1998–99 Boston Celtics season

NBA basketball team season August 2023 March 2026 Boston Celtics 1999 19 31 atlantic 5 12 Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Paul Gaston Fleet Center WABU(Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy)Fox Sports New England(Mike Gorman, Tom Heinsohn) WEEI(Howard David, Cedric Maxwell) Did not qualify BOS The 1998–99 Boston Celtics season was the 53rd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. Boston Celtics Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/ August 6, 2026 Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50. CBS News.com Staff NBA: Let The Games Begin! CBS News January 6, 1999 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nba-let-the-games-begin/ December 15, 2022 Season summary Off-season This season was most memorable when the Celtics received the tenth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, and selected small forward Paul Pierce from the University of Kansas. Wise Mike Pro Basketball: 7 Feet 1 Inch of Potential at No. 1 The New York Times June 25, 1998 https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/25/sports/pro-basketball-7-feet-1-inch-of-potential-at-no-1.html July 25, 2021 Associated Press Olowokandi Is the Center of Attention Los Angeles Times June 25, 1998 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jun-25-sp-63550-story.html October 18, 2022 1998 NBA Draft Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1998.html December 1, 2022 During the off-season, the team acquired second-year center Tony Battie from the Los Angeles Lakers, who had acquired him from the Denver Nuggets on draft day. Knight's Out Hartford Courant January 20, 1999 https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-01-20-9901200298-story.html November 7, 2022 Wise Mike Pro Basketball: A Scrum for the Title The New York Times February 4, 1999 https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/04/sports/pro-basketball-a-scrum-for-the-title.html June 28, 2022 Regular season With the addition of Pierce and Battie, the Celtics got off to a 6–5 start to the regular season. However, the team struggled and fell below .500 in winning percentage losing 12 of their next 14 games. At mid-season, the team traded Andrew DeClercq to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Vitaly Potapenko. Associated Press Cavs Trade Potapenko to Celtics CBS News March 11, 1999 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cavs-trade-potapenko-to-celtics/ October 14, 2021 Marbury Heads Home Deseret News March 12, 1999 https://www.deseret.com/1999/3/12/19433978/marbury-heads-home January 9, 2023 Greenberg Alan His Strength Is His Power Hartford Courant March 17, 1999 https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-03-17-9903170413-story.html October 9, 2022 Celtics fans began to get restless with head coach Rick Pitino's slow growth, Greenberg Alan Pitino Losing Grip on His Team Hartford Courant March 28, 1999 https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-03-28-9903280193-story.html July 1, 2022 as the team finished in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 19–31 record. 1998–99 Boston Celtics Schedule and Results Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1999_games.html July 15, 2021 Antoine Walker averaged 18.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and also contributed 65 three-point field goals, while second-year star Ron Mercer averaged 17.0 points and 1.6 steals per game, and Pierce provided the team with 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, led them with 84 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Kenny Anderson contributed 12.1 points and 5.7 assists per game, while Potapenko provided with 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 33 games after the trade. Off the bench, sixth man Dana Barros contributed 9.3 points and 4.2 assists per game, while Battie averaged 6.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Walter McCarty provided with 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and Greg Minor contributed 4.9 points per game. 1998–99 Boston Celtics Roster and Stats Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1999.html July 15, 2021 Pierce finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting. Carter Is Runaway Rookie of the Year Los Angeles Times May 27, 1999 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-27-sp-41648-story.html September 30, 2022 1998–99 NBA Awards Voting Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_1999.html January 2, 2022 The Celtics finished ninth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 440,602 at the FleetCenter during the regular season. 