Wikipedia

1997–98 Sacramento Kings season

The 1997–98 Sacramento Kings season was the 49th season for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association, and their 13th season in Sacramento, California.[1] The Kings received the eleventh overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard, and French basketball star Olivier Saint Jean out of San Jose State University, and also selected point guard Anthony Johnson out of the College of Charleston with the 39th overall pick;[2][3][4] Saint Jean would later on change his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam the previous year.[5] During the off-season, the team signed free agent Terry Dehere,[6][7] and undrafted rookie center Michael Stewart from the University of California. Rookie power forward Lawrence Funderburke out of Ohio State University, who was drafted by the Kings as the 51st overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, but went to play overseas in Greece and France, made his debut in the NBA this season.[8][9]

1997–98 Sacramento Kings season
Head coachEddie Jordan
PresidentGeoff Petrie
General managerGeoff Petrie
OwnerJim Thomas
ArenaARCO Arena
Results
Record27–55 (.329)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Pacific)
Conference: 9th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionKPWB-TV
SportsChannel Pacific/Fox Sports Bay Area
RadioKHTK
< 1996–97 1998–99 >

With the addition of Funderburke, Johnson, Abdul-Wahad, Dehere and Stewart, the Kings got off to a 5–9 start to the regular season, and then posted a six-game losing streak between November and December afterwards. The team won 8 of their 14 games in January, and later on held a 20–28 record at the All-Star break.[10] At mid-season, the Kings traded Michael Smith, and Bobby Hurley to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for former Kings forward Otis Thorpe, and second-year guard Chris Robinson.[11][12][13] However, with a 24–29 record as of February 17, 1998, the Kings struggled losing 26 of their final 29 games of the season. The team posted a seven-game losing streak between February and March, suffered a 12-game losing streak between March and April, and then posted another seven-game losing streak to close the season; Mitch Richmond missed twelve games late in the season due to a sore right knee injury.[14][15][16] The Kings finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 27–55 record, which was fourteen games behind the 8th–seeded Houston Rockets;[17] the team also set a record of fifteen consecutive losing seasons under .500 in winning percentage.[15]

Richmond averaged 23.2 points, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, led the Kings with 130 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, Corliss Williamson showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward, averaging 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Billy Owens provided the team with 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and Funderburke played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, but only played 52 games due to injury.[18] Meanwhile, Thorpe averaged 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 27 games after the trade, Johnson contributed 7.5 points and 4.3 assists per game, and Olden Polynice provided with 7.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf contributed 7.3 points per game, but only played just 31 games, missing the final three months of the regular season due to the flu, and an corneal ulcer,[19][20] while Dehere provided with 6.4 points and 2.5 assists per game, Abdul-Wahad contributed 6.4 points per game, and Stewart averaged 4.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.[21]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Richmond was selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was his sixth and final All-Star appearance.[22][23][24] In addition, Richmond also participated in the inaugural NBA 2Ball Competition, along with Ruthie Bolton-Holifield of the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs,[25][26] and Stewart was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Western Conference Rookie team.[27][28] Richmond finished in 15th place in Most Valuable Player voting,[29] while Williamson finished in second place in Most Improved Player voting, behind Alan Henderson of the Atlanta Hawks.[30][29]

The Kings finished 25th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 605,443 at the ARCO Arena II during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league.[21][31] For the first time since moving to Sacramento, the team failed to sell out a home game at the ARCO Arena II on November 6, 1997, ending their 497-game sellout streak.[32]

Following the season, Richmond and Thorpe were both traded to the Washington Wizards, after Richmond spent seven seasons with the Kings.[33][34][35] Meanwhile, Owens and Polynice both signed as free agents with the Seattle SuperSonics, whom Polynice used to play for,[36][37][38] Johnson signed with the Atlanta Hawks,[39] Stewart signed with the Toronto Raptors,[40] Abdul-Rauf left to play overseas in Turkey,[19][20] and head coach Eddie Jordan was fired.[41][42]

Draft picks

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Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
111Tariq Abdul-WahadSG/SF FranceSan Jose State
239Anthony JohnsonPG United StatesCollege of Charleston

Roster

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

Roster
Updated: February 20, 1998

Roster Notes

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Regular season

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Season standings

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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
12 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

Game log

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Player statistics

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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

