1998–99 Charlotte Hornets season

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

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

{{NBA season

| team = Charlotte Hornets

| end_year = 1999

| wins = 26

| losses = 24

| division_place = 5

| division = Central

| conf_place = 9

| coach =

• Dave Cowens (resigned)
• Paul Silas

| gm = Bob Bass

| owner = George Shinn

| arena = Charlotte Coliseum

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| bbr_team = CHH

| television =

• WAXN-TV
• Fox Sports South

| radio = WBT

}}

The 1998–99 NBA season was the eleventh season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association.[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHH/1999.html 1998-99 Charlotte Hornets] Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.{{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}}

During the off-season, the Hornets signed free agents Derrick Coleman,{{cite news | agency = CBS News.com Staff | title = Hornets Pick Up Derrick Coleman | work = CBS News | date = January 16, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hornets-pick-up-derrick-coleman/ | access-date = June 25, 2023}}{{cite news | title = Report: Coleman to Sign with Hornets | work = United Press International | date = January 16, 1999 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1999/01/16/Report-Coleman-to-sign-with-Hornets/6267916462800/ | access-date = December 12, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Wise | first = Mike | title = BASKETBALL; Derrick Coleman Could Be the Next to Cash In | work = The New York Times | date = January 17, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/17/sports/basketball-derrick-coleman-could-be-the-next-to-cash-in.html | access-date = October 13, 2021}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Divac Is Out in Hornet Shuffle | work = Los Angeles Times | date = January 17, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-17-sp-64603-story.html | access-date = September 30, 2022}} three-point specialist Chuck Person,{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = 'Rifleman' Signed by Charlotte | work = CBS News | date = January 26, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rifleman-signed-by-charlotte/#app | access-date = November 16, 2022}} Eldridge Recasner and Chucky Brown.{{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}} However, the Hornets began their season dealing with injuries, as Anthony Mason was lost for the entire season with a biceps injury suffered in practice a few days before the start of the season,{{cite news | title = Hornets Mason Out for Season | work = United Press International | date = February 2, 1999 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1999/02/02/Hornets-Mason-out-for-season/9158917931600/ | access-date = September 30, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Mason Out for the Season After Biceps Injury | work = Los Angeles Times | date = February 3, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-feb-03-sp-4445-story.html | access-date = March 2, 2017}}{{cite news | last = Thompson | first = Jack | title = Hornets' Mason Out for Season | work = Chicago Tribune | date = February 3, 1999 | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-03-9902030041-story.html | access-date = January 9, 2023}} and All-Star forward Glen Rice was also out with an elbow injury.{{cite news | agency = CBS News.com Staff | title = Elbow Surgery for Hornets' Rice | work = CBS News | date = January 19, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elbow-surgery-for-hornets-rice/ | access-date = January 9, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Macenka | first = Joe | title = Hornets' Rice Faces Elbow Surgery | work = Associated Press | date = January 19, 1999 | url = https://apnews.com/article/db04cc2239906cb938546644a8375904 | access-date = October 14, 2021}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Hornets' Rice Faces Elbow Surgery | work = Los Angeles Times | date = January 20, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-20-sp-65523-story.html | access-date = September 30, 2022}} The Hornets struggled losing eight of their first nine games, which led to a disappointing 4–11 start to the season, as head coach Dave Cowens resigned and was replaced with assistant Paul Silas.{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Cowens Quits as Charlotte Coach | work = Deseret News | date = March 8, 1999 | url = https://www.deseret.com/1999/3/8/19433231/cowens-quits-as-charlotte-coach | access-date = November 7, 2022}}{{cite news | title = Hornets Name Silas Interim Coach | work = United Press International | date = March 8, 1999 | url = https://www.upi.com/Archives/1999/03/08/Hornets-name-Silas-interim-coach/7812920869200/ | access-date = January 30, 2023}}{{cite news | last = Broussard | first = Chris | title = PRO BASKETBALL; Silas Turns Disarray Into Hornets' Delight | work = The New York Times | date = April 23, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/23/sports/pro-basketball-silas-turns-disarray-into-hornets-delight.html | access-date = January 5, 2022}}

A few days later, Rice was traded along with J.R. Reid, and B. J. Armstrong to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for All-Star guard Eddie Jones, and Elden Campbell.{{cite news | last = Kawakami | first = Tim | title = Lakers Swap Rumors for a Victory | work = Los Angeles Times | date = February 17, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-feb-17-sp-8984-story.html | access-date = May 30, 2022}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = N.B.A.: ROUNDUP; Heat Buries Hawks in 3d Quarter | work = The New York Times | date = March 11, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/11/sports/nba-roundup-heat-buries-hawks-in-3d-quarter.html | access-date = July 16, 2022}}{{cite news | last = Kawakami | first = Tim | title = As Clippers Tie Record Losing Streak, Lakers Break Up Winning Hand in Five-Player Trade with Charlotte | work = Los Angeles Times | date = March 11, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-11-sp-16319-story.html | access-date = January 30, 2023}}{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Lakers Make Trade Official, Complete Swap with Hornets | work = Deseret News | date = March 11, 1999 | url = https://www.deseret.com/1999/3/11/19433756/lakers-make-trade-official-complete-swap-with-hornets | access-date = January 30, 2023}} Armstrong was released by the Lakers, and later signed with the Orlando Magic.{{cite news | last = Johnson | first = L.C. | title = Paging B.J. | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = March 14, 1999 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1999-03-14-9903140200-story.html | access-date = November 17, 2022}}{{cite news | title = B.J. Armstrong Joins Magic | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = March 15, 1999 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1999/03/15/bj-armstrong-joins-magic/ | access-date = August 14, 2024}}{{cite news | agency = CBS News.com Staff | title = Amstrong Stirs Up Magic in Win | work = CBS News | date = March 15, 1999 | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amstrong-stirs-up-magic-in-win/ | access-date = August 14, 2024}} The team improved under Silas posting a 22–13 record, including a nine-game winning streak in April. The Hornets finished fifth in the Central Division with a 26–24 record.{{cite web|title=1998–99 Charlotte Hornets Schedule and Results|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHH/1999_games.html|access-date=June 26, 2021}} However, despite their above .500 record, they failed to qualify for the playoffs by a single game. This was the first time since the 1995–96 season the Hornets missed the playoffs.

Jones averaged 17.0 points and 3.0 steals per game with the team in 30 games after the trade, and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Campbell averaged 15.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 32 games. In addition, Bobby Phills provided the team with 14.3 points and 1.4 steals per game, while David Wesley contributed 14.1 points, 6.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game, Coleman averaged 13.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, Brown provided with 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and Person contributed 6.1 points per game.{{cite web|title=1998–99 Charlotte Hornets Roster and Stats|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHH/1999.html|access-date=June 26, 2021}}

The Hornets finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 480,807 at the Charlotte Coliseum during the season.{{cite web | title = 1998-99 NBA Season Summary | work = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1999.html | access-date = December 12, 2024}} Following the season, Person signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics,{{cite news | last = Demasio | first = Nunyo | title = Sonics -- Small Forward, Big Opportunity | work = The Seattle Times | date = October 5, 1999 | url = https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19991005&slug=2987030 | access-date = October 12, 2022}} and Brown signed with the San Antonio Spurs.{{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}}