# 1999–2000 NBA season

The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association. The season began on November 2, 1999, and ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2 in the 2000 NBA Finals.

## Notable occurrences

Coaching changes :
| Offseason |||
| Team | 1998–99 coach | 1999–2000 coach |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Mike Fratello | Randy Wittman |
| Denver Nuggets | Mike D'Antoni | Dan Issel |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Kurt Rambis | Phil Jackson |
| Orlando Magic | Chuck Daly | Doc Rivers |
| Washington Wizards | Jim Brovelli | Gar Heard |
| In-season |||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
| Detroit Pistons | Alvin Gentry | George Irvine |
| Golden State Warriors | P.J. Carlesimo | Garry St. Jean |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Chris Ford | Jim Todd |
| Phoenix Suns | Danny Ainge | Scott Skiles |
| Vancouver Grizzlies | Brian Hill | Lionel Hollins |
| Washington Wizards | Gar Heard | Darrell Walker |
* Effective this season, the first game of the NBA regular season begins on either the first Tuesday of November or the last Tuesday of October, and the last game on the third Wednesday of April. The NBA playoffs begin on the third Saturday of April.
* Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain died on October 12, 1999, at 63. Wilt's former teams, the Lakers, Sixers, and Warriors honored him by sporting black patches for the rest of the season.
* The Boston Celtics officially retired their trademark parquet floor on December 22, 1999, after 54 years. The floor would be replaced by a replica combining elements of the old floor and new wooden sections.
* Two active players were killed in automobile accidents within four months of each other.
** On January 12, Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed as a result of reckless driving while racing against teammate David Wesley. Phills would have his jersey retired during the season after news of his unexpected death was announced.
** On May 20, Malik Sealy of the Minnesota Timberwolves was driving home from a birthday party being held for Kevin Garnett when his SUV was struck by a drunk driver who had been driving on the wrong side of the road. Sealy would have his jersey retired on November 4, 2000.
* The Lakers would also go on to win 19 consecutive games between February 4, 2000, and March 16, 2000, the sixth-longest winning streak in NBA history.
* The 2000 NBA All-Star Game was held in Oakland, California. The West won 137–126. Tim Duncan from the San Antonio Spurs and Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers shared the game's MVP honors. The Slam Dunk Contest returned after a two-year absence, with Vince Carter winning the title in what is considered to be the best Dunk Contest performance of all time.
* San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott was sidelined for most of the season while undergoing kidney transplant operations. He successfully returned on March 13, becoming the first player to return following kidney transplant.
* Staples Center's first season saw its tenants at two opposite ends of the league: the Lakers finished with a best regular season record of 67–15 and the NBA title, while the Clippers finished 15–67, the worst of the season.
* The Toronto Raptors also made the playoffs for the first time, becoming the first Canadian team to do so.
* 36-year-old Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley suffered a devastating injury early in the season but returned for a final game before retiring.
* The season marked Patrick Ewing's last in a New York Knicks uniform. He was traded during the 2000 offseason to the Seattle SuperSonics in a four-team deal.
* Doc Rivers became the first recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year Award to have not led his team to the playoffs. He coached the Orlando Magic to a respectable 41–41 (.500) record, good enough for the 9th seed in the East.
* During Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers held a 75–60 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers with 10:28 left to play. During the fourth quarter, the Blazers would miss thirteen consecutive shots, allowing the Lakers to claw back and take the game, 89–84. The game was capped off with a famous alley-oop to Shaquille O'Neal from Kobe Bryant.
* The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
* Kevin Johnson returned from retirement to replace the injured Jason Kidd of the Phoenix Suns in this season's playoffs, but the Suns fell to the Lakers in the second round and Johnson would retire again.

