–2	2–1	2–1	1–2	2–2	0–0	—	3–0	1–0
Vancouver	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	1–2	1–3	0–0	0–3	0–4	0–1	3–1	1–2	0–0	0–0	1–3	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–1	0–3	0–3	0–4	0–3	1–2	0–1	0–3	—	0–0
Washington	1–2	1–3	1–2	2–1	2–1	0–0	1–0	1–2	0–1	0–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	0–3	1–2	0–0	1–2	1–2	1–2	2–1	0–0	0–1	0–1	0–0	1–0	2–2	0–1	0–0	—

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
Brent Barry	37	30	31.9	.396	.302	.772	3.9	3.1	1.1	.3	11.1
Corey Benjamin	31	1	10.3	.376	.214	.675	1.3	.3	.4	.3	3.8
Mario Bennett	3	0	6.3	.333		.750	1.7	.0	.3	.0	2.3
Keith Booth	39	4	11.1	.325	.100	.500	2.4	1.0	.6	.3	3.1
Randy Brown	39	32	29.2	.414	.000	.757	3.4	3.8	1.7	.2	8.8
Mark Bryant	45	29	26.8	.483	.000	.645	5.2	1.1	.8	.4	9.0
Cory Carr	42	7	14.9	.329	.167	.750	1.2	1.6	.5	.2	4.1
Kornél Dávid	50	6	18.0	.449	.000	.811	3.5	.8	.5	.3	6.2
Ron Harper	35	35	31.6	.377	.318	.703	5.1	3.3	1.7	1.0	11.2
Charles Jones	29	5	16.4	.317	.311	.500	1.4	1.4	.6	.2	3.7
Toni Kukoč	44	44	37.6	.420	.285	.740	7.0	5.3	1.1	.3	18.8
Andrew Lang	21	13	18.4	.323		.696	4.4	.6	.2	.6	3.8
Rusty LaRue	43	6	17.0	.359	.337	1.000	1.3	1.5	.8	.1	4.7
Dickey Simpkins	50	35	29.0	.463	.000	.645	6.8	1.3	.7	.3	9.1
Bill Wennington	38	3	11.9	.348	1.000	.818	2.1	.5	.3	.3	3.8

Player Statistics Citation:^[16]

Awards and records

In a home game against the Miami Heat on April 10, the Bulls scored 49 points, the fewest by any team since the shot clock was introduced in 1954.^[18]

Transactions

Overview

Players Added Via draft Corey Benjamin Via trade Mario Bennett Mark Bryant Andrew Lang Via free agency Brent Barry Kornél Dávid

Players Lost Via trade Steve Kerr Luc Longley Scottie Pippen Via free agency Jud Buechler Scott Burrell Joe Kleine Dennis Rodman retirement Michael Jordan