The 1998âÂÂ99 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 51st season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 39th season in Los Angeles, California. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50. This was also the Lakers' final season in which they played their home games at the Great Western Forum. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Derek Harper, and re-acquired former Lakers center Travis Knight after one season with the Boston Celtics.
With the addition of Harper, the Lakers played around .500 in winning percentage with a 6âÂÂ6 start to the regular season, as head coach Del Harris was fired. After one game under interim coach Bill Bertka, the team hired former Lakers forward Kurt Rambis as their new coach. In February, the Lakers signed free agent and rebounding specialist Dennis Rodman, who was well known for winning NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls; however, after 23 games, Rodman was released by the team, averaging 11.2 rebounds per game. At mid-season, the team traded Eddie Jones, and Elden Campbell to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for All-Star forward Glen Rice, J.R. Reid and B. J. Armstrong; Armstrong was released to free agency and signed with the Orlando Magic, while the team also released Corie Blount, as he later on signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers posted a 10-game winning streak between February and March, and finished in second place in the Pacific Division with a 31âÂÂ19 record, earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
Shaquille O'Neal averaged 26.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Kobe Bryant became the team's starting shooting guard, averaging 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, Rice provided the team with 17.5 points per game in 27 games after the trade, while Rick Fox contributed 9.0 points per game off the bench, Harper provided with 6.9 points and 4.2 assists per game, and Derek Fisher contributed 5.9 points, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Meanwhile, Reid averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 25 games, Robert Horry provided with 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and Knight contributed 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the 5thâÂÂseeded Houston Rockets, who were led by the All-Star trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the Lakers had home-court advantage in the series. The Lakers won the first two games over the Rockets at home at the Great Western Forum, before losing Game 3 on the road, 102âÂÂ88 at the Compaq Center. The Lakers won Game 4 over the Rockets on the road, 98âÂÂ88 to win the series in four games.
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the topâÂÂseeded, and Midwest Division champion San Antonio Spurs, who were led by All-Star forward Tim Duncan, All-Star center David Robinson, and Sean Elliott. The Lakers lost the first two games to the Spurs on the road at the Alamodome, and then lost the next two games at home, including a Game 4 loss to the Spurs at the Great Western Forum, 118âÂÂ107, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep. The Spurs would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, and defeat the 8thâÂÂseeded New York Knicks in five games in the 1999 NBA Finals, winning their first ever NBA championship.
The Lakers finished twelfth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 430,007 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season. Following the season, Rambis was fired as head coach, while Reid signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks, Sean Rooks was traded back to his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, rookie small forward Ruben Patterson signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Harper was dealt to the Detroit Pistons, but was released and then retired.
The Lakers went through three coaches during the season: Del Harris (6âÂÂ6), Bill Bertka (1âÂÂ0) and Kurt Rambis (24âÂÂ13). Fourteen different Lakers started at least one game during the season. From February 25 to March 12, the Lakers won ten consecutive games. Outside of the streak, the Lakers were 21âÂÂ19 in all other games. During the season, over half of the Lakers' games were televised nationally.
At season's end, the Lakers ranked second in the league in scoring at 99.0 points per game (only Sacramento averaged more points: 100.2 ppg). Despite the high scoring, the Lakers were the fourth worst Free Throw shooting team in the league with a percentage of .683. Shaquille O'Neal had a percentage of .540. Following the season, Rambis was fired as coach.