## 1999–2000 NBA changes

* The Atlanta Hawks moved into the Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena) and changed their uniforms added white (road), and red (home) side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
* The Boston Celtics added their alternate logo of a cloverleaf above the shorts of their uniforms.
* The Cleveland Cavaliers changed their uniforms, removing the blue areas from their jerseys.
* The Denver Nuggets moved into the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena).
* The Detroit Pistons added new maroon alternate uniforms added black side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
* The Indiana Pacers moved into Conseco Fieldhouse, now Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
* The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers both moved into the Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, while the Lakers changed their uniforms added gold (road), and purple (home) side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
* The Miami Heat changed their logo and uniforms added dark red (road), and also dark red (home) side panels to their jerseys and shorts, and moved into the AmericanAirlines Arena in January 2000 (now Kaseya Center).
* The Philadelphia 76ers added new blue alternate uniforms.
* The Seattle SuperSonics added new red alternate uniforms added dark green side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
* The Toronto Raptors changed their uniforms removing the pinstripes added side panels to their jerseys and shorts. They also played their first full season at Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena).

## Teams

1999-2000 National Basketball Association :
| Eastern Conference |||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
| Atlantic | Boston Celtics | Boston, Massachusetts | FleetCenter | 19,156 |
| Atlantic | Miami Heat | Miami, Florida | Miami Arena American Airlines Arena | 15,200 19,500 |
| Atlantic | New Jersey Nets | East Rutherford, New Jersey | Continental Airlines Arena | 20,049 |
| Atlantic | New York Knicks | New York, New York | Madison Square Garden | 19,812 |
| Atlantic | Orlando Magic | Orlando, Florida | TD Waterhouse Centre | 17,283 |
| Atlantic | Philadelphia 76ers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | First Union Center | 20,338 |
| Atlantic | Washington Wizards | Washington, District of Columbia | MCI Center | 20,356 |
| Central | Atlanta Hawks | Atlanta, Georgia | Philips Arena | 20,233 |
| Central | Charlotte Hornets | Charlotte, North Carolina | Charlotte Coliseum | 24,042 |
| Central | Chicago Bulls | Chicago, Illinois | United Center | 21,711 |
| Central | Cleveland Cavaliers | Cleveland, Ohio | Gund Arena | 19,432 |
| Central | Detroit Pistons | Auburn Hills, Michigan | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 22,076 |
| Central | Indiana Pacers | Indianapolis, Indiana | Conseco Fieldhouse | 18,345 |
| Central | Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Bradley Center | 18,717 |
| Central | Toronto Raptors | Toronto, Ontario | Air Canada Centre | 19,800 |
| Western Conference |||||
| Midwest | Dallas Mavericks | Dallas, Texas | Reunion Arena | 18,293 |
| Midwest | Denver Nuggets | Denver, Colorado | Pepsi Center | 19,099 |
| Midwest | Houston Rockets | Houston, Texas | Compaq Center | 16,285 |
| Midwest | Minnesota Timberwolves | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Center | 18,798 |
| Midwest | San Antonio Spurs | San Antonio, Texas | Alamodome | 20,557 |
| Midwest | Utah Jazz | Salt Lake City, Utah | Delta Center | 18,306 |
| Midwest | Vancouver Grizzlies | Vancouver, British Columbia | General Motors Place | 19,193 |
| Pacific | Golden State Warriors | Oakland, California | The Arena in Oakland | 19,596 |
| Pacific | Los Angeles Clippers | Los Angeles, California | Staples Center | 19,079 |
| Pacific | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles, California | Staples Center | 19,079 |
| Pacific | Phoenix Suns | Phoenix, Arizona | America West Arena | 19,023 |
| Pacific | Portland Trail Blazers | Portland, Oregon | Rose Garden | 21,401 |
| Pacific | Sacramento Kings | Sacramento, California | ARCO Arena | 17,317 |
| Pacific | Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle, Washington | Key Arena | 17,072 |

