The turn of the century brought a number of advancements that permanently transformed the world, including communications technology and mobile phones. The year 1997 was also when blockchain emerged as an independent entity from Bitcoin.
It’s a difficult challenge to lead the NBA in per-game numbers. These records are only held by the top players in certain categories. The Chicago Bulls had some of the top players in the NBA on one squad during the 1997-1998 season, which is why they were able to win their third consecutive title. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman solidified their status as one of the greatest big threes of all time despite the turbulence.
Outside of the Bulls, there were several other noteworthy achievements that may have gone unnoticed because to all of the attention paid to the Bulls this season. Some of the names may be familiar, while others may be unfamiliar. The stat leaders from the 1997-1998 season are shown below.
Michael Jordan has a PPG of 28.7.
Shaquille O’Neal (28.3) is in second place, while Karl Malone is in third place (27.0)
In what was to be his “last” season in the league, Jordan enjoyed a very successful season. Jordan announced his retirement for the second time after the season. He went out on a high note at the moment, collecting his sixth Finals MVP award and yet another scoring crown. Jordan finished the season with more than 150 points more than runner-up Karl Malone.
Jordan’s field goal percentage (46.5%) was his lowest since 1985-1986, yet he still managed to put the ball in the hoop. Jordan’s ability to find points should come as no surprise given the volume of shots he attempted each night. Jordan was going to take care of business himself with a three-peat on the line.
Dennis Rodman – 15.0 RPG
Jayson Williams (13.6) came in second, while Tim Duncan came in third (11.9)
When it comes to his style of play, Dennis Rodman had a “see the ball, grab the ball” approach. Rodman’s task was to bounce back, and he accomplished it brilliantly in Chicago. Rodman had the most rebounds in the league, with 1,201. Tim Duncan had the second-most rebounds with 977, making Rodman the only player in the NBA with more than 1,000 for the season.
Rodman had 780 defensive rebounds to lead the league, but he was second in offensive rebounds. With 443, Jayson Williams led the league, while Rodman was close behind with 421. With Rodman manning the boards, Jordan and Pippen were able to focus more on the attacking end of the court.
Rod Strickland – 10.5 APG
Jason Kidd (9.1) came in second, while Mark Jackson came in third (8.7)
This was Strickland’s greatest season out of all the years he played. Strickland averaged over 40 minutes per game, scoring 17.8 points and dishing out 10.5 assists. This was his only career double-double average. In addition, he had 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
The Wizards finished the season with a record of 42-40, missing the playoffs. Despite the fact that Chris Webber and Juwan Howard were the team’s primary scorers, the Wizards were never able to establish their stride. The only positive light was Strickland’s victory in the assists race.
Mookie Blaylock – 2.6 SPG
Brevin Knight (2.5) came in second, while Doug Christie came in third (2.4)
Some argue that Blaylock’s victory in the thefts competition was practically unfair. You have complete control over how you spin it. Brevin Knight led the league in total thefts with 196, while Blaylock had 183. Knight had 10 more games than Blaylock, but he just missed out on the thefts title. Blaylock might easily have ended with one theft in each of those games and the numbers would have evened out.
Regardless, Blaylock behind Knight, Doug Christie, and Gary Payton in total thefts. Blaylock was able to capture the championship and bring it home to Atlanta in one of the tightest races in history.
Marcus Camby has a BPG of 3.7.
Dikembe Mutombo (3.4), Shawn Bradley (3.4), Dikembe Mutombo (3.4), Dikembe Mutombo (3.4), Dikembe Mutombo (3.4), Dikembe Mut (3.3)
Camby had the most blocks per game in the league, but he didn’t have the most overall blocks. Dikembe Mutombo ended first in the league with 277 blocks. Camby didn’t even come in second place, as Theo Ratliff had 258 points. Camby had 230 total blocks, but he had the greatest per-game average in the league.
Camby, who was in his second season in the league, had a breakthrough year. Camby seemed to be a player that the Raptors could develop around when he was with the organization. Camby’s last season was instead his last, and he joined the Knicks the next season.
Antoine Walker has a TOV of 3.6.
