| 1997–98 Charlotte Hornets season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Dave Cowens | ||
| General manager | Bob Bass | ||
| Owner | George Shinn | ||
| Arena | Charlotte Coliseum | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 51–31 (.622) | ||
| Place | Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 4th (Eastern) | ||
| Playoff finish | Conference semifinals (lost toBulls 1–4) | ||
Stats atBasketball Reference | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | |||
| Radio | WBT | ||
| |||
The1997–98 Charlotte Hornets season was the tenth season for theCharlotte Hornets in theNational Basketball Association.[1] During the off-season, the Hornets signed free agentsDavid Wesley,[2][3][4] andBobby Phills,[5][6][7] while re-signing former Hornets forwardJ.R. Reid.[8][9] Early into the regular season, the team traded long-time Hornets guardMuggsy Bogues, along with second-year guardTony Delk to theGolden State Warriors in exchange forB. J. Armstrong, who won three NBA championships with theChicago Bulls in the early 1990s.[10][11][12]
At mid-season, the team signed free agentVernon Maxwell, who was previously released by theOrlando Magic,[13] as the Hornets held a 29–18 record at the All-Star break.[14] Despite injuries to Phills,Vlade Divac and long-time original HornetDell Curry, the Hornets had another stellar season by posting a ten-game winning streak between February and March, winning 15 of 16 games between February 21 and March 26, 1998. The Hornets finished in third place in theCentral Division with a 51–31 record, earned the fourth seed in theEastern Conference, and qualified for their fourthNBA playoff appearance.[15]
Glen Rice led the Hornets in scoring with 22.3 points per game, led them with 130 three-point field goals, and was named to theAll-NBA Third Team, while Wesley averaged 13.0 points, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game, andAnthony Mason provided the team with 12.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. In addition, Phills contributed 10.4 points per game, while Divac averaged 10.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, andMatt Geiger provided with 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Curry contributed 9.4 points per game in only 52 games, while Maxwell contributed 6.8 points per game in 31 games, Reid averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, and Armstrong provided with 3.9 points and 2.3 assists per game.[16]
During theNBA All-Star weekend atMadison Square Garden inNew York City, New York, Rice was selected for the1998 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his third and final All-Star appearance.[17][18][19] In addition, Rice participated in theNBA Three-Point Shootout for the fourth consecutive year,[20][21] and also participated in the inauguralNBA 2Ball Competition, along withAndrea Stinson of theWNBA'sCharlotte Sting.[22][23] Rice also finished in eleventh place inMost Valuable Player voting, while Mason finished tied in ninth place inDefensive Player of the Year voting, and Geiger finished tied in 13th place inMost Improved Player voting.[24]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the1998 NBA playoffs, the Hornets faced off against the 5th–seededAtlanta Hawks, a team that featured All-Star center, and Defensive Player of the Year,Dikembe Mutombo, All-Star guardSteve Smith, andMookie Blaylock; Smith was Rice's former teammate on theMiami Heat. The Hornets won the first two games over the Hawks at home at theCharlotte Coliseum, before losing Game 3 on the road by a 32-point margin, 96–64 at theGeorgia Dome.[25][26][27] The Hornets won Game 4 over the Hawks on the road, 91–82 to win the series in four games.[28][29][30]
In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the top–seeded, and 2-time defending NBA championChicago Bulls, who won the Central Division title, and were led by the trio of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year,Michael Jordan, All-Star forwardScottie Pippen, and rebound-specialistDennis Rodman. After losing Game 1 at theUnited Center, 83–70, the Hornets managed to win Game 2 over the Bulls on the road, 78–76 to even the series.[31][32][33] However, the Hornets lost the next two games at the Charlotte Coliseum, before losing Game 5 to the Bulls at the United Center, 93–84, thus losing the series in five games.[34][35][36] The Bulls would go on to reach the1998 NBA Finals, where they defeated theUtah Jazz in six games to win their third consecutive NBA championship, and sixth overall in eight years.[37][38][39]
The Hornets finished second in the NBA in home-game attendance behind the Bulls, with an attendance of 959,634 at the Charlotte Coliseum during the regular season.[16][40] On November 25, 1997, the team's sellout streak would end at 364 consecutive games (371 including post-season contests); this was the second longest active sell-out streak at the time, behind the Bulls' 465.[41][42]
Following the season, Divac and Maxwell both signed as free agents with theSacramento Kings,[43][44][45] while Curry signed with theMilwaukee Bucks after ten seasons with the Hornets,[45][46][47] and Geiger signed with thePhiladelphia 76ers.[48][49][50] For the season, the Hornets added side panels and additional pinstripes to their uniforms, which would remain in use until 2002.[51][52]
As of 2026, this was the last season in which the franchise won 50 or more games during the regular season.
The Hornets had no draft picks in 1997.