Regular season

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Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Michael Stewart 813721.7.480.4586.6.8.42.44.6
Corliss Williamson 797535.7.495.000.6305.62.91.0.617.7
Billy Owens 787830.1.464.371.5897.52.81.2.510.5
Anthony Johnson 776229.4.371.328.7272.24.3.8.17.5
Terry Dehere 771818.3.399.379.7981.42.5.7.16.4
Mitch Richmond 707036.7.445.389.8643.34.01.3.223.2
Olden Polynice 702520.8.459.000.4526.31.5.5.67.9
Tariq Abdul-Wahad 591616.3.403.211.6722.0.9.6.26.4
Lawrence Funderburke 52121.0.490.143.6794.51.2.4.39.5
Mark Hendrickson 48115.4.389.000.8253.0.9.5.23.4
Bobby Hurley† 34312.3.409.267.8111.12.4.4.03.8
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 31017.1.377.1611.0001.21.9.5.07.3
Otis Thorpe† 272023.1.459.000.6576.12.3.7.38.3
Chris Robinson† 19014.3.378.405.5001.71.5.6.25.7
Michael Smith† 18419.3.426.5675.61.6.8.53.8
Kevin Salvadori 1605.4.077.5001.3.2.0.7.3
Derek Grimm 903.8.286.3331.000.4.0.3.11.6
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Kings only.

Player statistics citation:[21]

Awards and records

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Transactions

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References

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  1. ↑ 1997-98 Sacramento Kings
  2. ↑ Heisler, Mark (June 26, 1997). "Draft Over, But Not Finished". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  3. ↑ Cotton, Anthony (June 26, 1997). "No. 1 Pick Turns Duncan Into Spur of Moment". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  4. ↑ "1997 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Parlez Vous Tariq Abdul-Wahad?". The Washington Post. News Services. November 10, 1997. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Barkley Is Cleared in Cleveland Brawl". The Washington Post. August 2, 1997. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ Popper, Steve (August 10, 1997). "Two Guys from Jersey on Same Road Again". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  8. ↑ Smith, Sam (November 24, 1997). "This King's Concerns Are Divine". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ "1994 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  10. ↑ "NBA Games Played on February 5, 1998". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ Wise, Mike (February 19, 1998). "BASKETBALL; Kenny Anderson Is Traded to Celtics in 7-Player Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Celtics Land Anderson in Deal with Raptors". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 19, 1998. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  13. ↑ "In Seven-Player Swap, Raptors Trade Anderson to the Celtics". The Washington Post. February 19, 1998. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  14. ↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (March 23, 1998). "When It's All Said and Done, Lakers Prevail". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Grizzlies Defeat Sacramento in O.T." CBS News. Associated Press. April 20, 1998. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Even for Kings, It Was a Lousy Season". Lodi News-Sentinel. Associated Press. April 22, 1998. p. 18. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  17. ↑ "1997–98 Sacramento Kings Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  18. ↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (December 31, 1997). "Just Enough Is Becoming the Laker Way". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  19. 1 2 "PLUS: PRO BASKETBALL -- SACRAMENTO; Abdul-Rauf Bound for Turkey". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 19, 1998. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  20. 1 2 Shapiro, Mark (June 19, 1998). "Abdul-Rauf Leaves NBA for Turkey". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  21. 1 2 3 "1997–98 Sacramento Kings Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  22. ↑ Howard-Cooper, Scott (January 28, 1998). "Lakers Get Four-Star Rating as Van Exel, Jones Honored". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  23. ↑ "1998 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  24. ↑ "1998 NBA All-Star Game: East 135, West 114". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  25. ↑ Withers, Tom (February 8, 1998). "Cooper, Drexler Win 2Ball Contest". The Day. p. G4. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  26. ↑ Bender, Patricia. "1997–98 All-Star Events and Contestants - in New York". Eskimo.com. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  27. ↑ "1998 NBA Rookie Game Roster". Times-Union. Associated Press. February 6, 1998. p. 4B. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  28. ↑ "1998 NBA Rising Stars: East 85, West 80". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  29. 1 2 "1997–98 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Henderson Voted Most Improved". CBS News. CBS News.com Staff. May 1, 1998. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  31. ↑ "1997–98 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Warriors Conclude 2023-24 Regular Season With 518 Consecutive Sellouts". www.nba.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  33. ↑ "N.B.A.; Webber Traded to Sacramento". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 15, 1998. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Webber Dealt to Kings for Richmond, Thorpe". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 15, 1998. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  35. ↑ Bucher, Ric (May 15, 1998). "Webber Traded to Sacramento". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  36. ↑ Wise, Mike (January 21, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Business of Basketball Now Begins in Earnest". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Around the NBA". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. January 23, 1999. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  38. ↑ "SONICS: Owens Signs Three-Year Deal". Kitsap Sun. Sun News Services. January 23, 1999. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  39. ↑ Johnson, L.C. (February 20, 1999). "Headliners". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  40. ↑ Wise, Mike (February 4, 1999). "PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Kings Ax Head Coach, Assistant". CBS News. CBS News.com Staff. August 18, 1998. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  42. ↑ Thompson, Jack (August 19, 1998). "Jordan Not Returning--to Kings, Who Fire Coach". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 21, 2023.

See also

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