1998 Offseason: The End of an Era and the Rise of New Contenders
It finally happened. The most decorated player of this era had finally won his first championship.
In his fifth MVP-winning season, Len Bias was finally crowned an NBA champion—but not with the Detroit Pistons. After leaving Detroit for the sunny skies of California last offseason, Bias helped bring Oakland its first championship in more than two decades.
Now the question becomes: Can the Warriors repeat? We'll find out soon enough, but first we need to look back at everything that happened during the 1998 offseason.
As always, we begin with the retirements, and the biggest name to call it a career was Magic Johnson. Magic walked away from the game as a champion.
While Bias stole most of the headlines, Johnson also signed with Golden State before last season and opened the year as the Warriors' starting point guard.
An early injury sidelined him for most of the campaign, but he returned during the NBA Finals and came off the bench to help Golden State capture the title. It was the ninth Finals appearance of his legendary career and his fifth NBA championship.
Magic retires as a 4-time MVP, winning four straight awards from 1984 through 1987. He was also a 3-time Finals MVP, a 15-time All-Star, and made his final All-Star appearance in 1995.
Joining him in retirement were Mark Aguirre, who led Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance and finished his career as a 10-time All-Star, Kevin McHale, a 3-time champion and 4-time All-Star, along with both Dominique and Gerald Wilkins.
Dominique retired as an 11-time All-Star and champion with the Clippers, while Gerald captured his lone championship with the 76ers back in 1987.
Also hanging up their sneakers were Byron Scott, a 2-time champion and 1989 All-Star, and Hot Rod Williams, whose career included one All-Star selection.
When the offseason ceremonies arrived, Magic Johnson, Mark Aguirre, and Dominique Wilkins all had their jersey numbers retired by the franchises they became synonymous with.
The biggest surprise was Kevin McHale, who did not receive the same honor despite spending more seasons in Boston than Dominique did in Atlanta.
Dominique played his first five seasons with the Hawks before joining the Cavs, while Aguirre spent 13 seasons in Dallas and Magic played 17 years with the Lakers.
Those same three legends—Magic Johnson, Mark Aguirre, and Dominique Wilkins—were also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Next came the 1998 NBA Draft Lottery, where the Lakers owned the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick thanks to Sacramento's selection.
After winning the lottery the previous year and drafting Tim Duncan, it seemed almost impossible lightning could strike twice. Instead, the lottery smiled on Utah, who selected Vince Carter with the first overall pick.
The Mavericks stayed true to real life by selecting Dirk Nowitzki second overall, while the Lakers landed the third pick before immediately trading it away in exchange for 2-time champion Alvin Robertson and veteran center Patrick Ewing.
Houston used the third overall selection to draft Mike Bibby, the Pacers selected Antawn Jamison fourth, and Boston made perhaps the most intriguing move of the night by trading Dražen Petrović to acquire the fifth pick.
With that selection, the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce, completing a remarkable young core that now featured Kevin Garnett (1995), Ray Allen (1996), and Paul Pierce (1998). The future Big Three was officially in place, but could they become the league's next dynasty?
Free agency also featured several major moves. After years of losing basketball in Indiana, Gary Payton took his talents to the Mavericks, while the Pacers replaced him by signing former Dallas point guard Eric Murdock.
2-time champion Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf signed with Vancouver, former champion Michael Williams joined the Kings, and after helping lead the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, Kenny Anderson signed with the Suns.
The defending champion Warriors weren't content to stand pat either, adding 2-time champion Grant Hill and longtime Maverick Roy Tarpley in hopes of defending their title.
Elsewhere, Sean Elliott signed with the Bulls, while Karl Malone was once again on the move, this time joining the Cleveland Cavaliers. There were plenty of other signings around the league, but these were the moves that made the biggest headlines.
Before opening night, a few notable trades rounded out the offseason. Joe Dumars was dealt to the Nets in exchange for Chris Gatling, who went to Seattle. Chris Mills was traded to the Bulls for Horace Grant, who went to the Heat.
Bryant Reeves headed to the Knicks, while Dan Majerle became the newest member of the Lakers. Finally, defending champion Bob Sura was traded by the Warriors for Lucious Harris of the Nets, bringing one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory to a close.