## Final standings
### By division
#### Eastern Conference

| Atlantic Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Miami Heat | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 33–8 | 19–22 | 18–6 |
| x-New York Knicks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2 | 33–8 | 17–24 | 14–10 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 3 | 29–12 | 20–21 | 13–11 |
| Orlando Magic | 41 | 41 | .500 | 11 | 26–15 | 15–26 | 12–13 |
| Boston Celtics | 35 | 47 | .427 | 17 | 26–15 | 9–32 | 12–12 |
| New Jersey Nets | 31 | 51 | .378 | 21 | 22–19 | 9–32 | 9–16 |
| Washington Wizards | 29 | 53 | .354 | 23 | 17–24 | 12–29 | 7–17 |
| Central Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Indiana Pacers | 56 | 26 | .683 | – | 36–5 | 20–21 | 20–8 |
| x-Charlotte Hornets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 7 | 30–11 | 19–22 | 20–8 |
| x-Toronto Raptors | 45 | 37 | .549 | 11 | 26–15 | 19–22 | 16–12 |
| x-Detroit Pistons | 42 | 40 | .512 | 14 | 27–14 | 15–26 | 16–12 |
| x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 14 | 23–18 | 19–22 | 16–12 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 32 | 50 | .390 | 24 | 22–19 | 10–31 | 8–20 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 28 | 54 | .341 | 28 | 21–20 | 7–34 | 11–17 |
| Chicago Bulls | 17 | 65 | .207 | 39 | 12–29 | 5–36 | 5–23 |

#### Western Conference

| Midwest Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Utah Jazz | 55 | 27 | .671 | – | 31–10 | 24–17 | 14–10 |
| x-San Antonio Spurs | 53 | 29 | .646 | 2 | 31–10 | 22–19 | 16–8 |
| x-Minnesota Timberwolves | 50 | 32 | .610 | 5 | 26–15 | 24–17 | 18–6 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 40 | 42 | .488 | 15 | 22–19 | 18–23 | 12–12 |
| Denver Nuggets | 35 | 47 | .427 | 20 | 25–16 | 10–31 | 10–14 |
| Houston Rockets | 34 | 48 | .415 | 21 | 22–19 | 12–29 | 8–16 |
| Vancouver Grizzlies | 22 | 60 | .268 | 33 | 12–29 | 10–31 | 6–18 |
| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 67 | 15 | .817 | – | 36–5 | 31–10 | 20–4 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 8 | 30–11 | 29–12 | 21–3 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 53 | 29 | .646 | 14 | 32–9 | 21–20 | 15–9 |
| x-Seattle SuperSonics | 45 | 37 | .549 | 22 | 24–17 | 21–20 | 12–12 |
| x-Sacramento Kings | 44 | 38 | .537 | 23 | 30–11 | 14–27 | 9–15 |
| Golden State Warriors | 19 | 63 | .232 | 48 | 12–29 | 7–34 | 2–22 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 15 | 67 | .183 | 52 | 10–31 | 5–36 | 5–19 |

### By conference

| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Indiana Pacers | 56 | 26 | .683 | – |
| 2 | y-Miami Heat | 52 | 30 | .634 | 4 |
| 3 | x-New York Knicks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 6 |
| 4 | x-Charlotte Hornets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 7 |
| 5 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 7 |
| 6 | x-Toronto Raptors | 45 | 37 | .549 | 11 |
| 7 | x-Detroit Pistons | 42 | 40 | .512 | 14 |
| 8 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 14 |
| 9 | Orlando Magic | 41 | 41 | .500 | 15 |
| 10 | Boston Celtics | 35 | 47 | .427 | 21 |
| 11 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 32 | 50 | .390 | 24 |
| 12 | New Jersey Nets | 31 | 51 | .378 | 25 |
| 13 | Washington Wizards | 29 | 53 | .354 | 27 |
| 14 | Atlanta Hawks | 28 | 54 | .341 | 28 |
| 15 | Chicago Bulls | 17 | 65 | .207 | 39 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | z-Los Angeles Lakers | 67 | 15 | .817 | – |
| 2 | y-Utah Jazz | 55 | 27 | .671 | 12 |
| 3 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 59 | 23 | .720 | 8 |
| 4 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 53 | 29 | .646 | 14 |
| 5 | x-Phoenix Suns | 53 | 29 | .646 | 14 |
| 6 | x-Minnesota Timberwolves | 50 | 32 | .610 | 17 |
| 7 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 45 | 37 | .549 | 22 |
| 8 | x-Sacramento Kings | 44 | 38 | .537 | 23 |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | 40 | 42 | .488 | 27 |
| 10 | Denver Nuggets | 35 | 47 | .427 | 32 |
| 11 | Houston Rockets | 34 | 48 | .415 | 33 |
| 12 | Vancouver Grizzlies | 22 | 60 | .268 | 45 |
| 13 | Golden State Warriors | 19 | 63 | .232 | 48 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Clippers | 15 | 67 | .183 | 52 |
Notes
* z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
* c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
* y – Clinched division title
* x – Clinched playoff spot

## Playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.
| First Round | First Round | First Round | | | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| E1 | Indiana* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Milwaukee | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Milwaukee | 2 | | | E1 | Indiana* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E5 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Charlotte | 1 | | | E5 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | E1 | Indiana* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Indiana* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | New York | 2 | | | | |
| E3 | New York | 3 | | | | | | | | | E3 | New York | 2 | | | | |
| E6 | Toronto | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Toronto | 0 | | | E3 | New York | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Miami* | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Miami* | 3 | | | E2 | Miami* | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Detroit | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Detroit | 0 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Indiana* | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W8 | Sacramento | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Sacramento | 2 | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | Phoenix | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | San Antonio | 1 | | | W5 | Phoenix | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Phoenix | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Phoenix | 3 | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | Portland | 3 | | | | |
| W3 | Portland | 3 | | | | | | | | | W3 | Portland | 3 | | | | |
| W6 | Minnesota | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Minnesota | 1 | | | W3 | Portland | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Utah* | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Utah* | 3 | | | W2 | Utah* | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Seattle | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## Statistics leaders

| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
| Points per game | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | 29.7 |
| Rebounds per game | Dikembe Mutombo | Atlanta Hawks | 14.1 |
| Assists per game | Jason Kidd | Phoenix Suns | 10.1 |
| Steals per game | Eddie Jones | Charlotte Hornets | 2.67 |
| Blocks per game | Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 3.72 |
| FG% | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | .574 |
| FT% | Jeff Hornacek | Utah Jazz | .950 |
| 3FG% | Hubert Davis | Dallas Mavericks | .491 |

## NBA awards

* Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
* Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
* Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
* Sixth Man of the Year: Rodney Rogers, Phoenix Suns
* Most Improved Player: Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers
* Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers, Orlando Magic
* Executive of the Year: John Gabriel, Orlando Magic
* Sportsmanship Award: Eric Snow, Philadelphia 76ers

### Players of the month

The following players were named the Players of the Month.
| Month | Player |
| October – November | Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) |
| December | Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat) |
| January | Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves) |
| February | Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) |
| March | Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) |
| April | Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics) |

### Rookies of the month

The following players were named the Rookies of the Month.
| Month | Player |
| October – November | Adrian Griffin (Boston Celtics) Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Clippers) |
| December | Steve Francis (Houston Rockets) |
| January | Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls) |
| February | Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls) |
| March | Steve Francis (Houston Rockets) |
| April | Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls) Steve Francis (Houston Rockets) |

### Coaches of the month

The following coaches were named Coaches of the Month.
| Month | Coach |
| October – November | Mike Dunleavy (Portland Trail Blazers) |
| December | Phil Jackson (Los Angeles Lakers) |
| January | Flip Saunders (Minnesota Timberwolves) |
| February | Phil Jackson (Los Angeles Lakers) |
| March | Jerry Sloan (Utah Jazz) |
| April | Paul Silas (Charlotte Hornets) |