1997–98 Sacramento Kings season

The 1997–98 NBA season was the Kings' 49th season in the National Basketball Association, and 13th season in Sacramento.[1] During the off-season, the Kings signed free agent Terry Dehere. The Kings decided to add youth to their roster with the addition of rookies Lawrence Funderburke (second round draft pick from the 1994 NBA draft), top draft pick Tariq Abdul-Wahad, second round draft pick Anthony Johnson and undrafted rookie center Michael Stewart. The team got off to a slow start losing their first four games on their way to a 5–14 start, but later on won 8 of their 14 games in January. At midseason, they traded Michael Smith and Bobby Hurley the Vancouver Grizzlies for former Kings forward Otis Thorpe.[2] However, with a 26–36 record as of March 6, the Kings struggled losing 19 of their final 20 games, including a 12-game losing streak and seven straight losses to end the season.[3] They finished fifth in the Pacific Division with a 27–55 record, which was fourteen games behind the 8th-seeded Houston Rockets.[4]

1997–98 Sacramento Kings season
Head coachEddie Jordan
General managerGeoff Petrie
PresidentGeoff Petrie
Owner(s)Jim Thomas
ArenaARCO Arena
Results
Record27–55 (.329)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Pacific)
Conference: 9th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKPWB-TV
SportsChannel Pacific/Fox Sports Bay Area
RadioKHTK

Mitch Richmond averaged 23.2 points per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, which would be his sixth and final All-Star appearance,[5] while Corliss Williamson showed improvement stepping into the lineup, averaging 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and also finishing in second place in Most Improved Player voting,[6] and Billy Owens provided the team with 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. In addition, Funderburke played a sixth man role, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game off the bench, but only played 52 games due to injury, while Johnson contributed 7.5 points and 4.3 assists per game, Olden Polynice provided with 7.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and Stewart led the team with 2.4 blocks per game.[7] Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf only played just 31 games, missing the final three months of the season with the flu and an corneal ulcer, as he contributed 7.3 points per game off the bench.[8]

Following the season, Richmond was traded along with Thorpe to the Washington Wizards after seven seasons in Sacramento,[9] while Owens and Olden Polynice both signed as free agents with the Seattle SuperSonics, whom Polynice used to play for, Johnson signed with the Atlanta Hawks, Stewart signed with the Toronto Raptors, Abdul-Rauf left to play in Turkey,[8] and head coach Eddie Jordan was fired.

Draft picks
Main article: 1997 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
111Tariq Abdul-WahadSG/SF FranceSan Jose State
239Anthony JohnsonPG United StatesCollege of Charleston

Roster
1997–98 Sacramento Kings roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
G 3 Abdul-Rauf, Mahmoud  6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 162 lb (73 kg) 1969–03–09 LSU
G/F 9 Abdul-Wahad, Tariq 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1974–11–03 San José State
G 24 Dehere, Terry 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1971–09–12 Seton Hall
F 51 Funderburke, Lawrence 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1970–12–15 Ohio State
F 42 Hendrickson, Mark 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1974–06–23 Washington State
G 10 Johnson, Anthony 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1974–10–02 College of Charleston
F 30 Owens, Billy  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1969–05–01 Syracuse
C 0 Polynice, Olden 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1964–11–21 Virginia
G 2 Richmond, Mitch  (C) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1965–06–30 Kansas State
G 5 Robinson, Chris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1974–04–02 Western Kentucky
C 13 Stewart, Michael 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1975–04–25 California
C 33 Thorpe, Otis  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1962–08–05 Providence
F 4 Williamson, Corliss 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1973–12–04 Arkansas
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: February 20, 1998

Regular season

Season standings
Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Seattle SuperSonics 6121.744–35–626–1519–5
x-Los Angeles Lakers 6121.744 –33–828–1316–8
x-Phoenix Suns 5626.683530–1126–1517–7
x-Portland Trail Blazers 4636.5611526–1520–2114–10
Sacramento Kings 2755.3293421–206–356–18
Golden State Warriors 1963.2324212–297–346–18
Los Angeles Clippers 1765.2074411–306–356–18
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Utah Jazz6220.756–
2 y-Seattle SuperSonics6121.7441
3 x-Los Angeles Lakers6121.7441
4 x-Phoenix Suns5626.6836
5 x-San Antonio Spurs5626.6836
6 x-Portland Trail Blazers4636.56116
7 x-Minnesota Timberwolves4537.54917
8 x-Houston Rockets4141.50021
9 Sacramento Kings2755.32935
10 Dallas Mavericks2062.24442
11 Vancouver Grizzlies1963.23243
11 Golden State Warriors1963.23243
13 Los Angeles Clippers1765.20745
14 Denver Nuggets1171.13451
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