The 1998-99 Regular Season: New Stars Take Over
When the dust settled on the 1998-99 regular season, we had ourselves a new MVP. Chris Webber captured the first MVP award of his career after averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
The question now was whether he could lead the Boston Celtics back to the promised land. Boston hadn't reached the NBA Finals since 1990 and hadn't won a championship since 1985.
The Rookie of the Year award went to Antawn Jamison of the Indiana Pacers, who averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds. Jamison edged out higher draft picks like Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Mike Bibby.
While he had an outstanding individual season, it raised an important question: would either of this year's major award winners be able to change the fortunes of their franchises?
For Boston, the answer appeared to be yes. The Celtics won 60 games, good for the third seed in the East, and continued an incredible streak as the only franchise in our 16-year timeline to qualify for the playoffs every single season.
The same couldn't be said for Indiana. Despite Jamison's impressive rookie campaign, the Pacers won just 30 games and once again watched the postseason from home.
The race for the top of the Eastern Conference couldn't have been any closer. Both the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets finished with 62 wins, but the Nets claimed the Atlantic Division crown while Toronto earned the No. 1 seed.
The Raptors would now look to win the first playoff series in franchise history, while the Nets entered the postseason with the best regular season in team history.
The New York Knicks claimed the fourth seed with 53 wins and may have finally found a long-term replacement for Brad Daugherty in Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. Waiting for them in the opening round would be Penny Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, and the Milwaukee Bucks, who finished fifth.
For the second consecutive season, Shawn Kemp led the Detroit Pistons to the sixth seed. Last year Detroit stunned Milwaukee in the opening round, but this time the challenge was even greater. Kemp would face the reigning MVP Chris Webber and, perhaps more importantly, the franchise that drafted him.
One of the feel-good stories of the season belonged to the Atlanta Hawks. They returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1987, which also happened to be Dominique Wilkins' final season in Atlanta.
After Dominique retired before this season, the Hawks immediately snapped their playoff drought. It almost makes you wonder if there was a curse. Their reward? A first-round showdown with Reggie Miller and the 62-win New Jersey Nets.
The final playoff spot belonged to the Chicago Bulls, who returned to the postseason behind new star Sean Elliott. Chicago hadn't won a playoff series since 1988, and standing in their way were Allen Iverson and the top-seeded Toronto Raptors, a franchise still searching for its first postseason series victory.
Out West, the defending champion Golden State Warriors once again finished with the league's best record at 62 wins, matching both Toronto and New Jersey.
The Minnesota Timberwolves stayed healthy behind Billy Owens, Larry Johnson, and Alonzo Mourning, earning the second seed with 50 wins. The Houston Rockets, led by Joe Smith, also won 50 games and secured the third seed.
The Los Angeles Lakers finished fourth with 47 victories, led by the young duo of Stephon Marbury and Tim Duncan. Their reward was a matchup with Gary Payton and the Dallas Mavericks. In the same year that Magic Johnson and Mark Aguirre retired, one of the NBA's greatest rivalries was renewed in the first round.
The Phoenix Suns returned to the playoffs as the sixth seed. Just two years earlier, Bison Dele helped lead Phoenix on a shocking run to the Western Conference Finals as an eighth seed. Once again, the Suns entered the postseason as underdogs. Could they pull off another surprise?
The Seattle SuperSonics, led by Tim Hardaway, claimed the seventh seed. Seattle hadn't won a playoff series since before Hardaway arrived, and now they would face the second-seeded Timberwolves. The last time Minnesota earned the No. 2 seed, they went all the way to the NBA Finals.
Rounding out the Western Conference field were the Sacramento Kings, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1996. With Michael Williams now leading the backcourt after the departure of Tim Hardaway years earlier, Sacramento faced the toughest possible opening-round opponent: the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Not every contender from a year ago returned to the postseason. Despite signing Karl Malone, the Cleveland Cavaliers only won 35 games. After losing Kenny Anderson in free agency Cleveland failed to defend its Eastern Conference title. The Orlando Magic also missed the playoffs after losing Grant Hill and battling injuries throughout the season, winning just 34 games.
The surprises didn't stop there. After leading the Spurs to the Western Conference Finals the previous season, Karl Malone departed in free agency, and San Antonio immediately missed the playoffs. Ironically, Malone joined the defending Eastern Conference champions in Cleveland, only to miss the postseason there as well.
Another streak also came to an end. The Portland Trail Blazers, who reached the Western Conference Semis Finals a year ago, missed the playoffs for the first time since 1987.
