The 1997–98 NBA season was the ninth season for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association. The Magic hired Chuck Daly as head coach, who led the Detroit Pistons to two straight championships in 1989 and 1990. In the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard Mark Price from the Golden State Warriors, acquired Derek Harper from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agent Bo Outlaw. Under Daly, the Magic would get off to a solid 16–7 start. However, they struggled losing nine of their next ten games as Penny Hardaway only played just 19 games due to a knee injury, leading the team with 16.4 points and 1.5 steals per game. The team then lost seven straight games in January, as Darrell Armstrong was out for the remainder of the season with a torn rotator cuff in his right shou