1999–2000 NBA season

Notable occurrences

• Effective this season, the first game of the NBA regular season begins on either the first Tuesday of November or the last Tuesday of October, and the last game on the third Wednesday of April. The NBA playoffs begin on the third Saturday of April.
• Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain died on October 12, 1999, at 63. Wilt's former teams, the Lakers, Sixers, and Warriors honored him by sporting black patches for the rest of the season.
• The Boston Celtics officially retired their trademark parquet floor on December 22, 1999, after 54 years. The floor would be replaced by a replica combining elements of the old floor and new wooden sections.
• Two active players were killed in automobile accidents within four months of each other.
• *On January 12, Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed as a result of reckless driving while racing against teammate David Wesley. Phills would have his jersey retired during the season after news of his unexpected death was announced.
• *On May 20, Malik Sealy of the Minnesota Timberwolves was driving home from a birthday party being held for Kevin Garnett when his SUV was struck by a drunk driver who had been driving on the wrong side of the road. Sealy would have his jersey retired on November 4, 2000.
• The Lakers would also go on to win 19 consecutive games between February 4, 2000, and March 16, 2000, the sixth-longest winning streak in NBA history.
• The 2000 NBA All-Star Game was held in Oakland, California. The West won 137–126. Tim Duncan from the San Antonio Spurs and Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers shared the game's MVP honors. The Slam Dunk Contest returned after a two-year absence, with Vince Carter winning the title in what is considered to be the best Dunk Contest performance of all time.
• San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott was sidelined for most of the season while undergoing kidney transplant operations. He successfully returned on March 13, becoming the first player to return following kidney transplant.
• Staples Center's first season saw its tenants at two opposite ends of the league: the Lakers finished with a best regular season record of 67–15 and the NBA title, while the Clippers finished 15–67, the worst of the season.
• The Toronto Raptors also made the playoffs for the first time, becoming the first Canadian team to do so.
• 36-year-old Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley suffered a devastating injury early in the season but returned for a final game before retiring.
• The season marked Patrick Ewing's last in a New York Knicks uniform. He was traded during the 2000 offseason to the Seattle SuperSonics in a four-team deal.
• Doc Rivers became the first recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year Award to have not led his team to the playoffs. He coached the Orlando Magic to a respectable 41–41 record, good enough for the 9th seed in the East.
• During Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers held a 75–60 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers with 10:28 left to play. During the fourth quarter, the Blazers would miss thirteen consecutive shots, allowing the Lakers to claw back and take the game, 89–84. The game was capped off with a famous alley-oop to Shaquille O'Neal from Kobe Bryant.
• The Indiana Pacers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
• Kevin Johnson returned from retirement to replace the injured Jason Kidd of the Phoenix Suns in this season's playoffs, but the Suns fell to the Lakers in the second round and Johnson would retire again.

1999–2000 NBA changes

• The Atlanta Hawks moved into the Philips Arena and changed their uniforms added white, and red side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
• The Boston Celtics added their alternate logo of a cloverleaf above the shorts of their uniforms.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers changed their uniforms, removing the blue areas from their jerseys.
• The Denver Nuggets moved into the Pepsi Center.
• The Detroit Pistons added new maroon alternate uniforms added black side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
• The Indiana Pacers moved into Conseco Fieldhouse, now Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
• The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers both moved into the Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, while the Lakers changed their uniforms added gold, and purple side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
• The Miami Heat changed their logo and uniforms added dark red, and also dark red side panels to their jerseys and shorts, and moved into the AmericanAirlines Arena in January 2000.
• The Philadelphia 76ers added new blue alternate uniforms.
• The Seattle SuperSonics added new red alternate uniforms added dark green side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
• The Toronto Raptors changed their uniforms removing the pinstripes added side panels to their jerseys and shorts. They also played their first full season at Air Canada Centre.

Final standings

By division

By conference

• z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
• c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
• y – Clinched division title
• x – Clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

NBA awards

• Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
• Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
• Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
• Sixth Man of the Year: Rodney Rogers, Phoenix Suns
• Most Improved Player: Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers
• Coach of the Year: Doc Rivers, Orlando Magic
• Executive of the Year: John Gabriel, Orlando Magic
• Sportsmanship Award: Eric Snow, Philadelphia 76ers
• All-NBA First Team:
• *F – Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
• *F – Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
• *C – Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
• *G – Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
• *G – Jason Kidd, Phoenix Suns
• All-NBA Second Team:
• *F – Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
• *F – Grant Hill, Detroit Pistons
• *C – Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
• *G – Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
• *G – Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
• All-NBA Third Team:
• *F – Chris Webber, Sacramento Kings
• *F – Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors
• *C – David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs
• *G – Eddie Jones, Charlotte Hornets
• *G – Stephon Marbury, New Jersey Nets
• NBA All-Defensive First Team:
• *Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
• *Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
• *Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
• *Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
• *Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
• All-Defensive Second Team:
• *Scottie Pippen, Portland Trail Blazers
• *Clifford Robinson, Phoenix Suns
• *Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
• *Eddie Jones, Charlotte Hornets
• *Jason Kidd, Phoenix Suns
• NBA All-Rookie First Team:
• *Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls
• *Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
• *Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Clippers
• *Wally Szczerbiak, Minnesota Timberwolves
• *Andre Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers
• All-Rookie Second Team:
• *Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns
• *Ron Artest, Chicago Bulls
• *James Posey, Denver Nuggets
• *Jason Terry, Atlanta Hawks
• *Chucky Atkins, Orlando Magic

Players of the month

Rookies of the month

Coaches of the month