The 1998–99 Sacramento Kings season was the 50th season for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association, and their 14th season in Sacramento, California. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.

Season summary

Off-season The Kings received the seventh overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, and selected point guard Jason Williams from the University of Florida; Williams would earn the nickname "White Chocolate", and would also be known for his flashy passes and crossovers. During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star forward Chris Webber from the Washington Wizards, and signed free agents Vlade Divac, Vernon Maxwell, three-point specialist Jon Barry, and second-year center Scot Pollard, who was signed midway through the season while Terry Dehere was released to free agency. After playing overseas in Greece, Serbian small forward Peja Stojaković, who was drafted by the Kings as the 14th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, made his debut in the NBA this season. The Kings also hired Rick Adelman as their new head coach; Adelman led the Portland Trail Blazers to two trips to the NBA Finals between 1990 and 1992.

For the season, the Kings revealed new purple alternate road uniforms, which featured a black and white trim, and a black side panel on the right leg of their shorts; these uniforms would remain in use until 2002.

Regular season Under Adelman and with the addition of Webber, Divac, Williams, Maxwell and Stojaković, the Kings got off to a 9–9 start to the regular season, but played below .500 in winning percentage as the season progressed, holding a 17–22 record as of April 15, 1999. However, the team improved by winning ten of their final eleven games of the season, which included two five-game winning streaks between April and May. The Kings finished in third place in the Pacific Division with a 27–23 record, which was their first winning record above .500 in 16 years, as the team earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Webber averaged 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.1 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Divac averaged 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, and Williams provided the team with 12.8 points, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game, led them with 100 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Corliss Williamson provided with 13.2 points per game, and second-year guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad contributed 9.3 points per game. Off the bench, Maxwell contributed 10.7 points per game and 80 three-point field goals, while second-year forward Lawrence Funderburke averaged 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, Stojaković provided with 8.4 points per game, and Barry contributed 5.0 points and 2.6 assists per game.

Webber finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Williams finished in second place in Rookie of the Year voting, behind Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors. The Kings finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 418,751 at the ARCO Arena II during the regular season.

NBA playoffs In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Kings faced off against the 3rd–seeded Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Jeff Hornacek. With the series tied at 1–1, the Kings managed to win Game 3 over the Jazz at home in overtime, 84–81 at the ARCO Arena II to take a 2–1 series lead. However, the Kings lost Game 4 at home by a score of 90–89, which evened the series, before losing Game 5 to the Jazz on the road in overtime, 99–92 at the Delta Center, thus losing in a hard-fought five-game series.

Aftermath Following the season, Abdul-Wahad was traded to the Orlando Magic, and Maxwell signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 7 Jason Williams PG Florida 2 36 Jerome James C Florida A&M

Roster

Roster Notes Shooting guard Chris Robinson was placed on the inactive list, and did not play for the Kings this season.

Regular season

Season standings

z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 | February 5 | @ San Antonio | | Jason Williams (21) | Chris Webber (12) | Williams, Webber, Abdul-Wahad (3) | Alamodome19,002 | 0–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | February 7 | Vancouver | | Chris Webber (25) | Vlade Divac (16) | Vlade Divac (10) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 1–1 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | February 9 | @ Phoenix | | Chris Webber (28) | Chris Webber (20) | Vlade Divac (7) | America West Arena18,217 | 2–1 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | February 10 | @ Houston | | Chris Webber (21) | Chris Webber (19) | Tariq Abdul-Wahad (5) | Compaq Center16,285 | 2–2 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | February 15 | @ Utah | | Chris Webber (26) | Chris Webber (11) | Jason Williams (7) | Delta Center19,911 | 2–3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | February 16 | Boston | | Webber, Williamson (22) | Chris Webber (15) | Vlade Divac (8) | ARCO Arena16,576 | 3–3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | February 17 | @ Seattle | | Chris Webber (23) | Webber, Divac (14) | Jason Williams (5) | KeyArena17,072 | 4–3 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 8 | February 19 | Charlotte | | Jason Williams (25) | Chris Webber (14) | Jon Barry (5) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 5–3 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 9 | February 21 | @ Minnesota | | Chris Webber (20) | Lawrence Funderburke (12) | Jason Williams (8) | Target Center16,848 | 5–4 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 10 | February 22 | @ Orlando | | Chris Webber (22) | Chris Webber (13) | Jason Williams (7) | Orlando Arena16,542 | 5–5 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 11 | February 24 | @ Philadelphia | | Chris Webber (21) | Chris Webber (11) | Jason Williams (7) | First Union Center14,437 | 5–6 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 12 | February 25 | @ Washington | | Vlade Divac (22) | Vlade Divac (17) | Chris Webber (10) | MCI Center16,813 | 6–6 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 13 | February 27 | @ Dallas | | Vlade Divac (20) | Chris Webber (14) | Jason Williams (7) | Reunion Arena15,009 | 6–7

