Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a Lithuanian-born American former professional basketball player who played the center position. The 7'3" Ilgauskas played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2010 and played for the Miami Heat during the 2010–11 season. He was named to the 1997–98 All-Rookie First Team and is a two-time NBA All-Star. Ilgauskas played in the 2007 NBA Finals as a member of the Cavaliers. He is known for his accurate jump shot, for his rebounding, and for overcoming difficult injury challenges during his career. Nicknamed Big Z, Ilgauskas is the Cavaliers' career leader in blocked shots; his jersey no. 11 has been retired by the team.
Shawn Travis Kemp Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Reign Man", he was a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Second Team member.
Luke Ryan Jackson is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks, earning consensus second-team All-American honors as a senior in 2004. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 10th overall pick. After his playing career, Jackson was a head coach for the Northwest Christian University Beacons.
Shaun Patrick Livingston is an American professional basketball executive and former player. Livingston entered the league directly out of high school and was selected fourth by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2004 NBA draft. In a 15 year professional career in the league, Livingston played 959 games for nine teams and won three NBA championships as a Golden State Warrior—in 2015, 2017 and 2018. In 2007, Livingston suffered a debilitating knee injury that damaged almost every part of his left knee. It took him about a year and a half to return. Between 2008 and 2010 he played only 22 league games. Livingston has played for the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, and Tulsa 66ers. He played his last five seasons in the league with the Warriors and retired from professional basketball in September 2019.
Jeff Lemans McInnis is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), in Greece and in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
Jamaal Dane Magloire is a Canadian former professional basketball player who currently serves as basketball development consultant and community ambassador for the Toronto Raptors. He played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors. The 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), 265 lb center was selected out of the University of Kentucky by the Charlotte Hornets, with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, after withdrawing his name from the previous draft. He was voted into the NBA All-Star Game in 2004, becoming the second Canadian All-Star in NBA history.
Michael Lloyd Miller is an American basketball coach, former professional player who is the boys' basketball head coach at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, as well as being a sports agent. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after being selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2000 NBA draft with the fifth overall pick. Miller was named the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Magic in 2001 and was voted NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006. He won two consecutive NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
DeSagana N'gagne Diop is a Senegalese former professional basketball player who is head coach for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.
Keith Ramon Bogans is an American former basketball player who last served as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Kentucky.
Wesley Lavon Person is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing career, Person became a women's basketball assistant coach and then the head men's basketball coach at Enterprise-Ozark Community College. He was fired from the latter position in 2010.
Ronald "Flip" Murray is a retired American professional basketball player who last played for Al Mouttahed Tripoli of the Lebanese Basketball League. He is a 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 200 lb point guard–shooting guard. After attending Strawberry Mansion High School in Philadelphia, where he starred on the basketball team, he played college basketball for four seasons, first at the Meridian Community College in Meridian, Mississippi, from 1997 to 1999, and then at Shaw University located in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 2000 to 2002. He is nicknamed "Flip" by childhood friends who often said he looked like Bernie Mac's character, "Flip", from the movie Above The Rim.
Brendan Todd Haywood is an American former professional basketball player who was a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Following his playing career, Haywood became a college basketball announcer for CBS Sports and a co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Anderson França Varejão is a Brazilian former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), 13 of those with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a career that spanned four professional leagues, he also played for Franca and the Flamengo of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), Barcelona of the EuroLeague and Liga ACB, and has been a regular member of the Brazilian national team, winning a gold medal in 2003 at the Pan American Games.
Eric C. Williams is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1995 to 2007. He played for seven teams during his career, including two stints with the Boston Celtics.
Clarence "Chucky" Brown Jr. is an American men's college basketball coach and former professional basketball player.
Stephen Graham is an American former professional basketball player coach. Graham's twin brother, Joey, was his college teammate and has also played in the NBA. He is currently a player development coach with the Denver Nuggets.
Christopher Quinn is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Ryan Kenwood Hollins is an American former professional basketball player who is a color commentator for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. He was a 7-foot (2.1 m) center who was a journeyman in the NBA, playing for nine teams in 10 seasons. He played briefly in Europe before ending his career.
Jamario Raman Moon is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for one season at Meridian Community College and began his professional career with teams in the United States Basketball League and NBA Development League, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Mexican basketball team Fuerza Regia before signing with the Toronto Raptors in 2007. He has since played for the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA, along with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 28th season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. With the departure of their top players from last season, the Cavaliers added youth to their roster, with the addition of last season's first round draft pick Zydrunas Ilgauskas from Lithuania, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, top draft pick Derek Anderson from the University of Kentucky, first round draft pick Brevin Knight out of Stanford University, and second round draft pick Cedric Henderson from the University of Memphis in the 1997 NBA draft. In the off-season, the team acquired All-Star forward Shawn Kemp from the Seattle SuperSonics in a three-team trade, acquired Wesley Person from the Phoenix Suns in another three-team trade, and signed free agent Mitchell Butler.