In a season full of surprises, the Hawks returned to the postseason for the first time since 1987, while the Blazers saw their own playoff streak dating back to that same year finally come to an end.
With the regular season complete, the stage was set for another unpredictable postseason. Would Len Bias lead the defending champion Warriors to back-to-back titles, or would a new contender rise to the top?
1999 NBA Playoffs: The Most Chaotic First Round Yet
The New Jersey Nets finished with the best regular season in franchise history, but after two games they were already on the verge of one of the biggest collapses in playoff history.
We begin with the 2-7 matchup in the Eastern Conference, where the Atlanta Hawks stunned everyone by stealing Game 1 on the road.
Game 2 was just as close, and it looked like the Nets might escape with a split. Instead, Bruce Bowen came alive when Atlanta needed him most. After being held scoreless for nearly the entire game, Bowen drilled a clutch three-pointer before stealing the ball from Reggie Miller and taking it coast-to-coast for a layup that stretched the Hawks' lead to six. Atlanta held on for the win and returned home needing just one more victory to complete a historic upset.
The Hawks finished the job in Game 3, sweeping the 62-win Nets and advancing to the Conference Semifinals for the first time since 1987—their last playoff appearance.
Steve Smith led the closeout with 18 points and 6 assists, while New Jersey became the first major casualty of the postseason. After winning 62 games during the regular season, the Nets couldn't manage a single playoff victory.
Out West, it seemed like the same thing was about to happen.
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the playoffs healthy for the first time in years and earned the No. 2 seed, but standing in their way were Tim Hardaway and the Seattle SuperSonics, a team looking to erase two disappointing postseasons.
Seattle made its statement immediately, stealing the first two games in Minnesota and returning home with a chance to complete another stunning sweep.
The Timberwolves refused to go quietly. An 8-1 run cut Seattle's lead to just three with 23 seconds remaining. Two free throws from Lionel Simmons were answered by an Alonzo Mourning turnaround jumper, trimming the lead back to three with 12 seconds left.
That was as close as Minnesota would get.
The SuperSonics held on for a five-point victory, completing the sweep behind Tim Hardaway's spectacular performance of 31 points, 12 assists, and 5 steals.
Once criticized for Seattle's playoff failures, Hardaway left the floor to chants of "MVP!" from the home crowd. Incredibly, both No. 2 seeds had now been swept in the opening round.
Next, we head to the 1-8 matchup in the West, where the defending champion Golden State Warriors wasted no time reminding everyone why they were the team to beat.
The Warriors swept the Sacramento Kings, winning every game comfortably. Pooh Richardson led the closeout with 26 points and 7 assists as Golden State cruised into the next round.
Back in the East, Shawn Kemp faced the franchise that drafted him as the Detroit Pistons took on the Boston Celtics.
Boston looked ready to take control of Game 1, building a 13-point lead, before Detroit stormed back with a 17-5 run, capped by a Dino Rađja turnaround jumper that tied the game and forced overtime. Despite nearly blowing the lead, the Celtics escaped with the victory.
Detroit answered by stealing Game 2 in Boston, taking all the momentum home for Games 3 and 4. That momentum didn't last long.
The Celtics responded with back-to-back double-digit road victories, eliminating the Pistons in four games. Reigning MVP Chris Webber finished the closeout with 24 points and 11 rebounds, sending Boston to its third consecutive Conference Semifinal while ending Kemp's season against his former team.
We stay in the East for the 4-5 matchup between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.
After New York captured Game 1, Milwaukee answered with a win to even the series before heading home. With the Knicks clinging to a slim lead late in Game 3, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, Danny Manning, and Jalen Rose scored on three straight possessions, turning a close game into an 11-point advantage with less than a minute remaining.
New York never looked back.
The Knicks won Game 4 by 15 points, advancing to the second round for the first time since 1995. Big Country continued his breakout postseason with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the closeout. Meanwhile, Scottie Pippen and the Bucks suffered another early exit, losing in the opening round for the third consecutive season.
Next we head to the other 4-5 matchup in the Western Conference. Last season, Tim Duncan helped lead the Lakers to their first Conference Semifinal appearance since 1993. Now, in just his second year, he was looking to do it again while renewing one of the NBA's classic rivalries.
The Lakers and Mavericks had met three times in the playoffs between 1986 and 1991, with Magic Johnson and Los Angeles winning two of those three series over Mark Aguirre's Mavericks.