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | January 29 | L.A. Clippers | W 107-76 | Kobe Bryant (19) | Travis Knight (14) | Fisher & Harper (6) | Great Western Forum<br>14,042 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | January 30 | @ L.A. Clippers | W 91-77 | Kobe Bryant (16) | Knight & Rooks (8) | Derek Fisher (7) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena<br>16,021 | 2âÂÂ0
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | February 5 | Houston | W 99-91 | Shaquille O'Neal (30) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Derek Harper (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | February 7 | Utah | L 91-100 | Shaquille O'Neal (37) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Derek Harper (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1-1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | February 8 | @ San Antonio | W 80-75 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Robert Horry (4) | Alamodome<br>33,788 | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | February 10 | @ Denver | W 103-98 | Shaquille O'Neal (29) | Kobe Bryant (10) | 3 players tied (5) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>13,210 | 3âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | February 11 | @ Minnesota | L 75-86 | Kobe Bryant (24) | Kobe Bryant (10) | Derek Harper (5) | Target Center<br>19,006 | 3âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | February 14 | Indiana | L 99-101 | Shaquille O'Neal (36) | Shaquille O'Neal (17) | Derek Fisher (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 3-3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | February 16 | Charlotte | W 116-88 | Fox & O'Neal (20) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | 4 players tied (5) | Staples Center<br>14,093 | 4âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 8 | February 17 | Dallas | W 101-88 | Shaquille O'Neal (24) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Derek Fisher (6) | Great Western Forum<br>13,492 | 5âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 9 | February 19 | San Antonio | W 106-94 | Shaquille O'Neal (28) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Bryant & Harper (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 6âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 10 | February 21 | @ Seattle | L 89-92 | Shaquille O'Neal (27) | Kobe Bryant (13) | Derek Harper (5) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 6âÂÂ4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 11 | February 22 | @ Denver | L 113-117 (OT) | Shaquille O'Neal (28) | Kobe Bryant (13) | Kobe Bryant (9) | McNichols Sports Arena<br>17,171 | 6âÂÂ5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 12 | February 23 | @ Vancouver | L 83-93 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Shaquille O'Neal (7) | General Motors Place<br>19,193 | 6-6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | February 25 | @ L.A. Clippers | W 115-100 | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Bryant & Fisher (6) | Arrowhead Pond<br>18,456 | 7âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 14 | February 26 | L.A. Clippers | W 99-83 | Kobe Bryant (22) | Dennis Rodman (11) | Fisher & Rodman (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 8âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | February 28 | Houston | W 106-90 | Shaquille O'Neal (22) | Dennis Rodman (10) | Bryant & Fisher (3) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 9âÂÂ6
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 16 | March 1 | @ Phoenix | W 97-91 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Dennis Rodman (16) | Fox & Jones (5) | American West Arena<br>19,023 | 10âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | March 3 | Phoenix | W 101-95 | Kobe Bryant (32) | Dennis Rodman (17) | Bryant & Fisher (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 11âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 18 | March 5 | Seattle | W 103-100 | Shaquille O'Neal (31) | Knight & O'Neal (11) | Shaquille O'Neal (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 12âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 19 | March 7 | @ Utah | W 97-89 | Kobe Bryant (24) | Shaquille O'Neal (16) | Harper & Jones (4) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 13âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 20 | March 9 | @ L.A. Clippers | W 103-99 | Shaquille O'Neal (31) | Dennis Rodman (20) | Kobe Bryant (5) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena<br>13,380 | 14âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 21 | March 10 | L.A. Clippers | W 94-75 | Shaquille O'Neal 31 | Shaquille O'Neal 13 | Bryant & Fox (4) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 15âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 22 | March 12 | Golden State | W 89-78 | Glen Rice (21) | Shaquille O'Neal (17) | Fisher & Fox (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 16âÂÂ6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 23 | March 14 | @ Sacramento | L 101-105 | Shaquille O'Neal (33) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Derek Fisher (7) | ARCO Arena<br>17,317 | 16âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 24 | March 16 | @ Minnesota | W 107-101 | Shaquille O'Neal (24) | Kobe Bryant (9) | Derek Harper (6) | Target Center<br>19,006 | 17âÂÂ7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 25 | March 18 | @ Cleveland | L 93-100 | Shaquille O'Neal (37) | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Bryant & Rice (5) | Gund Arena<br>20,562 | 17âÂÂ8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | March 19 | @ Philadelphia | L 90-105 | Bryant & O'Neal (23) | Travis Knight (9) | Harper & Rice (3) | First Union Center<br>20,644 | 17âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | March 21 | @ Orlando | W 115-104 | Kobe Bryant (38) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Derek Fisher (8) | Orlando Arena<br>17,248 | 18âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 28 | March 22 | @ Dallas | W 96-93 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Dennis Rodman (17) | Fisher & Fox (4) | Reunion Arena<br>18,121 | 19âÂÂ9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 29 | March 24 | Phoenix | L 101-106 | Kobe Bryant (25) | Dennis Rodman (13) | Derek Harper (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 19âÂÂ10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 30 | March 26 | Sacramento | L 109-111 | Kobe Bryant (26) | Dennis Rodman (9) | Bryant & Fisher (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 19âÂÂ11 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 31 | March 28 | New York | W 99-91 | Kobe Bryant (29) | Dennis Rodman (12) | Derek Harper (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 20âÂÂ11 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | March 29 | Vancouver | W 116-98 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Dennis Rodman (17) | Harper & Rice (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,312 | 21âÂÂ11