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach Assistant(s) Legend
Roster |
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Chicago Bulls | 62 | 20 | .756 | – | 37–4 | 25–16 | 21–7 |
| x-Indiana Pacers | 58 | 24 | .707 | 4 | 32–9 | 26–15 | 19–9 |
| x-Charlotte Hornets | 51 | 31 | .622 | 11 | 32–9 | 19–22 | 16–12 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 12 | 29–12 | 21–20 | 19–9 |
| x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 15 | 27–14 | 20–21 | 14–14 |
| Detroit Pistons | 37 | 45 | .451 | 25 | 25–16 | 12–29 | 12–16 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 | 21–20 | 15–26 | 9–19 |
| Toronto Raptors | 16 | 66 | .195 | 46 | 9–32 | 7–34 | 2–26 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1998 playoff game log Total: 4–5 (home: 2–2; road: 2–3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Round: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conference semifinals: 1–4 (home: 0–2; road: 1–2)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Rice | SF | 82 | 82 | 3,295 | 353 | 182 | 77 | 22 | 1,826 | 40.2 | 4.3 | 2.2 | .9 | .3 | 22.3 |
| David Wesley | PG | 81 | 81 | 2,845 | 213 | 529 | 140 | 30 | 1,054 | 35.1 | 2.6 | 6.5 | 1.7 | .4 | 13.0 |
| Anthony Mason | PF | 81 | 80 | 3,148 | 826 | 342 | 68 | 18 | 1,039 | 38.9 | 10.2 | 4.2 | .8 | .2 | 12.8 |
| J. R. Reid | PF | 79 | 1 | 1,109 | 210 | 51 | 35 | 19 | 384 | 14.0 | 2.7 | .6 | .4 | .2 | 4.9 |
| Matt Geiger | C | 78 | 42 | 1,839 | 521 | 78 | 68 | 87 | 885 | 23.6 | 6.7 | 1.0 | .9 | 1.1 | 11.3 |
| Vlade Divac | C | 64 | 41 | 1,805 | 518 | 172 | 83 | 94 | 667 | 28.2 | 8.1 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 10.4 |
| Bobby Phills | SG | 62 | 61 | 1,887 | 216 | 187 | 81 | 18 | 642 | 30.4 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .3 | 10.4 |
| B. J. Armstrong† | PG | 62 | 0 | 772 | 69 | 144 | 25 | 0 | 244 | 12.5 | 1.1 | 2.3 | .4 | .0 | 3.9 |
| Corey Beck | PG | 59 | 14 | 738 | 90 | 98 | 33 | 7 | 191 | 12.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | .6 | .1 | 3.2 |
| Dell Curry | SG | 52 | 1 | 971 | 101 | 69 | 31 | 4 | 490 | 18.7 | 1.9 | 1.3 | .6 | .1 | 9.4 |
| Travis Williams | SF | 39 | 0 | 365 | 92 | 20 | 18 | 5 | 136 | 9.4 | 2.4 | .5 | .5 | .1 | 3.5 |
| Vernon Maxwell† | SG | 31 | 0 | 467 | 44 | 40 | 14 | 3 | 210 | 15.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | .5 | .1 | 6.8 |
| Donald Royal† | SF | 29 | 5 | 305 | 37 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 74 | 10.5 | 1.3 | .6 | .2 | .0 | 2.6 |
| Tony Farmer | C | 27 | 2 | 169 | 32 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 67 | 6.3 | 1.2 | .2 | .4 | .1 | 2.5 |
| Tony Delk† | PG | 3 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11.3 | .7 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 2.7 |
| Muggsy Bogues† | PG | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8.0 | .5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Jeff Grayer† | SG | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Michael McDonald | C | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Rice | SF | 9 | 9 | 369 | 51 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 205 | 41.0 | 5.7 | 1.4 | .6 | .3 | 22.8 |
| Anthony Mason | PF | 9 | 9 | 367 | 71 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 139 | 40.8 | 7.9 | 3.4 | .9 | .0 | 15.4 |
| Vlade Divac | C | 9 | 9 | 345 | 98 | 31 | 7 | 14 | 104 | 38.3 | 10.9 | 3.4 | .8 | 1.6 | 11.6 |
| David Wesley | PG | 9 | 9 | 285 | 18 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 90 | 31.7 | 2.0 | 6.7 | .8 | .0 | 10.0 |
| Bobby Phills | SG | 9 | 9 | 269 | 23 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 57 | 29.9 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 1.1 | .2 | 6.3 |
| Dell Curry | SG | 9 | 0 | 171 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 52 | 19.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .8 | .3 | 5.8 |
| B. J. Armstrong | PG | 9 | 0 | 146 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 16.2 | 1.1 | 2.0 | .7 | .0 | 4.1 |
| J. R. Reid | PF | 9 | 0 | 114 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 12.7 | 2.2 | .2 | .3 | .2 | 3.3 |
| Corey Beck | PG | 6 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 4.3 | .2 | .0 | .7 | .0 | 2.5 |
| Donald Royal | SF | 4 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7.0 | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 2.3 |
| Matt Geiger | C | 4 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5.5 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| Travis Williams | SF | 4 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4.5 | 1.3 | .0 | .3 | .3 | 1.3 |
ReleasedRafael Addison.
SignedDavid Wesley as a free agent.
SignedJ.R. Reid as a free agent.
SignedBobby Phills as a free agent.
ReleasedMalik Rose.
WaivedRicky Pierce.
SignedTony Farmer as a free agent.
SignedTravis Williams as a free agent.
SignedCorey Beck as a free agent.
TradedMuggsy Bogues andTony Delk to the Golden State Warriors forB. J. Armstrong.
SignedDonald Royal to the first of two 10-day contracts.
SignedMichael McDonald as a free agent.
SignedJeff Grayer to a 10-day contract.
SignedVernon Maxwell to a 10-day contract.
SignedDonald Royal to a contract for the rest of the season.
SignedVernon Maxwell to a contract for the rest of the season.
WaivedTony Farmer.
Player Transactions Citation:[53]
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| Franchise | |
| Arenas | |
| Personnel |
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| G League affiliate | |
| Retired numbers | |
| Culture and lore | |