Now it was a new era. Gary Payton, Dallas' new floor general, was looking to even the all-time playoff series, and the Mavericks struck first by stealing Game 1 in Los Angeles. They escaped with a two-point victory after Stephon Marbury missed a potential game-tying jumper at the buzzer.
The Lakers bounced back in Game 2, but once again the Mavericks had a chance to steal it. This time, Chuck Person missed a potential game-winning three.
Back in Dallas, Game 3 was another thriller. The Mavericks led by only four with 1:39 remaining before Person knocked down a clutch three-pointer. Victor Alexander followed with a floater, pushing the lead to nine and putting the game away.
It was no surprise that Game 4 came down to the wire as well. Dallas led by five with just over two minutes remaining before Gary Payton buried a three-pointer to stretch the lead to eight.
The Mavericks never looked back. Payton finished with 28 points and 8 assists, helping Dallas not only even the all-time playoff series with the Lakers at 2-2, but also advance to the Conference Semifinals for the first time since 1992.
We stay in the West for the 3-6 matchup between the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns.
Houston defended home court in Game 1, but the Suns answered in Game 2, earning a split before returning to Phoenix. The Suns found themselves in a battle in Game 3.
Trailing by three with less than a minute remaining, Charles Smith drilled a game-tying three-pointer. Phoenix then scored the final seven points of the game to steal a crucial victory.
Most expected the Suns to finish the series in Game 4, but the Rockets responded with an impressive double-digit road win, forcing a decisive Game 5 back in Houston.
The finale came down to one last possession.
Trailing by three with just five seconds remaining, Joe Smith found himself wide open beyond the arc. Rather than looking for shooters like Mike Bibby or Dennis Scott, Smith elected to take the shot himself—and missed.
Kenny Anderson secured the rebound, knocked down the free throws, and sent Phoenix to the next round. Anderson finished the closeout with 24 points and 13 assists, while the Western Conference saw three of its four first-round series end in upsets.
Our final series takes us back East for the 1-8 matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls.
Neither franchise had much recent playoff success. Toronto had never advanced past the first round, while Chicago hadn't won a playoff series since 1988. Something had to give.
The Bulls struck first by stealing Game 1 in Toronto before the Raptors answered to split the opening two games. Back in Chicago, the eighth-seeded Bulls took Game 3, putting themselves just one win away from becoming the sixth No. 8 seed to win a playoff series in our timeline.
The Raptors refused to go down.
Toronto rolled to a 20-point victory in Game 4, forcing a decisive fifth game back in Canada. On their home floor, Allen Iverson and the Raptors finally broke through.
Antonio McDyess led the way with 22 points and 6 rebounds in the series-clinching victory as Toronto celebrated the first playoff series win in franchise history, while Chicago's postseason drought lived on.
With the opening round complete, the playoffs had already delivered shocking upsets, heartbreaking finishes, and the fall of several championship contenders. If the first round was any indication, the road to the NBA Finals was only going to get more unpredictable from here.
1999 Conference Semifinals: The Contenders Fall
The Conference Semifinals began in the East, where MVP Chris Webber and the 3-seed Boston Celtics took on the Cinderella Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta had ended a 12-year playoff drought and stunned the 62-win New Jersey Nets in the opening round, but an even bigger challenge now awaited.
The Celtics defended home court with two convincing victories, handing Atlanta its first two losses of the postseason. Boston then traveled to Atlanta and dominated Game 3, winning by 20 points, before completing the sweep with another double-digit victory in Game 4.
Chris Webber capped off the series with 36 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks as Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1990.
Next we head out West for one of the most unlikely playoff matchups imaginable: a 6-versus-7 showdown between the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics. Both teams had pulled off first-round upsets, and Seattle continued its surprising run by stealing Game 1 in Phoenix.
The next four games were a back-and-forth battle. The Suns answered in Game 2, the Sonics reclaimed the series lead in Game 3, and Phoenix evened things once again with a dominant 29-point victory in Game 4. That win completely shifted the momentum.
Back home, the Suns took Game 5 by 11 points before returning to Seattle and blowing out the Sonics once again to win the series in six games.
Charles Smith led the closeout with 31 points as Phoenix completed another series win and punched its ticket to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in 3 years.
