1997–98 Los Angeles Lakers season

The 1997–98 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 50th season for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association, and their 38th season in Los Angeles, California.^[1] During the off-season, the Lakers signed free agents Rick Fox,^[2][3][4] and three-point specialist Jon Barry.^[5]

With the addition of Fox, the Lakers got off to a fast start to the regular season by winning their first eleven games,^[6] before losing Shaquille O'Neal to a strained stomach muscle that forced him to sit out 20 games;^[7][8][9] in his absence, the team posted a 13–7 record. In January, Nick Van Exel suffered a knee injury missing 18 games,^[10][11][12] and was replaced with second-year guard Derek Fisher as the team's starting point guard for the remainder of the season.^[13] The Lakers held a 34–11 record at the All-Star break,^[14] and won 22 of their final 25 games to tie the Pacific Division title with the Seattle SuperSonics with a 61–21 record, earning the third seed in the Western Conference.^[15] It was the Lakers' best record since the 1989–90 season.

O'Neal averaged 28.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Eddie Jones averaged 16.9 points and 2.0 steals per game, led the Lakers with 143 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and second-year guard Kobe Bryant emerged as a star in his second season, playing an increased role as the team's sixth man off the bench, averaging 15.4 points per game.^[16] In addition, Van Exel provided the team with 13.8 points and 6.9 assists per game, and finished second on the team with 123 three-point field goals, while Fox contributed 12.0 points per game, and Robert Horry averaged 7.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Elden Campbell provided with 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, Fisher contributed 5.8 points and 4.1 assists per game, and Corie Blount averaged 3.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.^[17]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, four members of the team, O'Neal, Bryant, Jones and Van Exel, were all selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was Bryant's first ever All-Star appearance, and the first and only All-Star appearance for Van Exel.^[18][19][20] Despite playing a sixth man role off the bench, Bryant was voted as a starter for the Western Conference at the age of 19;^[21][22][23] he scored 18 points in 22 minutes, as the Western Conference lost to the Eastern Conference, 135–114.^[24][25][20] In addition, Bryant also participated in the inaugural NBA 2Ball Competition, along with Lisa Leslie of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.^[26][27] O'Neal finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[28][29] while Bryant finished in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind Danny Manning of the Phoenix Suns,^[30][29] and also finished in seventh place in Most Improved Player voting.^[29]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1998 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Lakers faced off against the 6th–seeded Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured Isaiah Rider, Arvydas Sabonis and Rasheed Wallace. The Lakers won the first two games over the Trail Blazers at home at the Great Western Forum, before losing Game 3 on the road, 99–94 at the Rose Garden Arena. The Lakers won Game 4 over the Trail Blazers on the road, 110–99 to win the series in four games.^[31][32][33]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Pacific Division champion SuperSonics, who were led by the All-Star trio of Gary Payton, Vin Baker and Detlef Schrempf. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the SuperSonics had home-court advantage in the series. The Lakers lost Game 1 to the SuperSonics on the road, 106–92 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center,^[34][35][36] but managed to win Game 2 on the road, 92–68. The Lakers won the next two games at the Great Western Forum, before winning Game 5 over the SuperSonics at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, 110–95 to win the series in five games.^[37][38][39]

In the Western Conference Finals, and also for the second consecutive year, the Lakers faced off against the top–seeded, and Midwest Division champion Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Jeff Hornacek. The Lakers lost the first two games to the Jazz on the road, which included a 35-point margin loss in Game 1, 112–77 at the Delta Center. The Lakers lost the next two games at home, including a Game 4 loss to the Jazz at the Great Western Forum, 96–92, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep.^[40][41][42] The Jazz would go on to lose in six games to the 2-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls in the 1998 NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.^[43][44][45]

The Lakers finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 676,101 at the Great Western Forum during the regular season.^[17][46] Following the season, Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets after feuding with head coach Del Harris,^[47][48][49] and Barry signed as a free agent with the Sacramento Kings.^[50][51]