[1] During the off-season, head coach Mike Dunleavy was fired after four years and two trips to the Western Conference finals, and was replaced with Maurice Cheeks,[2][3][4][5] as the Blazers acquired Derek Anderson and Steve Kerr from the San Antonio Spurs,[6][7][8][9] signed free agent Ruben Patterson,[10][11][12] and re-signed former Blazers center Chris Dudley.
[13][14] Kerr would reunite with his former teammate of the Chicago Bulls, former All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, where they won three championships in the late 1990s.
The Blazers struggled with a 13–18 start after losing six straight games between December and January, but managed to hold a 25–23 record at the All-Star break,[15] and then posted a 12-game winning streak between February and March,[16] finishing third in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference with a 49–33 record,[17] and making the playoffs for the 20th consecutive year.
[20][21][22][23] The Lakers would then go on to defeat the New Jersey Nets in four straight games in the NBA Finals, winning their third consecutive championship.
[24][25][26][27][28] Following the season, Shawn Kemp signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic,[29][30][31][32] and Kerr was traded back to his former team, the San Antonio Spurs.