1996–97 Boston Celtics season

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

The 1996–97 Boston Celtics 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 received the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected power forward Antoine Walker from the University of Kentucky.[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team signed free agents Frank Brickowski and Marty Conlon.[5][6]

With the addition of Walker, the Celtics got off to a 4–8 start to the regular season, but then struggled losing 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 due to injuries.[7] The team suffered through their worst season ever, holding an 11–35 record at the All-Star break,[8] posting a 13-game losing streak between February and March, and then posting a 10-game losing streak near the end of the season. The Celtics lost 34 of their final 38 games, finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division with a dreadful 15–67 record, which is currently the team's worst record in franchise history.[9]

Walker averaged 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, while David Wesley averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and contributed 103 three-point field goals, and Rick Fox provided the team with 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game, and with 101 three-point field goals. In addition, second-year forward Eric Williams contributed 15.0 points per game, and Todd Day provided with 14.5 points per game, and led the Celtics with 126 three-point field goals. Meanwhile, Radja averaged 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in 25 games due to a left knee injury, Barros averaged 12.5 points and 3.2 assists per game in 24 games, Minor contributed 9.6 points per game in 23 games, Brown provided with 7.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 21 games, and Conlon averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.[10]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Walker was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team. Walker scored 20 points along with 9 rebounds and 2 steals, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 96–91.[11][12] Walker also finished in fourth place in Rookie of the Year voting,[13][14] while Wesley finished in eleventh place in Most Improved Player voting,[14] and Fox finished tied in sixth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.[14] The Celtics finished 20th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 664,022 at the FleetCenter during the regular season.[10][15]

Following the season, head coach M.L. Carr resigned,[16][17] while Fox signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers,[18][19][20] Wesley signed with the Charlotte Hornets,[21][22][23] Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets,[24][25][26] Day signed with the Miami Heat,[27][28] and Brickowski, Conlon and Alton Lister were all released to free agency. This was also the final season for Radja; 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 overseas in Europe, signing a contract to play in Greece, and ending his four-year career in the NBA with the Celtics.[29][30][31]

For the season, the Celtics updated their primary logo of a leprechaun spinning a basketball, adding gold, black and mahogany colors; the logo is still present as of 2026.[32]

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. Player Height Weight DOB From
G 11 Dana Barros 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 163 lb (74 kg) 1967–04–13 Boston College
F 34 Frank Brickowski 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1959–08–14 Penn State
G 7 Dee Brown 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1968–11–29 Jacksonville
C 30 Marty Conlon 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 1968–01–19 Providence
G 13 Todd Day 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1970–01–07 Arkansas
F 29 Pervis Ellison 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1967–04–03 Louisville
F 44 Rick Fox 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1969–07–24 North Carolina
G 5 Michael Hawkins 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 1972–10–28 Xavier
C 53 Alton Lister 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1958–10–01 Arizona State
G/F 9 Greg Minor 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1971–09–18 Louisville
C 40 Dino Radja 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1967–04–24 Croatia
C 43 Brett Szabo 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1968–02–01 Augustana (SD)
F 8 Antoine Walker 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 1976–08–12 Kentucky
G 4 David Wesley 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1970–11–14 Baylor
F 55 Eric Williams 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1972–07–17 Providence
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: March 10, 1997

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Miami Heat 61 21 .744 – 29–12 32–9 16–8
x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 4 31–10 26–15 19–6
x-Orlando Magic 45 37 .549 16 26–15 19–22 13–11
x-Washington Bullets 44 38 .537 17 25–16 19–22 14–10
New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 35 16–25 10–31 11–13
Philadelphia 76ers 22 60 .268 39 11–30 11–30 11–14
Boston Celtics 15 67 .183 46 11–30 4–37 1–23
1996–97 NBA East standings
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Chicago Bulls 69 13 .841 –
2 y-Miami Heat 61 21 .744 8
3 x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 12
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 56 26 .683 13
5 x-Detroit Pistons 54 28 .659 15
6 x-Charlotte Hornets 54 28 .659 15
7 x-Orlando Magic 45 37 .549 24
8 x-Washington Bullets 44 38 .537 25
9 Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 27
10 Indiana Pacers 39 43 .476 30
11 Milwaukee Bucks 33 49 .402 36
12 Toronto Raptors 30 52 .366 39
13 New Jersey Nets 26 56 .317 43
14 Philadelphia 76ers 22 60 .268 47
15 Boston Celtics 15 67 .183 54

