1996–97 Boston Celtics season

The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association.[1] Celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of the NBA's original franchises, the Celtics selected Antoine Walker from the University of Kentucky with the sixth pick in the 1996 NBA draft.[2] However, after a 4–8 start to the season, the Celtics lost 13 of their next 14 games as players like Dino Radja, Dana Barros, Dee Brown, Greg Minor and Pervis Ellison were all out for long stretches of the season with injuries. The team suffered through their worst season posting a 13-game losing streak between February and March, then losing ten straight games near the end of the season. The Celtics lost 34 of their final 38 games finishing last place in the Atlantic Division with a dreadful 15–67 record, which is the team's worst record in franchise history.[3] Walker led the team with 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. David Wesley averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while Rick Fox provided the team with 15.4 points per game, second-year forward Eric Williams contributed 15.0 points per game, and Todd Day provided with 14.5 points per game.[4]

1996–97 Boston Celtics season
Head coachM. L. Carr
General managerJan Volk
Owner(s)Paul Gaston
ArenaFleet Center
Results
Record15–67 (.183)
PlaceDivision: 7th (Atlantic)
Conference: 15th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWSBK-TV
SportsChannel New England
RadioWRKO

Following the season, head coach M.L. Carr was fired, Fox signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers,[5] Wesley signed with the Charlotte Hornets, Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets, Day signed with the Miami Heat and Alton Lister retired. This was also the final season for Radja, who only played just 25 games this season due to a left knee injury, averaging 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. After failing his physical exam voiding an off-season trade that would have sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Clarence Weatherspoon and Michael Cage, he returned to play in Europe, ending his four-year career in the NBA.[6]

For the season, the Celtics added gold, black and mahogany colors to their primary logo, which is still present as of 2021.[7]

Draft picks
Main article: 1996 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 6 Antoine Walker SF/PF  United States Kentucky
2 38 Steve Hamer C  United States Tennessee

Roster
1996–97 Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
PG 11 Barros, Dana  5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 163 lb (74 kg) 1967-04-13 Boston College
PF 34 Brickowski, Frank  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1959-08-14 Penn State
SG 7 Brown, Dee  6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1968-11-29 Jacksonville
C 30 Conlon, Marty 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 1968-01-19 Providence
SG 13 Day, Todd 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1970-01-07 Arkansas
PF 29 Ellison, Pervis  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1967-04-03 Louisville
SF 44 Fox, Rick (C) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1969-07-24 North Carolina
PG 5 Hawkins, Michael 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1972-10-28 Xavier
C 53 Lister, Alton 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1958-10-01 Arizona State
SF 9 Minor, Greg  6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1971-09-18 Louisville
C 40 Radja, Dino  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1967-04-24 Croatia
C 43 Szabo, Brett 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1968-02-01 Augustana College (SD)
PF 8 Walker, Antoine 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 1976-08-12 Kentucky
PG 4 Wesley, David 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1970-11-14 Baylor
SF 55 Williams, Eric 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1972-07-17 Providence
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: March 10, 1997

Regular season

Season standings
Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Miami Heat 6121.744–29–1232–916–8
x-New York Knicks 5725.695431–1026–1519–6
x-Orlando Magic 4537.5491626–1519–2213–11
x-Washington Bullets 4438.5371725–1619–2214–10
New Jersey Nets 2656.3173516–2510–3111–13
Philadelphia 76ers 2260.2683911–3011–3011–14
Boston Celtics 1567.1834611–304–371–23
1996–97 NBA East standings
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls6913.841–
2 y-Miami Heat6121.7448
3 x-New York Knicks5725.69512
4 x-Atlanta Hawks5626.68313
5 x-Detroit Pistons5428.65915
6 x-Charlotte Hornets5428.65915
7 x-Orlando Magic4537.54924
8 x-Washington Bullets4438.53725
9 Cleveland Cavaliers4240.51227
10 Indiana Pacers3943.47630
11 Milwaukee Bucks3349.40236
12 Toronto Raptors3052.36639
13 New Jersey Nets2656.31743
14 Philadelphia 76ers2260.26847
15 Boston Celtics1567.18354