We stay in the West for the marquee matchup of the round: the defending champion Golden State Warriors against Gary Payton and the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas stunned the Oakland crowd by stealing Game 1, but Len Bias and the Warriors answered with victories in Game 2 and a hard-fought Game 3 in Dallas. With a 2-1 series lead, it looked like the defending champions were on their way back to the Conference Finals.
The Mavericks had other ideas.
Dallas protected home court in Game 4, setting up a pivotal fifth game in Oakland. Then came the biggest surprise of the series. After already stealing the opener on the road, the Mavericks won Game 5 on the Warriors' home floor, taking complete control of the matchup as the series shifted back to Dallas.
There would be no repeat champions.
The Mavericks completed the upset with a 22-point blowout victory, eliminating the defending champions by winning three straight games. Gary Payton finished the closeout with 29 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals, leading Dallas to its first Western Conference Finals since 1992. For the 62-win Warriors, the season ended in stunning disappointment.
The final series took us back East, where the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks battled in what became the most dramatic matchup of the round.
The Knicks earned a split in Toronto but failed to capitalize at home, dropping Games 3 and 4 to hand the momentum back to Allen Iverson and the Raptors.
Toronto had a chance to clinch the series in Game 5, but with their season on the line, New York once again won north of the border to force a sixth game at Madison Square Garden.
Game 6 was another thriller.
Trailing late, Allen Iverson tied the game with a floater with less than two minutes remaining. The Knicks answered immediately, closing the game on a 8-0 run behind a Bryant "Big Country" Reeves layup, a Nick Van Exel three-pointer, and another basket from Reeves. Toronto never scored again, sending the series to a winner-take-all Game 7.
The deciding game was just as tense.
With the Raptors holding a slim lead late in the fourth quarter, Allen Iverson took over. He scored seven straight points, then shifted into facilitator, finding Erick Dampier for an easy basket that stretched Toronto's lead to seven and put the game away.
Latrell Sprewell led the Raptors with 21 points, but it was Iverson's clutch scoring and playmaking that carried Toronto to its first Eastern Conference Finals in franchise history.
With the semifinals complete, only four teams remained. The Celtics, Raptors, Suns, and Mavericks were now just one series away from playing for an NBA championship.
1999 Conference Finals: A Championship Dream Begins
The Conference Finals began in the West, where we had one of the most unlikely matchups in NBA history: the 5-seed Dallas Mavericks against the 6-seed Phoenix Suns.
Dallas had already knocked off the defending champion Golden State Warriors after eliminating the Lakers in the opening round. Their reward for pulling off upsets in each of the first two rounds, home-court advantage in the Western Conference Finals.
The Suns had authored an improbable run of their own. After upsetting the Rockets in the first round, Phoenix benefited from the 7-seed SuperSonics eliminating Minnesota, allowing the sixth-seeded Suns to earn home-court advantage in the Conference Semifinals. Now they were just four wins away from becoming only the second No. 6 seed in NBA history to reach the Finals, joining the 1981 Houston Rockets.
Dallas came out swinging, defending home court in Game 1. Game 2 was much tighter, with 1:38 remaining the score was tied. From there on the Suns closed the game on a 6-0 run, eventually winning by eight to steal home-court advantage.
After a convincing victory in Game 3, Phoenix found itself in another battle in Game 4. The Mavericks cut the lead to just two with under two minutes remaining, but Alaa Abdelnaby took over, scoring six straight points before assisting David Wesley on another basket to push the lead back to eight. Dallas never recovered.
The Suns completed the gentleman's sweep, winning four straight games and closing out the series in Game 5 back in Dallas. Alaa Abdelnaby finished the clincher with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks, sending Phoenix to the NBA Finals as just the second sixth seed ever to accomplish the feat.
The Eastern Conference Finals told a very different story.
The Toronto Raptors took a close Game 1 over the Boston Celtics, but the biggest story came when MVP Chris Webber suffered a broken leg, ending his season and dealing a devastating blow to Boston's championship hopes.
Toronto capitalized, winning Game 2 comfortably before taking Game 3 in Boston by five points to grab a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Just when it looked like the series was over, everything changed again.
The Celtics responded with a 15-point victory in Game 4, but Toronto suffered its own crushing loss when former Rookie of the Year Antonio McDyess went down with an injury that would also end his season. Suddenly, both teams had lost key stars.
Even without Chris Webber, the Celtics refused to quit. Facing elimination in Game 5, Boston stunned the Raptors with a 19-point road victory, sending the series back to Boston.