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 33 | April 2 | @ Phoenix | W 91-90 | Glen Rice (23) | Dennis Rodman (15) | Derek Harper (10) | American West Arena<br>19,023 | 22âÂÂ11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 34 | April 3 | Golden State | L 76-81 | Shaquille O'Neal (21) | Dennis Rodman (13) | Glen Rice (5) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 22âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 35 | April 5 | Denver | W 117-104 | Bryant & Rice (26) | Dennis Rodman (17) | Derek Harper (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 23âÂÂ12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 36 | April 6 | Utah | L 93-106 | Shaquille O'Neal (24) | Dennis Rodman (12) | Tyronn Lue (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 23âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | April 7 | @ Sacramento | W 104-89 | Shaquille O'Neal (30) | Shaquille O'Neal (18) | Kobe Bryant (7) | ARCO Arena<br>17,317 | 24âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 38 | April 9 | Minnesota | W 96-89 | O'Neal & Rice (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (15) | Kobe Bryant (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 25âÂÂ13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 39 | April 11 | Seattle | L 109-113 | Shaquille O'Neal (38) | Dennis Rodman (13) | Kobe Bryant (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 25âÂÂ14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 40 | April 13 | @ Portland | L 86-113 | Shaquille O'Neal (24) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Derek Fisher (7) | Rose Garden<br>20,705 | 25âÂÂ15 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 41 | April 17 | @ Utah | L 93-109 | Shaquille O'Neal (29) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Derek Fisher (6) | Delta Center<br>19,911 | 25âÂÂ16 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | April 19 | Vancouver | W 117-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (35) | Robert Horry (12) | Kobe Bryant (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 26âÂÂ16 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 43 | April 20 | @ Golden State | W 106-102 (OT) | Kobe Bryant (27) | Glen Rice (12) | Kobe Bryant (5) | The Arena in Oakland<br>20,108 | 27âÂÂ16 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 44 | April 21 | @ Portland | L 82-88 | Shaquille O'Neal (25) | Shaquille O'Neal (13) | Kobe Bryant (4) | Rose Garden<br>20,713 | 27âÂÂ17 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 45 | April 24 | @ San Antonio | L 81-108 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Derek Fisher (6) | Alamodome<br>31,972 | 27âÂÂ18 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 46 | April 26 | @ Houston | L 80-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (19) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Derek Fisher (7) | Compaq Center<br>16,285 | 27âÂÂ19 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 47 | April 29 | Portland | W 108-89 | Shaquille O'Neal (38) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Kobe Bryant (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 28âÂÂ19
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 48 | May 2 | @ Seattle | W 91-84 | Shaquille O'Neal (33) | Shaquille O'Neal (12) | Derek Fisher (6) | KeyArena<br>17,072 | 29âÂÂ19 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 49 | May 3 | Dallas | W 115-102 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Kobe Bryant (10) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 30âÂÂ19 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 50 | May 5 | Portland | W 119-91 | Glen Rice (40) | Shaquille O'Neal (9) | Derek Fisher (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 31âÂÂ19
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | May 9 | Houston | W 101âÂÂ100 | Glen Rice (29) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Derek Fisher (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | May 11 | Houston | W 110âÂÂ98 | Shaquille O'Neal (28) | Robert Horry (10) | Shaquille O'Neal (7) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 2âÂÂ0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | May 13 | @ Houston | L 88âÂÂ102 | Shaquille O'Neal (26) | Shaquille O'Neal (10) | Derek Fisher (6) | Compaq Center<br>16,285 | 2âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 | May 15 | @ Houston | W 98âÂÂ88 | Shaquille O'Neal (37) | Shaquille O'Neal (11) | Kobe Bryant (8) | Compaq Center<br>16,285 | 3âÂÂ1 |-
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | May 17 | @ San Antonio | L 81âÂÂ87 | 3 players tied (21) | Shaquille O'Neal (15) | Kobe Bryant (6) | Alamodome<br>25,297 | 0âÂÂ1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 | May 19 | @ San Antonio | L 76âÂÂ79 | Kobe Bryant (28) | 3 players tied (8) | Kobe Bryant (4) | Alamodome<br>33,293 | 0âÂÂ2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 | May 22 | San Antonio | L 91âÂÂ103 | Glen Rice (24) | Shaquille O'Neal (15) | Derek Fisher (9) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 0âÂÂ3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | May 23 | San Antonio | L 107âÂÂ118 | Shaquille O'Neal (36) | Shaquille O'Neal (14) | Fisher & Lue (6) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 0âÂÂ4 |-
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