Who Won The NBA Finals In 1999?

Who won the NBA Finals in 1999? The San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson, won the championship in 1999.

The 1999 NBA Finals

The teams

In the 1999 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks four games to one. The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the series, while the Knicks were led by Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston.

The players

The 1999 NBA Finals was the series that decided the champion of the 1998–99 NBA season. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the title, with the Spurs winning in five games to capture their first ever NBA championship. Tim Duncan was named Finals MVP.

The Spurs were a loaded team, led by Duncan, future Hall of Famer David Robinson, and All-Star point guard Avery Johnson. They also had key role players like Mario Elie, Jaren Jackson, Malik Rose, and Steve Kerr. The Knicks were a gritty team, led by All-Star forward Patrick Ewing and veteran point guard John Starks. They also had role players like Kurt Thomas, Allan Houston, and Latrell Sprewell.

The series

The series was played between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, with the Spurs winning the series 4–1. It was the Spurs’ first NBA championship, and their first title since moving from the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1976. The 1999 Finals was the first championship series since the ABA–NBA merger in 1976 to feature two teams that had both joined the NBA during or after the 1976 ABA–NBA merger (the Spurs joined the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA–NBA merger while the Knicks joined the NBA in 1949, three years prior to the merger).

Game 1

In game one of the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 87-77. Spurs’ Tim Duncan was named MVP of the series.

Game 2

The Lakers took a commanding 2–0 lead in the series with a 112–102 victory in Game 2. O’Neal had 28 points and 15 rebounds, while Harper hit five three-pointers on his way to 21 points off the bench. Johnson had 19 assists, marking the sixth time in eight Finals games dating back to 1991 that he had recorded at least 15 assists. The only other player to do so even once in that span was John Stockton of the Utah Jazz in 1997. Malone led the Jazz with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Stockton added 19 points and 10 assists.

Game 3

The 1999 NBA Finals was the series that decided the champion of the 1998–99 NBA season. The Western Conference champions, the San Antonio Spurs, took on the Eastern Conference champions, the New York Knicks. The Knicks were coached by Jeff Van Gundy, while Gregg Popovich coached the Spurs. This was San Antonio’s first NBA championship, and they became only the second former ABA team to win an NBA title (the Denver Nuggets were the first in 1976). BasketballHall-of-Famer Willis Reed inspired his teammates and electrified Madison Square Garden by limping onto the court for Game 7. Walt Frazier led a balanced attack with 19 points as New York won 113-99 for its firstNBA title since 1973 and avenged a Finals defeat to Indiana eleven years prior.

Game 4

The fourth and final game of the 1999 NBA Finals was played on June 19, 1999, at the Pond in Anaheim, California. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the NBA championship title. The Spurs won the game 87–77, clinching their first NBA championship in franchise history.

The 1998–99 season was a historic one for the Spurs. They set a then-NBA record by winning 37 games in a row. They also became only the third team in league history to win 60 games in consecutive seasons, joining the fabled Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers as one of basketball’s most elite teams. The Knicks were no slouch either, as they had won an NBA-best 45 games during the regular season. They were led by All-Star forward Latrell Sprewell and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Alvin Williams Williams.

In Game 4, it was clear that neither team wanted to give an inch. The game was tied at halftime, and neither team could gain a significant lead throughout the second half. With just over two minutes remaining in regulation, Knicks forward John Starks hit a three-pointer to give his team a 73–72 lead. But Spurs guard Avery Johnson answered right back with a three of his own to put San Antonio ahead for good. The Spurs went on to win 87–77 and claim their first ever NBA championship title.

Game 5

The 1999 NBA Finals was the series that decided the champion of the 1998–99 NBA season. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the title, with the Spurs holding home-court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the first 2 games in San Antonio, the next 2 games in New York, and the remaining 3 games in San Antonio.

The Knicks were coming into the series off of a crushing loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs were coming into the Finals after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in their conference finals.

In Game 5, san antonio’s game plan to stop new york’s big three of Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, and Larry Johnson worked to perfection as they held them to a combined 31 points on 33% shooting from the field. The Spurs would go on to win 87-77 and take a 3-2 lead back to San Antonio.

The aftermath

The 1999 NBA Finals was the series that defined an era. It was the battle of two basketball titans: the up-and-coming San Antonio Spurs and the defending champion, the dynasty of the 1990s Chicago Bulls. This was the first time that the Finals had been a best-of-seven series since 1984.

The impact on the league

The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the first 2 games in San Antonio, the next 3 games in New York, and the last 2 games back in San Antonio.

The Knicks won Game 1 92–91 on an Allan Houston game-winning shot with 8.6 seconds left. The Spurs responded by blowing out the Knicks in Game 2, 120–89. After splitting Games 3 and 4 in New York, the Spurs won Game 5 87–67, giving them a 3–2 series lead heading back to San Antonio. The KnicksAvoiding elimination, they staged a biggestcomeback in NBA Finals hstory by winning Game 6 90–84 to force a seventh and final game. In Game 7, The Spurs won their first ever NBA Championship by defeating then Knicks 78-77 on an avalanche of late points from Tim Duncan and fellow Spur Mario Elie. Duncan was named Finals MVP for his performance throughout the series.

The loss severely damaged the Knicks’ reputation as tough defenders; it also led to changes in some of their personnel. As a result of their defeat, Latrell Sprewell was traded away following an altercation with head coach Jeff Van Gundy during practice prior to Game 6 (with Marcus Camby coming over from Vancouver), and starting center Patrick Ewing would miss most of next season while recovering from off-season Achilles tendon surgery (although he would eventually return during that year’s playoffs). As for San Antonio, they would go on to repeat as champions in 2003.

The impact on the players

The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1998–99 NBA season. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs took on the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the title, with the Spurs winning the series 4 games to 1.

The impact of the 1999 NBA Finals had a significant impact on both the players and the league. For the players, it was a Series that cemented legacies and started new ones. For the league, it was a Series that marked a period of transition and globalization.

The 1999 NBA Finals was a meeting of two teams that were at very different stages in their development. The Knicks were a veteran team led by 30-year-old Pat Ewing, who was in his 12th season. The Spurs, on the other hand, were a young team led by 25-year-old Tim Duncan, who was in just his second season.

Despite their differences, both teams had experienced success in recent years. The Knicks had won the Eastern Conference in 1994 and 1999, while the Spurs had won the Western Conference in 1998.

The 1999 NBA Finals was also a meeting of two very different styles of play. The Knicks were known for their tough defense and bruising physicality, while the Spurs were known for their free-flowing offense and teamwork.

In the end, it was the Spurs’ style of play that prevailed. They won the Series 4 games to 1, with each victory coming by double digits. In doing so, they became just the second team in NBA history to win a championship after losing the first two games of the Finals (the other team being Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers in 1988).

The impact of the 1999 NBA Finals can still be felt today. For Tim Duncan, it was confirmation that he was one of the best players in the world. For Pat Ewing, it was a disappointing end to what could have been a much better career. And for basketball as a whole, it signaled a changing of the guard from older stars like Ewing to younger stars like Duncan.