Odds are that there will be another NBA lockout this offseason. Previously, there have been three NBA lockouts. In 1995, a lockout lasted three months but did not cut into the regular season. In 1996, the lockout was very, very short - only a couple of hours. However, the third NBA lockout in 1998 was the first work stoppage in NBA history. It ended up cutting out nearly half the 1998-1999 season; the result was a 50-game regular season schedule played in 90 days. There were sequences where teams played 3 days in a row. That is otherwise unheard of in the NBA.
A meeting is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, June 30th) to further discuss NBA labor negotiations. Here's hoping to no lockout in 2011 or, at the very least, no lost regular season games in 2011-2012. Until then, here are some interesting story lines that were going on around the time when the NBA owners locked out NBA players in 1998. **Please be warned that some of the content is more mature in theme.**
> Choking Altercation & Suspension: During the 1997-1998 season, Latrell Sprewell served a 68-game season-ending suspension for his infamous choking altercation with then Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo. Sprewell had been an up-and-coming star at that point, while Carlesimo had much success coaching Seton Hall University's men's basketball team and moderate success coaching the Portland Trail Blazers. During a heated practice, Sprewell and Carlesimo got into a heated argument, leading to the incident. After the lockout ended, the Warriors traded Sprewell to the New York Knicks in a multiplayer trade that also included Knicks fan favorite John Starks. The Knicks would advance to the 1999 NBA Finals and fall at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
> Former NBA Jam Tag Team Scuffle: During a heated first round playoff series, former Charlotte Hornets star teammates Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat) and Larry Johnson (Knicks) got into a skirmish, throwing more slaps than punches. As the two tried to grapple, Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy got into the mix, grasping onto Mourning's leg in hopes of stopping the fight.
> Second Three-Peat by the Bulls & End of an Era: In their final appearances with the team, icon Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson led the Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA Championship and sixth NBA Championship in eight years. To close out the 1998 NBA Finals, Jordan again outmaneuvered rival defender Bryon Russell of the Utah Jazz and made a jump shot at the free throw line. With economics and the lockout affecting the team, Jordan went into his second retirement (later came back with the Washington Wizards in 2001), GM Jerry Krause pushed out Phil Jackson by not renewing his contract (Krause omitted longtime friend Jackson from his daughter's 1997 wedding but invited other Bulls' personnel)(Jackson went on to win his first of five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers starting in 1999-2000), Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets to try and help Charles Barkley win a championship (traded to Blazers in 1999-2000 and lost to Jackson's Lakers in 2000 NBA Playoffs; returned to the Bulls briefly before retiring in 2004), and Dennis Rodman was released (later to join the Lakers and be released by them in 1999). Also, Steve Kerr was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 (winning two more championships), while Ron Harper was released before the 1999-2000 season (winning two more championships with Jackson and the Lakers).
> Carrying on/Passing on the Torch: In 1996, Shaquille O'Neal left the Orlando Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers, while draft prospect Kobe Bryant refused to play for anyone in the NBA other than the Lakers. In 1997, the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery, allowing coach Gregg Popovich to pair #1 pick Tim Duncan with former #1 pick David Robinson. In 1999, Phil Jackson joined the Lakers. The duo of Shaq and Kobe (with coach Jackson) and the duo of Duncan and Robinson (with coach Popovich ) would follow the Bulls' six championships/Houston Rockets' (Hakeem Olajuwon/coach Rudy Tomjanovich) two championships in the previous 8 years by winning the next 5 NBA championships. Robinson retired in 2003, while O'Neal was traded by the Lakers in 2004 after a loss in the NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons. Despite these moves and Jackson's temporary hiatus as coach of the Lakers (replaced by Tomjanovich), the Spurs and Lakers would win four championships in six years from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010. While O'Neal teamed with Dwyane Wade and coach Pat Riley to win a championship for the Miami Heat in 2006, Kobe and coach Jackson fell in the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. Adding Tomjanovich to the four players and two coaches, at least one of these players/coaches was involved in the NBA Finals for two decades (1991-2010).
> Where's Daddy?: Former Miami Heat intern Grant Wahl emerged as a successful writer for the magazine Sports Illustrated, gaining mass attention with his 1998 cover story entitled "Where's Daddy?". A number of NBA players were revealed to have multiple children out of wedlock with multiple mothers. Included in this was All-Star Shawn Kemp, who was rumored to have been battling alcoholism during the 1996 NBA Finals. Kemp would emerge from the lockout at least 40-50 pounds overweight.
Meanwhile, Corrie Bird appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, seeking to regain contact with estranged father Larry Bird. Bird and high school girlfriend Janet Condra had a brief marriage in 1976-1977, in which Corrie was conceived and born. Corrie's story later was covered by the ABC news program 20/20 and Sports Illustrated. Fortunately, the father-daughter relationship has improved over the past few years.
In 2000-2001, other news emerged about a scandal involving strippers and a handful of players, including former NBPA president and All-Star Patrick Ewing. The scandal ruined Ewing's marriage.