Record vs. opponents
1996-97 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta –3–11–31–33–12–01–11–32–01–13–12–01–11–24–02–03–11–33–14–01–12–02–02–01–14–01–12–02–1
Boston 1–3–0–40–41–21–11–10–41–10–21–20–21–10–41–30–20–40–40–41–31–11–10–21–10–23–10–20–20–4
Charlotte 3–14–0–0–43–11–12–02–22–02–02–21–11–11–22–22–04–03–11–24–01–10–22–02–02–02–20–22–03–1
Chicago 3–14–04–0–3–12–02–03–12–01–14–02–01–12–24–02–03–12–23–04–02–02–02–02–02–03–11–12–02–1
Cleveland 1–32–11–31–3–2–01–12–21–10–23–12–01–10–42–22–04–01–32–23–01–11–12–00–20–23–11–12–01–3
Dallas 0–21–11–10–20–2–3–10–20–40–41–12–20–40–20–21–31–11–11–12–01–31–32–21–31–30–21–33–10–2
Denver 1–11–10–20–21–11–3–0–21–31–30–21–30–40–21–10–41–10–20–21–12–20–42–22–20–41–10–43–11–1
Detroit 3–14–02–21–32–22–02–0–2–01–13–12–01–10–43–12–04–01–22–22–10–21–11–12–01–13–11–12–04–0
Golden State 0–21–10–20–21–14–03–10–2–0–41–11–30–40–21–11–32–00–21–12–00–42–21–34–00–42–00–43–10–2
Houston 1–12–00–21–12–04–03–11–14–0–1–13–13–10–21–14–02–01–10–22–02–22–24–03–13–11–12–23–12–0
Indiana 1–32–12–20–41–31–12–01–31–11–1–2–01–11–32–22–02–21–31–33–01–11–11–11–11–14–00–22–01–3
L.A. Clippers 0–22–01–10–20–22–23–10–23–11–30–2–2–20–22–01–31–10–21–11–12–20–42–24–01–32–01–34–00–2
L.A. Lakers 1–11–11–11–11–14–04–01–14–01–31–12–2–1–12–03–12–01–11–12–04–01–34–02–23–11–11–34–02–0
Miami 2–14–02–12–24–02–02–04–02–02–03–12–01–1–4–01–13–11–32–23–12–01–12–02–00–23–10–22–03–1
Milwaukee 0–43–12–20–42–22–01–11–31–11–12–20–20–20–4–0–22–11–22–23–11–10–20–21–11–13–11–12–01–3
Minnesota 0–22–00–20–20–23–14–00–23–10–40–23–11–31–12–0–2–01–11–11–13–12–20–44–00–41–11–34–01–1
New Jersey 1–34–00–41–30–41–11–10–40–20–22–21–10–21–31–20–2–2–21–32–21–10–21–12–01–10–30–22–01–3
New York 3–14–01–32–23–11–12–02–12–01–13–12–01–13–12–11–12–2–3–13–21–11–12–02–00–23–01–12–04–0
Orlando 1–34–02–10–32–21–12–02–21–12–03–11–11–12–22–21–13–11–3–2–21–12–01–11–11–14–00–21–11–3
Philadelphia 0–43–10–40–40–30–21–11–20–20–20–31–10–21–31–31–12–22–32–2–1–11–10–21–10–21–30–22–01–3
Phoenix 1–11–11–10–21–13–12–22–04–02–21–12–20–40–21–11–31–11–11–11–1–1–34–03–12–20–21–32–21–1
Portland 0–21–12–00–21–13–14–01–12–22–21–14–03–11–12–02–22–01–10–21–13–1–2–24–01–30–22–24–00–2
Sacramento 0–22–00–20–20–22–22–21–13–10–41–12–20–40–22–04–01–10–21–12–00–42–2–3–11–31–10–44–00–2
San Antonio 0–21–10–20–22–03–12–20–20–41–31–10–42–20–21–10–40–20–21–11–11–30–41–3–0–41–11–31–30–2
Seattle 1–12–00–20–22–03–14–01–14–01–31–13–11–32–01–14–01–12–01–12–02–23–13–14–0–2–01–34–02–0
Toronto 0–41–32–21–31–32–01–11–30–21–10–40–21–11–31–31–13–00–30–43–12–02–01–11–10–2–1–11–12–2
Utah 1–12–02–01–11–13–14–01–14–02–22–03–13–12–01–13–12–01–12–02–03–12–24–03–13–11–1–4–02–0
Vancouver 0–22–00–20–20–21–31–30–21–31–30–20–40–40–20–20–40–20–21–10–22–20–40–43–10–41–10–4–1–1
Washington 1–24–01–31–23–12–01–10–42–00–23–12–00–21–33–11–13–10–43–13–11–12–02–02–00–22–20–21–1—

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Awards and records

References
  1. 1996-97 Boston Celtics
  2. "For 76ers, Iverson Is No. 1 Choice". Washington Post. June 27, 1996. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. "1996–97 Boston Celtics Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. "1996–97 Boston Celtics Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. "Fox Hunt Finally Over for Lakers". Los Angeles Times. August 27, 1997. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  6. "Radja deal is off". South Coast Today. June 25, 1997. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  7. "Boston Celtics Logo". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net. Retrieved July 8, 2021.

See also
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