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 14 | March 1 | Seattle | | Chris Webber (20) | Chris Webber (14) | Jason Williams (10) | ARCO Arena16,786 | 6–8 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | March 2 | @ Vancouver | | Chris Webber (36) | Chris Webber (17) | Jason Williams (9) | General Motors Place13,252 | 7–8 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 16 | March 3 | Portland | | Chris Webber (20) | Chris Webber (14) | Chris Webber (6) | ARCO Arena15,160 | 7–9 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | March 6 | @ Phoenix | | Jason Williams (24) | Chris Webber (14) | Webber, Williams (6) | America West Arena19,023 | 8–9 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 18 | March 7 | Dallas | | Chris Webber (18) | Chris Webber (13) | Chris Webber (7) | ARCO Arena14,715 | 9–9 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 19 | March 9 | @ Portland | | Lawrence Funderburke (18) | Vlade Divac (16) | Webber, Maxwell (5) | Rose Garden18,147 | 9–10 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | March 11 | @ L.A. Clippers | | Vlade Divac (19) | Chris Webber (9) | Jason Williams (4) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena7,884 | 9–11 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 21 | March 12 | Minnesota | | Jason Williams (17) | Chris Webber (10) | Jason Williams (5) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 9–12 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 22 | March 14 | L.A. Lakers | | Jason Williams (21) | Chris Webber (11) | Williams, Divac (5) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 10–12 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 23 | March 15 | @ Golden State | | Chris Webber (20) | Vlade Divac (8) | Webber, Divac (6) | The Arena in Oakland17,317 | 11–12 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 24 | March 16 | San Antonio | | Vlade Divac (18) | Chris Webber (14) | Jason Williams (10) | ARCO Arena14,570 | 11–13 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 25 | March 18 | Portland | | Chris Webber (16) | Chris Webber (20) | Jason Williams (5) | ARCO Arena14,397 | 11–14 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | March 20 | @ Dallas | | Tariq Abdul-Wahad (16) | Chris Webber (16) | Vlade Divac (6) | Reunion Arena16,161 | 11–15 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 27 | March 22 | @ Houston | | Chris Webber (29) | Chris Webber (11) | Chris Webber (6) | Compaq Center16,285 | 11–16 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 28 | March 24 | New York | | Vernon Maxwell (19) | Chris Webber (9) | Vlade Divac (10) | ARCO Arena17,023 | 12–16 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 29 | March 26 | @ L.A. Lakers | | Chris Webber (29) | Webber, Divac (10) | Jason Williams (12) | Great Western Forum17,505 | 13–16 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 30 | March 28 | Houston | | Jason Williams (21) | Lawrence Funderburke (15) | Vlade Divac (5) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 13–17 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 31 | March 30 | Utah | | Vernon Maxwell (33) | Vlade Divac (13) | Michael Hawkins (7) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 14–17 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 32 | March 31 | @ Portland | | Vlade Divac (20) | Vlade Divac (12) | Vlade Divac (7) | Rose Garden18,468 | 14–18

|-style="background:#fcc;" | 33 | April 3 | @ Minnesota | | Vlade Divac (19) | Chris Webber (10) | Vlade Divac (9) | Target Center17,011 | 14–19 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 34 | April 6 | @ Seattle | | Jason Williams (21) | Vlade Divac (14) | Vlade Divac (10) | KeyArena17,072 | 15–19 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 35 | April 7 | L.A. Lakers | | Corliss Williamson (22) | Chris Webber (16) | Webber, Stojaković (6) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 15–20 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 36 | April 10 | Denver | | Chris Webber (23) | Vlade Divac (15) | Jason Williams (9) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 16–20 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | April 11 | @ Vancouver | | Chris Webber (24) | Chris Webber (10) | Jason Williams (7) | General Motors Place17,167 | 17–20 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 38 | April 13 | Utah | | Corliss Williamson (22) | Chris Webber (16) | Chris Webber (8) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 17–21 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 39 | April 15 | Seattle | | Chris Webber (26) | Chris Webber (21) | Jason Williams (13) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 17–22 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 40 | April 17 | Denver | | Corliss Williamson (29) | Vlade Divac (14) | Jason Williams (11) | ARCO Arena16,285 | 18–22 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 41 | April 19 | @ L.A. Clippers | | Corliss Williamson (23) | Tariq Abdul-Wahad (9) | Jason Williams (14) | Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim10,878 | 19–22 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | April 21 | Golden State | | Chris Webber (25) | Chris Webber (16) | Webber, Williams (5) | ARCO Arena17,087 | 20–22 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 43 | April 23 | Minnesota | | Jason Williams (27) | Chris Webber (19) | Webber, Williams, Stojaković (4) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 21–22 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 44 | April 24 | Dallas | | Vlade Divac (28) | Vlade Divac (9) | Jason Williams (7) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 22–22 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 45 | April 26 | @ Golden State | | Stojaković, Funderburke (17) | Vlade Divac (10) | Vlade Divac (5) | The Arena in Oakland16,111 | 22–23 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 46 | April 27 | San Antonio | | Vlade Divac (27) | Vlade Divac (15) | Jason Williams (7) | ARCO Arena16,776 | 23–23 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 47 | April 29 | L.A. Clippers | | Tariq Abdul-Wahad (19) | Divac, Pollard (11) | Jon Barry (9) | ARCO Arena16,938 | 24–23

|-style="background:#cfc;" | 48 | May 2 | Phoenix | | Jason Williams (24) | Chris Webber (13) | Jason Williams (5) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 25–23 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 49 | May 3 | @ Denver | | Vlade Divac (25) | Scot Pollard (10) | Jason Williams (9) | McNichols Sports Arena14,653 | 26–23 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 50 | May 5 | Vancouver | | Vlade Divac (29) | Vlade Divac (17) | Jon Barry (5) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 27–23

Playoffs

|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | May 8 | @ Utah | L 87–117 | Chris Webber (14) | Chris Webber (9) | Chris Webber (3)