Game log

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

Regular season

Boston Celtics statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Dana Barros 24 8 29.5 .435 .410 .860 2.0 3.4 1.1 .3 12.5
Frank Brickowski 17 2 15.0 .438 .350 .714 2.0 .9 .3 .2 4.8
Dee Brown 21 2 24.9 .367 .308 .818 2.3 3.2 1.5 .3 7.6
Marty Conlon 74 15 21.8 .471 .200 .842 4.4 1.4 .6 .2 7.8
Todd Day 81 27 28.1 .398 .362 .773 4.1 1.4 1.3 .6 14.5
Nate Driggers 15 0 8.8 .302 .000 .714 1.5 .4 .2 .1 2.4
Pervis Ellison 6 4 20.8 .375 .600 4.3 .7 .8 1.5 2.5
Rick Fox 76 75 34.9 .456 .363 .787 5.2 3.8 2.2 .5 15.4
Steve Hamer 35 3 7.7 .526 .000 .552 1.7 .2 .1 .1 2.2
Michael Hawkins 29 0 11.2 .426 .323 .800 1.1 2.2 .6 .0 2.8
Stacey King† 5 0 6.6 .714 .667 1.8 .2 .0 .2 2.4
Alton Lister 53 2 9.7 .416 .742 3.2 .2 .2 .3 1.6
Greg Minor 23 15 23.8 .480 .125 .861 3.5 1.5 .7 .1 9.6
Dino Rađa 25 25 35.0 .440 .000 .718 8.4 1.9 .9 1.9 14.0
Brett Szabo 70 24 9.5 .446 .000 .738 2.4 .2 .2 .5 2.2
Antoine Walker 82 68 36.2 .425 .327 .631 9.0 3.2 1.3 .6 17.5
David Wesley 74 73 40.4 .468 .360 .781 3.6 7.3 2.2 .2 16.8
Eric Williams 72 67 33.8 .456 .250 .752 4.6 1.8 1.0 .2 15.0
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Celtics only.

Player statistics citation:[10]

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ 1996-97 Boston Celtics
  2. ^ Heisler, Mark (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  3. ^ Greenberg, Alan (June 27, 1996). "Celtics Expecting Big Things from Their Top Pick". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Transactions". Hartford Courant. August 2, 1996. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. ^ "Celtics Sign Forward Marty Conlon". Associated Press. October 21, 1999. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Henrique, Chris (December 25, 2021). "Boston Celtics: "Thank God for Marty Conlon", the Tank for Tim Duncan and Rick Pitino". Boston Sports Syndicate. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  8. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "1996–97 Boston Celtics Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "1996–97 Boston Celtics Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  11. ^ Fry, Darrell (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  12. ^ "1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  13. ^ "Iverson Is Voted Top Rookie". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 2, 1997. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c "1996–97 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  16. ^ "Carr, Brown Resign as Coaches". The Washington Post. May 1, 1997. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Carr Steps Down, Bird's Decision Next". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 8, 1997. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  18. ^ Wise, Mike (August 27, 1997). "Knicks Lose the Bidding War for Fox, Who Heads to Lakers". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  19. ^ "Lakers Fill In a Few Foxholes". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. August 27, 1997. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  20. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (August 27, 1997). "Fox Hunt Finally Over for Lakers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  21. ^ "Hornets Get Wesley, a Free Agent". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 2, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  22. ^ "The Charlotte Hornets Signed Free Agent Point..." Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. July 2, 1997. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  23. ^ Nowell, Paul (July 2, 1997). "Expendable Wesley to Hornets". South Coast Today. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  24. ^ Gardner, Kris (August 21, 1997). "Celtics Trade Williams to Denver". The Houston Roundball Review. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  25. ^ "Celtics Send Eric Williams to Nuggets". Tampa Bay Times. August 22, 1997. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  26. ^ Greenberg, Alan (October 23, 1997). "One of Pitino's Slick Moves". Hartford Courant. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  27. ^ "Rodman's Special Kind of Contract Isn't Fine with NBA". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. September 18, 1997. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  28. ^ Winderman, Ira (September 18, 1997). "Wholesale Changes Fit Heat Budget". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  29. ^ "Radja's Failed Physical Voids Celtic-76er Deal". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. June 25, 1997. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  30. ^ "Bad Knee Nixes Radja Trade". Deseret News. Associated Press. June 25, 1997. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  31. ^ "Celtics Appeal on Radja Trade". Tampa Bay Times. June 26, 1997. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  32. ^ "Boston Celtics Logo". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net. Retrieved July 8, 2021.

See also

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