Game 6 was another battle.
Toronto repeatedly cut the deficit to just three points, including with only 28 seconds remaining, but Kevin Garnett took over, scoring eight straight points down the stretch to seal a five-point victory and complete Boston's comeback from 0-3 to force a decisive Game 7.
For the third consecutive series, the Raptors found themselves pushed to the limit.
The eighth-seeded Chicago Bulls had led Toronto 2-1 before the Raptors rallied to win. The Knicks then pushed them to a seventh game after trailing 3-1. Now, after building what looked like an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Boston, Toronto had watched the Celtics battle all the way back.
History was one game away.
Late in Game 7, the Raptors held a three-point lead with less than two minutes remaining before Boston's young stars answered. Kevin Garnett knocked down a jumper, and moments later Ray Allen buried a three-pointer to give the Celtics the lead. One of the greatest comebacks in NBA history suddenly looked within reach.
But the Raptors had one final answer.
Doug Christie tied the game, and after both teams traded baskets, Boston had one last chance to take control. Following a Kevin Garnett miss, the ball found its way into the hands of Allen Iverson.
With the clock winding down, Iverson rose over Terrell Brandon and buried the game-winning buzzer-beater, sending the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA Finals.
The miracle season continued.
Before this year, Toronto had never won a playoff series. Now, after surviving three grueling postseason battles, the Raptors were Eastern Conference champions.
Iverson's 41-point masterpiece not only sent Toronto to the Finals, but also set a new franchise record for points in a playoff game.
1999 NBA Finals: Allen Iverson Delivers Toronto Its First Championship?
The 1999 NBA Finals were set, and they featured one of the most unlikely matchups in league history.
On one side stood the 62-win Toronto Raptors, owners of the NBA's best record, tied with both the Warriors and Nets. On the other were the 6-seed Phoenix Suns, who had won just 43 games during the regular season before putting together one of the most improbable playoff runs ever. It was truly a David vs. Goliath matchup.
Game 1, however, didn't look like a mismatch at all.
The Suns held a lead late in the fourth quarter before Allen Iverson scored on back-to-back possessions to put Toronto in front. It looked like the Raptors were finally taking control.
Not so fast.
Kenny Anderson found Alaa Abdelnaby for a basket underneath to give Phoenix the lead once again. Doug Christie answered with a clutch three-pointer, igniting the Toronto crowd, but Abdelnaby wasn't finished. He slammed home another basket to tie the game with 30 seconds remaining.
After a Raptors miss, Phoenix had an opportunity to steal Game 1. Anderson's jumper at the buzzer came up short, and the game headed to overtime.
The drama continued in the extra period.
Phoenix again held a two-point lead before Latrell Sprewell knocked down a clutch three-pointer with under two minutes to play. After both teams traded baskets, the Suns were forced to foul, and Allen Iverson calmly knocked down two free throws with 26 seconds remaining to seal the victory as Toronto claimed Game 1.
Game 2 was just as competitive. The Raptors held a slim three-point lead late before Iverson once again took over, scoring six consecutive points to stretch the advantage to seven and secure another Toronto victory.
After two nail-biters, it looked like these Finals were destined to become an instant classic.
Instead, the series took a dramatic turn.
The Raptors dominated Game 3 in Phoenix, winning by double digits to move within one victory of the championship. Memories of the Eastern Conference Finals lingered after Toronto had nearly blown a 3-0 series lead against Boston. Could the Suns pull off a similar comeback?
They never got the chance.
Toronto returned to Phoenix and completed the four-game sweep, routing the Western Conference champions to capture the first NBA championship in franchise history.
Allen Iverson finished the clinching game with 26 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals, earning NBA Finals MVP after averaging 36 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals over the series.
The championship marked another historic moment in the Rewritten Rings universe. The Raptors captured their first title in just their fourth season, nearly 20 years earlier than in real life.
As for Allen Iverson, the superstar guard accomplished something that eluded him in reality—winning an NBA championship, and doing it in just his third NBA season.
The 1998-99 season delivered everything: shocking upsets, heartbreaking injuries, Cinderella runs, unforgettable Game 7s, and the birth of a new champion. As we continue to rewrite NBA history one season at a time, one question now takes center stage:
Can Allen Iverson and the Toronto Raptors repeat as NBA champions?
We'll find out as Rewritten Rings enters a new century with the 1999-2000 season.
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