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The 1998-99 season was a year of change in the NBA.
Michael Jordan had retired for a second time, and the league’s owners, fed up with the league’s financial structure and players’ rising salaries, locked the players out after failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
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Once a deal was reached, the season began on Feb. 5, and the schedule was reduced to 50 games. The San Antonio Spurs tied for the league’s best record and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers on the way to the Finals.
The New York Knicks, as the No. 8 seed, upset the Miami Heat in the first round, becoming the second No. 8 seed to beat a top seed. After sweeping the Atlanta Hawks, they beat the Indiana Pacers in six games to advance to the championship round.
Here are some takeaways from the last Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals matchup:
PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999: 10 things that didn’t exist last time Knicks made the Finals
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NBA champions through the years
2025: Oklahoma City Thunder (beat Indiana Pacers in seven games)
(Kyle Terada, Imagn Images)
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NBA champions through the years
2025: Oklahoma City Thunder (beat Indiana Pacers in seven games)
(Kyle Terada, Imagn Images)
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NBA champions through the years
2024: Boston Celtics (beat Dallas Mavericks in five games)
(Peter Casey, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA champions through the years
2023: Denver Nuggets (beat Miami Heat in five games)
(Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA champions through the years
2022: Golden State Warriors (beat Boston Celtics in six games)
(Adam Glanzman, Getty Images)
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NBA champions through the years
2021: Milwaukee Bucks (beat Phoenix Suns in six games)
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA champions through the years
2020: Los Angeles Lakers (beat Miami Heat in six games)
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA champions through the years
2019: Toronto Raptors (beat Golden State Warriors in six games)
(Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)
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NBA champions through the years
2018: Golden State Warriors (beat Cleveland Cavaliers in four games)
(David Richard, USA TODAY Sports)
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