1997–98 Boston Celtics season
| 1997–98 Boston Celtics season | |
|---|---|
| Chauncey Billups' rookie season Ron Mercer's rookie season |
|
| Head coach | Rick Pitino |
| Arena | Fleet Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 36–46 (.439) |
| Place |
Division: 6th (Atlantic) Conference: 12th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | DNQ |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com |
|
| Local media | |
| Television | SportsChannel New England, WSBK |
| Radio | WEEI |
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. In the 1997 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Chauncey Billups out of the University of Colorado with the third pick. Billups only spent half of his rookie season in Boston, and was traded along with Dee Brown to the Toronto Raptors for Kenny Anderson at midseason. The Celtics also had the sixth pick in the draft and selected Ron Mercer from the University of Kentucky. In the offseason, they acquired Walter McCarty from the New York Knicks and signed free agents Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq and Bruce Bowen.
Despite finishing with the NBA's second worst record in 1996–97, the Celtics were back in the headlines after hiring Rick Pitino as head coach. Pitino's Celtics career had an auspicious beginning on opening night when the Celtics upset the 5-time defending NBA Champion Chicago Bulls in the FleetCenter. Although the Celtics did not make the playoffs, they improved their win total by 21 games from the previous season, finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 36–46 record. Second-year star Antoine Walker averaged 22.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, as he was selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. Mercer made the All-Rookie First Team averaging 15.3 points per game. Following the season, Knight was traded back to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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