1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers season
| File:Philadelphia 76ers logo 1997-2009.png Primary logo introduced in 1997, used until 2009 | |
| Company type | Professional basketball team |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports |
| Founded | 1946 (franchise), 1963 (relocated to Philadelphia) |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
Area served | United States (NBA) |
Key people | Larry Brown (head coach), Allen Iverson (leading player) |
| Products | Basketball team |
| Website | www |
The 1997–98 Philadelphia 76ers season represented the franchise's 49th campaign in the NBA and its 35th year based in Philadelphia. With the second overall selection in the 1997 NBA draft, the 76ers picked power forward Keith Van Horn from the University of Utah. Nevertheless, Van Horn declined to join Philadelphia and was subsequently traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Jim Jackson, Eric Montross, top draft choice small forward Tim Thomas, and shooting guard first-round pick Anthony Parker.
During the off-season, Philadelphia acquired free agent former All-Star forward Terry Cummings and appointed Larry Brown as head coach. In November, they sent second-round pick Slovenian rookie forward Marko Milič to the Phoenix Suns in return for veteran All-Star forward Tom Chambers, who retired after appearing in only one game.
The team faced difficulties early on, dropping their first five contests. In December, Montross and Jerry Stackhouse were traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for defensive center Theo Ratliff and guard Aaron McKie. Later, they obtained point guard Eric Snow from the Seattle SuperSonics by trading a draft pick. Midway through the season, Jim Jackson and Clarence Weatherspoon were dealt to the Golden State Warriors for forward Joe Smith and guard Brian Shaw. Cummings was traded to the New York Knicks for Herb Williams, who was soon released.
At the All-Star break, Philadelphia held a 14–31 record but improved to finish with a 31–51 mark, placing last in the Atlantic Division and missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.
Second-year standout Allen Iverson led the team with averages of 22.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Derrick Coleman contributed 17.6 points and 9.9 rebounds but appeared in only 59 games due to health concerns. Rookie Tim Thomas averaged 11.0 points and earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Acquired players included Ratliff, who averaged 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks over 58 games; Joe Smith added 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds across 30 games; Shaw contributed 6.1 points and 4.4 assists in 20 games; Snow provided averages of 3.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in 47 contests; McKie offered defensive strength but struggled offensively with a .346 field goal percentage.
During NBA All-Star weekend at Madison Square Garden, Tim Thomas participated in the Rising Stars Challenge representing Eastern Conference rookies. Ratliff finished sixth in voting for Most Improved Player.
This season marked the beginning of a rebuilding process with acquisitions such as Ratliff, McKie, and Snow aligning with Larry Brown’s coaching approach. It would be Philadelphia’s final playoff absence until the 2004 campaign.
After the season concluded, Derrick Coleman signed with the Charlotte Hornets, Joe Smith moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Shaw and Mark Davis entered free agency.
Philadelphia also introduced a new primary logo displaying "76ers" in gold along with updated uniforms that replaced traditional red and blue colors with black and gold—a branding change that remained until jersey modifications in 2000 and continued logo usage through 2009.
Draft selections
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Keith Van Horn | SF/PF | Template:USA | University of Utah |
| 2 | 33 | Marko Milič | SG/SF | Template:SLO | |
| 2 | 35 | Kebu Stewart | PF | Template:USA | California State University, Bakersfield |
| 2 | 36 | James Collins | SG | Template:USA | Florida State University |
Roster
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Season standings
- z - secured division title
- y - secured division title
- x - clinched playoff berth
- ° - missed playoffs
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Sortname | 14 | 0 | 14.1 | .537 | — | .633 | 3.8 | .2 | .3 | .3 | 4.5 |
| Template:Sortname | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 1.000 | — | 1.000 | 2.0 | .0 | 2.0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| Template:Sortname | 59 | 58 | 36.2 | .411 | .265 | .772 | 9.9 | 2.5 | .8 | 1.2 | 17.6 |
| Template:Sortname † | 44 | 2 | 14.9 | .458 | .000 | .672 | 3.4 | .5 | .5 | .1 | 5.3 |
| Template:Sortname | 71 | 12 | 12.8 | .447 | .000 | .634 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .7 | .3 | 4.0 |
| Template:Sortname | '80'|'39.4'|'461'|'298'|'729'|'3.7'|'6.2'|'2.2'|'.3'|'22.0' | ||||||||||
| Template:Sortname † | '47'|'37.3'|'460'|'348'|'818'|'4.7'|'4.6'|'0.9'|'0.1'|'13.7' | ||||||||||
| Template:Sortname † | '31'|'23.5'|'347'|'196'|'688'|'2.9'|'2.4'|'1.4'|'0.2'|'3.9' | ||||||||||
| Template:Sortname † | '20'|'16.9'|'395' | — | '.368' | 4..6' | '.4' | '.4' | '.6' | 3..4' | |||
| Template:Sortname | '23' | 2' | 12..0' | '.381' | '.000' | '.875' | '.6' | 1..6' | '.3' | '.0' | 2..7' |
| Template:Sortname | '37' | 0' | 5..3' | '.397' | '.321' | '.650' | '.7' | '.5' | '.3' | '.1' | 1..9' |
| Template:Sortname † | '58' | 55' | 32..1' | '.512' | '.706' | — | 7..3' | '.7' | '.7' | 3..5' | 11..2' |
| Template:Sortname † | '20' | 2' | 25..1' | '.367' | '.250' | '.632' | 3..2' | 4..4' | '.7' | '.2' | 6..1' |
| Template:Sortname † | '30' | 6' | 23..3' | '.448' | — | '.788' | 4..4' | '.9' | '.6' | — | 10..3' |
| Template:Sortname † | 0 |18..0 |429 |125 |721 |1..6 |35 |13 |01 |39 | | ||||||||||
| Template:Sortname † | 22 |34..0 |452 |348 |802 |35 |30 |14 |10 |16..0 | | ||||||||||
| Template:Sortname | 0 |7..3 |462 |640 |- |- |- |- | | ||||||||||
| Template:Sortname † | 48 |23..1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- | |
Awards and records
- Tim Thomas earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team Second Team