:1998–99 Chicago Bulls season

{{short description|NBA professional basketball team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{NBA season

| team = Chicago Bulls

| end_year = 1999

| wins = 13

| losses = 37

| division = Central

| division_place = 8

| conf_place = 15

| coach = Tim Floyd

| gm = Jerry Krause

| owner = Jerry Reinsdorf

| arena = United Center

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| bbr_team = CHI

| television = WGN-TV
(Wayne Larrivee, John Paxson)
Fox Sports Chicago
(Tom Dore, John Paxson)

| radio = WMVP
(Neil Funk, Johnny "Red" Kerr)

}}

The 1998–99 Chicago Bulls season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Basketball Association.{{Cite web|title=1998-99 Chicago Bulls Roster and Stats|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1999.html|access-date=May 20, 2021|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50 games.{{cite news | agency = CBS News.com Staff | title = NBA: Let The Games Begin! | work = CBS News | date = January 6, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nba-let-the-games-begin/ | access-date = December 15, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Wise | first = Mike | title = With Little Time on Clock, NBA and Players Settle | work = The New York Times | date = January 7, 1999 | url = https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/sports/basketball/010799bkn-labor.html | access-date = May 17, 2023}}

The Bulls entered the season as the three-time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals in six games, winning their sixth NBA championship, and completing a second three-peat in the 1990s. In the offseason, Phil Jackson's resignation as head coach, the departures of Scottie Pippen (who was traded to the Houston Rockets), Dennis Rodman (who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent), and Michael Jordan's second retirement marked the end of the Bulls' dynasty.{{cite news | last = Broussard | first = Chris | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Ruining of Bulls Begins in Earnest | work = The New York Times | date = January 20, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/20/sports/pro-basketball-ruining-of-bulls-begins-in-earnest.html | access-date = October 14, 2021}}

Under new head coach Tim Floyd,{{cite news | last = Heisler | first = Mark | title = Bulls Are Set to Hire Floyd | work = Los Angeles Times | date = July 23, 1998 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-23-sp-6480-story.html | access-date = December 15, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Heath | first = Thomas | title = Bulls Set to Hire Floyd, Question is: To Do What? | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = July 23, 1998 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1998/07/23/bulls-set-to-hire-floyd-question-is-to-do-what/af05722b-4526-423a-9f63-00ce60b44e24/ | access-date = May 1, 2023}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = BASKETBALL; Floyd Is Hired, But Bulls Still Court Jackson | work = The New York Times | date = July 24, 1998 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/24/sports/basketball-floyd-is-hired-but-bulls-still-court-jackson.html | access-date = November 18, 2022}} plus the off-season acquisitions of Brent Barry,{{cite news | last = | first = | title = PRO BASKETBALL: NOTEBOOK; Chicago Acquires Brent Barry | work = The New York Times | date = January 26, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/26/sports/pro-basketball-notebook-chicago-acquires-brent-barry.html | access-date = October 3, 2022}}{{cite news | last = | first = | title = Brent Barry Signs with Bulls | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = January 26, 1999 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1999/01/26/brent-barry-signs-with-bulls/4f31dabb-5396-4ce2-a040-a1415888efec/ | access-date = January 9, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Smith | first = Sam | title = This Signing Just What Bulls Needed | work = Chicago Tribune | date = January 26, 1999 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-01-26-9901260103-story,amp.html | access-date = October 14, 2021}} Mark Bryant, and Andrew Lang,{{cite news | last = Wise | first = Mike | title = PRO BASKETBALL; A Scrum for the Title | work = The New York Times | date = February 4, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/04/sports/pro-basketball-a-scrum-for-the-title.html | access-date = June 28, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Armour | first = Terry | title = Result Raises Eyebrows--and Some Hope | work = Chicago Tribune | date = February 8, 1999 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-08-9902080182-story.html | access-date = February 2, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Carney | first = Brian | title = Chicago's Temperature Is Minus 23 | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = February 19, 1999 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1999/02/19/chicagos-temperature-is-minus-23/65942118-be43-4c0d-af07-d3f64b8de51c/ | access-date = June 27, 2022}} the Bulls were a shell of their former selves, losing eight of their first nine games of the season. The team lost 14 of their final 17 games, and finished in last place in the Central Division with a 13–37 record (roughly the equivalent of 21–61),{{cite web|title=1998–99 Chicago Bulls Schedule and Results|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1999_games.html|access-date=July 15, 2021}} missing the playoffs for the first time since 1984.{{cite web|title=Chicago Bulls – Sports Ecyclopedia|url=https://sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/chicago/bulls.html|access-date=May 20, 2021}} The Bulls were just the second defending champions to miss the postseason, behind the 1969–70 Boston Celtics.

Toni Kukoč led the team with 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, while Ron Harper averaged 11.2 points and 1.7 steals per game, and Barry contributed 11.1 points per game. In addition, Dickey Simpkins showed improvement averaging 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while Bryant provided the team with 9.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and Randy Brown contributed 8.8 points and 1.7 steals per game.{{cite web|title=1998–99 Chicago Bulls Roster and Stats|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/1999.html|access-date=July 15, 2021}}

On April 10, 1999, the Bulls set an all-time NBA record low for points in the shot clock era in an 82–49 loss at the United Center to the Miami Heat.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = N.B.A.: ROUNDUP; In Chicago, a Record for Futility | work = The New York Times | date = April 11, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/11/sports/nba-roundup-in-chicago-a-record-for-futility.html | access-date = October 3, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Bulls Reach a New Low by Scoring 49 Points in Loss | work = Los Angeles Times | date = April 11, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-11-sp-26468-story.html | access-date = March 2, 2017}}{{cite news | last = Armour | first = Terry | title = 49! | work = Chicago Tribune | date = April 11, 1999 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-04-11-9904110310-story.html | access-date = December 15, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Armour | first = Terrence E. | title = A Night After 49, Bulls Try to Forget | work = Chicago Tribune | date = April 12, 1999 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-04-12-9904120076-story.html | access-date = April 6, 2023}} Following the season, Barry was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics,{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Bulls Send Barry to Sonics | work = CBS News | date = August 12, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bulls-send-barry-to-sonics/ | access-date = September 15, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = N.B.A.: Notebook | work = The New York Times | date = August 13, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/13/sports/nba-notebook.html | access-date = June 27, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Smith | first = Sam | title = Bulls Get Some Cap Room | work = Chicago Tribune | date = August 13, 1999 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-08-13-9908130096-story.html | access-date = January 9, 2023}} while Harper signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers to reunite with Jackson, who was hired to coach the Lakers,{{cite news | last = Kawakami | first = Tim | title = Lakers Trade Harper--to Get Harper?: Pro Basketball: Derek Harper's Departure Clears Cap Room for Ron Harper | work = Los Angeles Times | date = September 22, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-22-sp-12931-story.html | access-date = October 9, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Harper Signs with Lakers | work = CBS News | date = October 13, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harper-signs-with-lakers/ | access-date = January 9, 2023}}{{cite news | title = Ron Harper Signs with Lakers | work = Associated Press | date = October 13, 1999 | url = https://apnews.com/article/8da2327b580811b1cbf2180359a4d16d | access-date = October 14, 2021}} Bryant signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Lang and Bill Wennington were both released to free agency.{{cite news | last = Wise | first = Mike | title = 1999–2000 N.B.A. PREVIEW; The West Is Still the Best | work = The New York Times | date = October 31, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/31/sports/1999-2000-nba-preview-the-west-is-still-the-best.html | access-date = June 8, 2022}}