1998–99 NBA Season Summary Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1999.html January 23, 2026 Aftermath Following the season, Mercer and Popeye Jones were both traded to the Denver Nuggets, Associated Press Celtics Trade Mercer in Six-Player Deal Los Angeles Times August 4, 1999 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-04-sp-62584-story.html September 15, 2022 Greenberg Alan Celts Cash Out on Mercer Hartford Courant August 4, 1999 https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-08-04-9908040321-story.html December 15, 2022 Associated Press NBA Teams Get Busy Trading and Signing Deseret News August 4, 1999 https://www.deseret.com/1999/8/4/19458947/nba-teams-get-busy-trading-and-signing July 3, 2023 and Bruce Bowen signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers. Associated Press Sixers Sign Rookie MacCulloch CBS News September 16, 1999 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sixers-sign-rookie-macculloch/ July 3, 2023 Wise Mike 1999–2000 N.B.A. Preview: The West Is Still the Best The New York Times October 31, 1999 https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/sports/1999-2000-nba-preview-the-west-is-still-the-best.html June 8, 2022 Draft picks 1998 NBA draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 10 Paul Pierce SF/SG Kansas Roster Boston Celtics 1998–99 #00703C white #C5B358 #000000 7 Kenny Anderson basketball G 6 0 168 Georgia Tech 1970–10–09 11 Dana Barros G 5 11 163 1967–04–13 Boston College 40 Tony Battie F/C 6 11 230 1976–02–11 Texas Tech 12 Bruce Bowen G/F 6 7 185 1971–06–14 Cal State Fullerton 29 Pervis Ellison F 6 9 210 1967–04–03 Louisville IN 13 Damon Jones G 6 3 185 1976–08–25 Houston 4 Popeye Jones F 6 8 250 1970–06–17 Murray State 0 Walter McCarty F 6 10 230 1974–02–01 Kentucky 5 Ron Mercer G 6 7 210 1976–05–18 Kentucky 9 Greg Minor G 6 6 210 1971–09–18 Louisville 34 Paul Pierce F 6 7 235 1977–10–13 Kansas 52 Vitaly Potapenko C 6 10 280 1975–03–21 Wright State 44 Eric Riley C 7 0 245 1970–06–02 Michigan 55 Dwayne Schintzius C 7 1 260 1968–10–14 Florida 8 Antoine Walker F 6 8 224 1976–08–12 Kentucky Rick Pitino John Carroll Lester Conner Andy Enfield Jim O'Brien (IN) Inactive https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1999.html May 4, 1999 Roster Notes Power forward Pervis Ellison was on the injured reserve list due to an ankle injury, and missed the entire regular season. Greenberg Alan NBA: Nothing But Activity Hartford Courant January 22, 1999 https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-01-22-9901220291-story.html October 18, 2022 Regular season Season standings BOS BOS z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot Game log Player statistics Regular season Boston Celtics |- | style="text-align:left;"|Kenny Anderson basketball | 34 || 33 || 29.7 || .451 || .250 || .832 || 3.0 || 5.7 || 1.0 || .1 || 12.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Dana Barros | 50 || 16 || 23.1 || .453 || .400 || .877 || 2.1 || 4.2 || 1.0 || .1 || 9.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Tony Battie | 50 || 15 || 22.4 || .519 || .000 || .672 || 6.0 || 1.1 || .6 || 1.4 || 6.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Bruce Bowen | 30 || 1 || 16.5 || .280 || .269 || .458 || 1.7 || .9 || .7 || .3 || 2.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Andrew DeClercq† | 14 || 1 || 18.4 || .491 || || .655 || 4.5 || .7 || .9 || .6 || 5.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Marlon Garnett | 24 || 0 || 8.5 || .294 || .261 || .750 || .9 || .8 || .2 || .0 || 2.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Damon Jones† | 13 || 0 || 16.4 || .387 || .455 || .750 || 2.4 || 2.2 || .5 || .0 || 5.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Popeye Jones | 18 || 2 || 11.4 || .392 || .000 || .824 || 2.9 || .8 || .3 || .0 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Walter McCarty | 32 || 4 || 20.6 || .362 || .260 || .702 || 3.6 || 1.3 || .8 || .4 || 5.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Ron Mercer | 41 || 40 || 37.8 || .431 || .167 || .790 || 3.8 || 2.5 || 1.6 || .3 || 17.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Greg Minor | 44 || 7 || 17.4 || .417 || .286 || .750 || 2.7 || 1.1 || .5 || .1 || 4.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Paul Pierce | 48 || 47 || 34.0 || .439 || .412 || .713 || 6.4 || 2.4 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 16.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Vitaly Potapenko† | 33 || 32 || 28.1 || .521 || || .547 || 7.2 || 1.8 || .7 || .6 || 10.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Eric Riley | 35 || 11 || 9.6 || .519 || || .710 || 2.8 || .4 || .3 || .7 || 2.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Dwayne Schintzius | 16 || 0 || 4.2 || .250 || || .750 || 1.2 || .5 || .0 || .2 || .7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Antoine Walker | 42 || 41 || 36.9 || .412 || .369 || .559 || 8.5 || 3.1 || 1.5 || .7 || 18.7 |} † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Celtics only. Player statistics citation: Awards and records Paul Pierce, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team References See also 1998–99 NBA season Category:Boston Celtics seasons Boston Celtics Boston Celtics Boston Celtics Celtics Celtics