1999–2000 Phoenix Suns season

The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 32nd season for the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns.^[1] The Suns acquired the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft from the Dallas Mavericks, and selected Shawn Marion out of UNLV,^[2][3][4][5] During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard Penny Hardaway from the Orlando Magic,^{[6][7][8][9][10]} signed free agent Rodney Rogers,^{[11][12][13][14]} and re-signed former Suns center Oliver Miller, who played for the team when they reached the 1993 NBA Finals.^[15][12][16]

After a 13–7 start to the season, Danny Ainge resigned as head coach to spend more time with his family, and was replaced with assistant Scott Skiles.^{[17][18][19][20]} The Suns posted a 7-game winning streak between November and December, then won eight straight games in February, and held a 29–19 record at the All-Star break.^[21] The Suns finished third in the Pacific Division with a 53–29 record,^[22] and extend the franchise's record for playoff appearances before losing in the Western Conference Semi-finals.

Six players on the team averaged double-digits in points this season; Clifford Robinson led the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game, while Hardaway averaged 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game in only 60 games due to a foot injury,^{[23][24][25][26]} and Kidd provided the team with 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and was selected for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game.^{[27][28][29][30][31]}

In addition, Rogers played a sixth man role, averaging 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game off the bench, finished the regular season fourth in three-point field goal percentage at .439, and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.^[32][33] Tom Gugliotta contributed 13.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, but only played 54 games due to injury, and did not play in any of the Suns' playoff games, while Marion averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in only 51 games. On the defensive side, Luc Longley averaged 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and Miller provided with 6.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in only 51 games.^[34] Kidd would earn All-NBA First Team honors, and he and Robinson were both named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Marion and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

In March, Kidd suffered an ankle injury and missed the final month of the regular season.^{[35][36][37][38]} Former All-Star and Suns guard Kevin Johnson would come out of his retirement; he had retired after the 1997–98 season.^{[39][40][41][42]} Johnson played in six regular season games, averaging 6.7 points and 4.0 assists per game.^[34]

The Suns finished with the same regular season record, but did not have home court advantage going into their Western Conference First Round match-up with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Still, the Suns would advance to their first conference semifinals appearance since the 1994–95 season en route to taking the series three games to one.^{[43][44][45][46]} The Suns lost in the conference semi-finals to new league MVP Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.^{[47][48][49][50]} The Lakers would reach the NBA Finals to defeat the Indiana Pacers in six games.^{[51][52][53][54][55]}

Following the season, Johnson retired for the second and last time, while Rex Chapman also retired due to continuing injuries,^[56][57] Miller was released to free agency, and Longley was traded to the New York Knicks.^[58][59]

On December 17, 1999, after a 110–102 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, Gugliotta had a near-death experience where he suffered from a seizure on the team bus, while talking to his wife, Nikki, on his cellular phone. Gugliotta had stopped breathing while being rushed to Legacy Emanuel Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, and underwent a series of tests, which did not reveal the cause of his seizure; he was released from the hospital the next day, but experienced headaches afterwards. Gugliotta had taken the supplement, "furanone di-hydro", after the Suns' game against the Trail Blazers, and before boarding the team bus, because he had trouble sleeping, and had taken the supplement once before without any effects.^{[60][61][62][63][64]}

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	9	Shawn Marion	Forward	United States	UNLV

The Suns received the ninth pick from a trade with the Dallas Mavericks in 1998. With the pick they selected combo forward Shawn Marion from UNLV. Marion averaged 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.9 blocks per game in one year with the Runnin' Rebels. On July 30, the Suns signed him to a 4-year rookie contract for $5.9 million. Though missing two months with a knee injury, Marion averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in his first season, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Marion would play over eight seasons with the Suns, becoming an All-Star four times and being named to the All-NBA Third Team twice, before being traded to the Miami Heat in 2008. Marion would eventually have his number that he wore throughout his time with the team retired in the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor on December 15, 2023.

The Suns traded their first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls in 1999. With the pick the Bulls selected future All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest (later Metta World Peace). They also traded their second-round pick to the Houston Rockets in 1996. With the pick the Rockets selected Tyrone Washington.

1999–2000 Phoenix Suns roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From G/F 12 Bailey, Toby 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 213 lb (97 kg) 1975–11–19 UCLA F/C 40 Blount, Corie 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1969–01–04 Cincinnati G 3 Chapman, Rex  6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1967–10–05 Kentucky G/F 11 Day, Todd 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1970–01–07 Arkansas F/C 24 Gugliotta, Tom  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1969–12–19 NC State G 1 Hardaway, Penny 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1971–07–18 Memphis G 7 Johnson, Kevin 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1966–03–04 California G 32 Kidd, Jason 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1973–03–23 California G 2 Livingston, Randy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1975–04–02 LSU C 13 Longley, Luc 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1969–01–19 New Mexico F 25 MacLean, Don 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1970–01–16 UCLA F 31 Marion, Shawn 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1978–05–07 UNLV C 8 Miller, Oliver 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 280 lb (127 kg) 1970–04–06 Arkansas F 30 Robinson, Clifford 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1966–12–16 Connecticut F 54 Rogers, Rodney 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1971–06–20 Wake Forest

Head coach Scott Skiles Assistant coach(es) Frank Johnson John MacLeod Phil Weber Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

• Jason Kidd was named Player of the Week for games played December 12 through December 18.

• Jason Kidd was voted as a starter for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. Kidd finished first in voting among Western Conference guards with 1,061,031 votes.

• Rodney Rogers received the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Rogers also finished eighth in Most Improved Player voting.^[65]
• Jason Kidd was named to the All-NBA First Team. Kidd also finished tenth in MVP voting.^[65]
• Jason Kidd was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Kidd also finished tenth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[65]
• Clifford Robinson was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Robinson also finished tenth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[65]
• Shawn Marion was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
• Jason Kidd led the league in assists per game with a 10.1 average.

† – Minimum 300 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 55 three-pointers made.
# – Minimum 125 free throws made.

† – Minimum 20 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 10 free throws made.

August 5, 1999

To Orlando Magic Pat Garrity Danny Manning 2001 first-round draft pick ( Jason Collins) 2002 first-round draft pick ( Amar'e Stoudemire)

To Phoenix Suns Penny Hardaway

Player Transactions Citation:^[66]

• Standings on Basketball Reference