The 1990s were one of the most transformative periods in NBA
history. The decade began with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and
Isiah Thomas still among the league's most recognizable stars,
but Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls soon became the
dominant force of the era.
The period also introduced another generation of stars,
including Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill,
Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant,
Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter,
Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce.
This archive preserves NBA team rosters and uniform numbers
from 1990-91 through 2000-01. Players who changed teams or
uniform numbers during a season remain included, along with
duplicate numbers and other unusual roster circumstances.
Franchise names are shown as they existed during each season.
NBA Basketball in the 1990s
The seasons covered by this archive span several distinct eras.
The early 1990s marked the end of the championship runs of the
Detroit Pistons and the beginning of the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Bulls won six NBA
championships during the decade, with Houston winning consecutive
titles during Jordan's first retirement and San Antonio winning
its first championship in 1999.
The rosters also show the transition from established 1980s stars
to a new generation. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and
other stars from the previous decade gradually disappeared from
the lists while Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd,
Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan
and other future stars arrived.
NBA Expansion Into Canada
One of the most significant changes represented in this archive
came in 1995-96 when the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies
joined the NBA. Their arrival expanded the league into Canada and
increased the NBA to 29 teams.
The inaugural Toronto roster included Damon Stoudamire, who won
Rookie of the Year, while Vancouver's first roster included
Bryant Reeves, Greg Anthony, Blue Edwards and Byron Scott.
The Grizzlies remained in Vancouver throughout the period covered
by this page before relocating to Memphis for the 2001-02 season.
Washington Bullets Become the Wizards
The archive also preserves an important franchise name change.
Washington appears as the Bullets through the 1996-97 season and
as the Washington Wizards beginning in 1997-98. Keeping the
historically correct name with each season makes it easier to
follow the franchise's roster history without rewriting the past
using its current identity.
The Jordan Era
Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls are one of the defining stories
contained in these roster lists. Jordan appears alongside players
such as Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong, Bill
Cartwright, John Paxson and later Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc,
Steve Kerr and Ron Harper.
The archive also captures Jordan's absence from the Bulls during
his first retirement and his return late in the 1994-95 season,
followed by Chicago's second championship three-peat from
1996 through 1998.
The Arrival of Shaquille O'Neal
The 1992-93 Orlando Magic roster marks the NBA debut of
Shaquille O'Neal. Orlando subsequently added Penny Hardaway and
quickly developed into one of the Eastern Conference's strongest
young teams, reaching the 1995 NBA Finals.
O'Neal later appears on the Los Angeles Lakers rosters beginning
in 1996-97. Those Lakers teams also introduced Kobe Bryant to the
NBA and eventually became the league's next championship dynasty.
A New Generation Arrives
The second half of this archive contains the beginnings of many
Hall of Fame careers. Kevin Garnett joined Minnesota in 1995,
Allen Iverson arrived in Philadelphia in 1996, Kobe Bryant began
his Lakers career that same season and Tim Duncan joined David
Robinson in San Antonio in 1997.
The late 1990s also introduced Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki in
Dallas, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady in Toronto, Paul Pierce
in Boston and numerous other players who would define NBA
basketball during the 2000s.
The 1998-99 Lockout Season
The 1998-99 season was shortened by an NBA lockout, reducing the
regular-season schedule to 50 games. The season nevertheless
became historically significant when the San Antonio Spurs,
led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson, won the franchise's first
NBA championship.
The rosters from this period also show the league moving beyond
the Bulls dynasty. Michael Jordan had retired for a second time,
Chicago's championship roster was dismantled and several younger
teams began taking larger roles in the league.
The Lakers' Next Championship Era
By 1999-2000, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant had developed into
the foundation of another dominant Lakers team. Los Angeles won
the 2000 NBA championship and repeated in 2001, beginning a run
of three consecutive titles.
The 2000-01 roster therefore provides a natural ending point for
this section of the NBAHoopsOnline roster archive. It closes the
1990s era while introducing many of the players and teams that
would shape the following decade.
Uniform Number Notes
Some players appear with the same number as another player on a
team because they were not necessarily on the active roster at
the same time. Trades, releases, ten-day contracts and other
transactions can result in multiple players wearing the same
uniform number during one season.
Where the original NBAHoopsOnline records list an alternate
number in parentheses, that information should remain in the
archive. These details are particularly useful when researching
players who changed numbers during the season.
Roster Corrections and Additions
NBAHoopsOnline continues to preserve historical NBA roster and
uniform-number information. If you know of a missing player,
incorrect jersey number, alternate uniform number, spelling error
or another correction to this archive, please send the
information with a reliable source when possible.
Send corrections and additions to:
Rednecksbasketball@yahoo.com
Historical roster corrections will be reviewed before changes are
made to the NBAHoopsOnline archive.