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 –2–14–01–34–02–02–02–22–01–11–32–00–21–33–10–21–22–22–23–10–21–12–01–11–14–00–22–04–0
Boston 1–2–1–21–31–31–11–12–21–11–10–42–01–10–42–21–12–22–22–23–10–21–11–10–21–13–00–22–03–2
Charlotte 0–42–1–1–32–22–02–03–11–12–03–12–01–13–13–11–12–21–33–12–11–12–01–11–11–14–01–12–02–2
Chicago 3–13–13–1–2–21–12–03–12–02–02–22–01–12–14–01–14–04–03–12–11–11–12–02–01–14–00–22–03–1
Cleveland 0–43–12–22–2–1–12–03–12–01–12–22–01–11–32–22–03–11–22–23–12–01–12–00–20–23–11–12–01–2
Dallas 0–21–10–21–11–1–3–10–21–30–41–11–30–40–20–22–20–21–10–20–20–40–40–40–42–21–10–44–01–1
Denver 0–21–10–20–20–21–3–0–21–30–40–22–20–40–20–21–30–20–20–20–20–42–21–30–40–40–20–41–31–1
Detroit 2–22–21–31–31–32–02–0–2–01–11–32–00–21–22–20–22–22–21–23–11–10–21–11–10–24–00–20–22–2
Golden State 0–21–11–10–20–23–13–10–2–1–30–21–31–30–20–20–40–21–11–10–20–41–32–21–31–30–20–41–30–2
Houston 1–11–10–20–21–14–04–01–13–1–1–14–01–30–21–11–31–11–10–21–11–31–34–02–21–32–00–43–11–1
Indiana 3–14–01–32–22–21–12–03–12–01–1–2–00–23–14–02–02–12–13–14–01–11–12–00–20–24–01–12–04–0
L.A. Clippers 0–20–20–20–20–23–12–20–23–10–40–2–0–40–20–20–41–10–20–21–10–40–43–11–30–41–11–31–30–2
L.A. Lakers 2–01–11–11–11–14–04–02–03–13–12–04–0–1–12–04–01–11–11–10–22–22–24–04–01–32–03–14–01–1
Miami 3–14–01–31–23–12–02–02–12–02–01–32–01–1–3–11–13–12–23–14–00–22–02–00–20–24–01–12–02–2
Milwaukee 1–32–21–30–42–22–02–02–22–01–10–42–00–21–3–1–10–43–12–12–20–22–02–00–21–13–10–21–11–2
Minnesota 2–01–11–11–10–22–23–12–04–03–10–24–00–41–11–1–2–01–10–22–03–11–33–11–31–31–11–34–00–2
New Jersey 2–12–22–20–41–32–02–02–22–01–11–21–11–11–34–00–2–2–23–13–11–11–12–01–10–23–10–22–01–3
New York 2–22–23–10–42–11–12–02–21–11–11–22–01–12–21–31–12–2–4–02–22–01–11–10–21–13–10–22–01–3
Orlando 2–22–21–31–32–22–02–02–11–12–01–32–01–11–31–22–01–30–4–4–00–22–00–20–21–13–10–22–03–1
Philadelphia 1–31–31–21–21–32–02–01–32–01–10–41–12–00–42–20–21–32–20–4–1–11–11–10–20–22–20–22–03–1
Phoenix 2–02–01–11–10–24–04–01–14–03–11–14–02–22–02–01–31–10–22–01–1–2–23–13–12–22–01–34–01–1
Portland 1–11–10–21–11–14–02–22–03–13–11–14–02–20–20–23–11–11–10–21–12–2–3–12–20–42–03–12–21–1
Sacramento 0–21–11–10–20–24–03–11–12–20–40–21–30–40–20–21–30–21–12–01–11–31–3–0–41–31–12–22–21–1
San Antonio 1–12–01–10–22–04–04–01–13–12–22–03–10–42–02–03–11–12–02–02–01–32–24–0–2–22–01–34–01–1
Seattle 1–11–11–11–12–02–24–02–03–13–12–04–03–12–01–13–12–01–11–12–02–24–03–12–2–2–02–24–01–1
Toronto 0–40–30–40–41–31–12–00–42–00–20–41–10–20–41–31–11–31–31–32–20–20–21–10–20–2–0–21–10–3
Utah 2–02–01–12–01–14–04–02–04–04–01–13–11–31–12–03–12–02–02–02–03–11–32–23–12–22–0–4–00–2
Vancouver 0–20–20–20–20–20–43–12–03–11–30–23–10–40–21–10–40–20–20–20–20–42–22–20–40–41–10–4–1–1
Washington 0–42–32–21–32–11–11–12–22–01–10–42–01–12–22–12–03–13–11–31–31–11–11–11–11–13–02–01–1—

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

NOTE: Please write the players statistics in alphabetical order by last name.

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Awards and records

References
  1. 1997-98 Sacramento Kings
  2. "IN SEVEN-PLAYER SWAP, RAPTORS TRADE ANDERSON TO THE CELTICS". Washington Post. February 19, 1998. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  3. "Grizzlies Defeat Sacramento in OT". CBS News. April 20, 1998. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  4. "1997–98 Sacramento Kings Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. "1998 NBA All-Star Game: East 135, West 114". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  6. "1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  7. "1997–98 Sacramento Kings Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  8. "ABDUL-RAUF LEAVES NBA FOR TURKEY". Chicago Tribune. June 19, 1998. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  9. "N.B.A.; Webber Traded to Sacramento". New York Times. May 15, 1998. Retrieved July 4, 2021.

See also
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