Grant Hill (3.5) came in second, while Tim Duncan came in third (3.4)
This season, Walker was a turnover machine. He came close to reaching 300 total turnovers, but only managed 292. With 285, Grant Hill was close behind him, but Tim Duncan had his worst season as a quarterback. Walker averaged 18.7 points per game and was crucial to the Celtics’ offense. He was going to be holding the ball a lot.
With being considered, Walker’s turnover margin was astronomically high in comparison to the quality of his work. Keep in mind that he only has 3.1 assists per game on average. Having the ball in his hands offered scoring opportunities, but it also meant that the possession would be short-lived.
Michael Finley – 41.4 MPG
Glenn Robinson (41.0) came in second, while Grant Hill came in third (40.7)
During the season, seven players averaged at least 40 minutes per game, but Finley topped the league in overall playing time. Finley played 99 minutes more than Glen Rice in total, while his average time was just ahead of Glenn Robinson. This season, Finley was a genuine workhorse for the Mavericks, averaging 20.2 points per game.
We aren’t accustomed to watching games with an average playing length of more than 40 minutes these days. Only Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, Cuttino Mobley, Shawn Marion, Antoine Walker, and Kobe Bryant have played more minutes per game in the previous 20 years than Finley.
Shaquille O’Neal has a 58.4% field-goal percentage.
Bo Outlaw came in second (55.4 percent), while Alonzo Mourning came in third (55.0 percent )
When you consider that Shaq finished second in the scoring battle behind Michael Jordan, his field goal percentage is even more astounding. Shaq made approximately 60 percent of his shots and averaged 19.1 shots per game. Shaq also came in fourth in the league in two-point field goals with 670. Only Jordan, Malone, and Duncan were ahead of him in that area.
Shaq was 12th in the league in terms of true shooting percentage at the time. This percentage includes field goals of two and three points, as well as free throw percentage. Shaq didn’t try a single three-pointer this season, and his 52.7 percent free-throw shooting was certainly the cause of his demise.
Dale Ellis received 46.4 percent of the vote in the three-point poll.
Jeff Hornacek came in second (44.1%), while Chris Mullin came in third (33.3%). (44.0 percent )
Ellis had the best three-point shooting percentage in the league, averaging 1.5 three-point field goals per game out of 3.5 attempts. Jeff Hornacek came in second with a score of 0.7 out of 1.6, while Chris Mullin came in third with a score of 1.3 out of 3.0. Ellis was 14th in the league in three-point field goal attempts but outside the top-20 in made three-point field goals.
While Ellis was efficient enough to win this title, Wesley Person, who played for the Cavaliers this season, deserves particular attention. Person led the league in both made and attempted three-point field goals. Reggie Miller, Joe Dumars, Tracy Murray, and Tim Hardaway were among the finalists.
Chris Mullin has a 93.4 percent free throw percentage.
Jeff Hornacek came in second with 88.5 percent, while Ray Allen came in third with 87.5 percent.
Mullin won the free throw race by shooting over 90% from the line, making him the only player to do so. When it came to making and attempting free throws, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan were one-two, but Mullin was the one who converted the most when he was given the chance. Mullin made 1.9 free throws out of 2.0 attempts this season.
Mullin hit 154 of the 164 free throws he tried, which was much fewer than Malone’s 628 of 825. With that in mind, it’s not about how many you take, but rather what proportion you achieve. Mullin only missed 10 free shots entire year, but it’s still a remarkable achievement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What major events happened in 1997?
A: It was the year of a number of major events, including in the United States. Personal computing history was made when Bill Gates and Paul Allen announced that they had finished their prototype for Microsofts Windows 98 operating system at CES 1997. In Russia, Boris Yeltsin resigned as President, which ended his first term as president in March 1997 after aborting several constitutional reforms. And finally on May 24th, an F-5 tornado struck Oklahoma City causing $1 billion USD worth of damage before killing 23 people with its winds up to 330mph
What happened in 1997 in the Philippines?
A: In 1997, the Philippine government held a referendum to decide whether or not there should be an official language for the country. The result of this vote was that Tagalog will remain as one of the two official languages, with English being granted as second official language.
What was the #1 box office hit 1997?
A: The top-grossing film of 1997 was Titanic, released in theaters on Friday April 4th. It was the first movie to gross more than $100 million domestically and it is considered by many critics as one of the greatest films ever made.