> Crossing the Lockout Lines: Coach Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers would headline the list of lockout violations, engaging in multiple practice sessions during the 1998 lockout. The move would benefit the team, as they would win the 2000 NBA Eastern Conference championship before falling at the hands of the Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals. Bird stepped down as coach after the season.
A meeting is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, June 30th) to further discuss NBA labor negotiations. Here's hoping to no lockout in 2011 or, at the very least, no lost regular season games in 2011-2012. Until then, here are some interesting story lines that were going on around the time when the NBA owners locked out NBA players in 1998. **Please be warned that some of the content is more mature in theme.**
> Choking Altercation & Suspension: During the 1997-1998 season, Latrell Sprewell served a 68-game season-ending suspension for his infamous choking altercation with then Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo. Sprewell had been an up-and-coming star at that point, while Carlesimo had much success coaching Seton Hall University's men's basketball team and moderate success coaching the Portland Trail Blazers. During a heated practice, Sprewell and Carlesimo got into a heated argument, leading to the incident. After the lockout ended, the Warriors traded Sprewell to the New York Knicks in a multiplayer trade that also included Knicks fan favorite John Starks. The Knicks would advance to the 1999 NBA Finals and fall at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
> Former NBA Jam Tag Team Scuffle: During a heated first round playoff series, former Charlotte Hornets star teammates Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat) and Larry Johnson (Knicks) got into a skirmish, throwing more slaps than punches. As the two tried to grapple, Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy got into the mix, grasping onto Mourning's leg in hopes of stopping the fight.
> Second Three-Peat by the Bulls & End of an Era: In their final appearances with the team, icon Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson led the Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA Championship and sixth NBA Championship in eight years. To close out the 1998 NBA Finals, Jordan again outmaneuvered rival defender Bryon Russell of the Utah Jazz and made a jump shot at the free throw line. With economics and the lockout affecting the team, Jordan went into his second retirement (later came back with the Washington Wizards in 2001), GM Jerry Krause pushed out Phil Jackson by not renewing his contract (Krause omitted longtime friend Jackson from his daughter's 1997 wedding but invited other Bulls' personnel)(Jackson went on to win his first of five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers starting in 1999-2000), Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets to try and help Charles Barkley win a championship (traded to Blazers in 1999-2000 and lost to Jackson's Lakers in 2000 NBA Playoffs; returned to the Bulls briefly before retiring in 2004), and Dennis Rodman was released (later to join the Lakers and be released by them in 1999). Also, Steve Kerr was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 (winning two more championships), while Ron Harper was released before the 1999-2000 season (winning two more championships with Jackson and the Lakers).
> Carrying on/Passing on the Torch: In 1996, Shaquille O'Neal left the Orlando Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers, while draft prospect Kobe Bryant refused to play for anyone in the NBA other than the Lakers. In 1997, the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery, allowing coach Gregg Popovich to pair #1 pick Tim Duncan with former #1 pick David Robinson. In 1999, Phil Jackson joined the Lakers. The duo of Shaq and Kobe (with coach Jackson) and the duo of Duncan and Robinson (with coach Popovich ) would follow the Bulls' six championships/Houston Rockets' (Hakeem Olajuwon/coach Rudy Tomjanovich) two championships in the previous 8 years by winning the next 5 NBA championships. Robinson retired in 2003, while O'Neal was traded by the Lakers in 2004 after a loss in the NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons. Despite these moves and Jackson's temporary hiatus as coach of the Lakers (replaced by Tomjanovich), the Spurs and Lakers would win four championships in six years from 2004-2005 to 2009-2010. While O'Neal teamed with Dwyane Wade and coach Pat Riley to win a championship for the Miami Heat in 2006, Kobe and coach Jackson fell in the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. Adding Tomjanovich to the four players and two coaches, at least one of these players/coaches was involved in the NBA Finals for two decades (1991-2010).
> Where's Daddy?: Former Miami Heat intern Grant Wahl emerged as a successful writer for the magazine Sports Illustrated, gaining mass attention with his 1998 cover story entitled "Where's Daddy?". A number of NBA players were revealed to have multiple children out of wedlock with multiple mothers. Included in this was All-Star Shawn Kemp, who was rumored to have been battling alcoholism during the 1996 NBA Finals. Kemp would emerge from the lockout at least 40-50 pounds overweight.
Meanwhile, Corrie Bird appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, seeking to regain contact with estranged father Larry Bird. Bird and high school girlfriend Janet Condra had a brief marriage in 1976-1977, in which Corrie was conceived and born. Corrie's story later was covered by the ABC news program 20/20 and Sports Illustrated. Fortunately, the father-daughter relationship has improved over the past few years.
In 2000-2001, other news emerged about a scandal involving strippers and a handful of players, including former NBPA president and All-Star Patrick Ewing. The scandal ruined Ewing's marriage.
> Crossing the Lockout Lines: Coach Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers would headline the list of lockout violations, engaging in multiple practice sessions during the 1998 lockout. The move would benefit the team, as they would win the 2000 NBA Eastern Conference championship before falling at the hands of the Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals. Bird stepped down as coach after the season.