The NBA began its lockout-shortened 1998-99 season on this day twelve years ago.
NBA Opening Night took place much later than usual twelve years ago, as the league opened its 1998-99 season on February 5, 1999.
An ugly lockout cost the NBA the first three months of its season, including its Christmas Day games (Bulls/Knicks and Lakers/Suns that year) and the 1999 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
The lockout marked the first (and so far, only) time in NBA history that games were lost due to a work stoppage.
Ratings held up fairly well during the lockout-shortened season. NBC’s regular season ratings were off just 7% from 1997-98, and the net’s playoff coverage (prior to the Spurs/Knicks NBA Finals) dropped a modest 16% from ’98.
Of course, the NBA is facing a potential lockout at the end of the ongoing 2010-11 season, as the owners and players remain far apart on a new collective bargaining agreement.
