NBA 2002/03
National Basketball Association | |||
◄ previous | 2002/03 season | next ► | |
Duration | October 2002 - June 2003 | ||
Season games per team | 82 | ||
Number of teams | 29 | ||
Regular season | |||
Best record | San Antonio Spurs | ||
Season MVP | Tim Duncan | ||
Top scorer | Tracy McGrady | ||
Playoffs | |||
Eastern - Champion | New Jersey Nets | ||
Runner-up team | Detroit Pistons | ||
Western - Champion | San Antonio Spurs | ||
Runner-up team | Dallas Mavericks | ||
Finals | |||
NBA champions | San Antonio Spurs | ||
Runner-up | New Jersey Nets | ||
Finals MVP | Tim Duncan |
The 2002–03 NBA season marked the National Basketball Association's 57th season . A total of 29 teams took part in the regular season . Each team played 82 games. The eight best in each conference qualified for the NBA playoffs .
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the NBA Finals and became NBA champions for the second time since 1998/99.
Season Notes
- The New Orleans Hornets moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans . Charlotte was only absent from the NBA for two years, however, as the Charlotte Bobcats were founded as a new team and entered the league in 2004. The Hornets played their first game at the New Orleans Arena . In response to the team's change, the NBA banned the league from broadcasting games in North Carolina .
- The San Antonio Spurs played their first game at the SBC Center, now called the AT&T Center .
- The NBA All-Star Game was played at the Philips Arena in Atlanta . The West defeated the East with 155: 145 after double extra time in the longest All-Star Game in league history. Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves was named to the All-Star Game MVP.
- Michael Jordan announced his third and final resignation. He played his last game on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia .
- The NBA was re-broadcast on ABC after a 29-year hiatus due to new contracts for TV rights with TNT , ABC and ESPN . This agreement significantly reduced the number of NBA games shown on American television. Only a few games from the play-offs were broadcast on ABC. The NBA Finals, which were shown entirely by ABC, are an exception. Both Conference Finals were also shown live on cable television for the first time.
- A new video evidence rule came into effect.
Final results
S = wins, N = defeats, PCT = percentage of wins, P = deficit on division leaders
The placements in the seed lists of the respective conference playoffs are listed in brackets.
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Leading the player stats
category | player | team | value |
---|---|---|---|
Points per game | Tracy McGrady | Orlando Magic | 32.1 |
Rebounds per game | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 15.4 |
Assists per game | Jason Kidd | New Jersey Nets | 8.9 |
Steals per game | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | 2.7 |
Blocks per game | Theo Ratliff | Atlanta Hawks | 3.2 |
Field throw quota | Eddy Curry | Chicago Bulls | 58.5% |
Free throw rate | Allan Houston | New York Knicks | 91.9% |
Three throw quota | Bruce Bowen | San Antonio Spurs | 44.1% |
Play-offs 2003
- The NBA changed the first-round format in the play-offs from best-of-five to best-of-seven . As of this season, all play-off rounds are best-of-seven series.
First round | Conference semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA finals | |||||||||||||||
1 | San Antonio | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
8th | Phoenix | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | San Antonio | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
5 | LA Lakers | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
4th | Minnesota | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
5 | LA Lakers | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
1 | San Antonio | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
Western Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | Dallas | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Dallas | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
6th | Portland | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Dallas | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Sacramento | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
2 | Sacramento | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
7th | Utah | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
W1 | San Antonio | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
E2 | New Jersey | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Detroit | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
8th | Orlando | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Detroit | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
4th | Philadelphia | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
4th | Philadelphia | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
5 | New Orleans | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Detroit | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | New Jersey | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
3 | Indiana | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
6th | Boston | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
6th | Boston | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
2 | New Jersey | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
2 | New Jersey | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
7th | Milwaukee | 2 |
2003 NBA Finals
game | date | Home team | Away team | Result | was standing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | June 4th | San Antonio | New Jersey | 101: 89 | 1-0 |
2 | 6th of June | San Antonio | New Jersey | 85:87 | 1: 1 |
3 | 8th June | New Jersey | San Antonio | 79:84 | 1: 2 |
4th | June 11th | New Jersey | San Antonio | 77:76 | 2: 2 |
5 | June 13th | New Jersey | San Antonio | 83:93 | 2: 3 |
6th | 15th June | San Antonio | New Jersey | 88:77 | 4: 2 |
- Spurs' Tim Duncan has been named the NBA Finals MVP .
- In the crucial sixth game, Duncan almost came close to an extremely rare quadruple double . He made 21 points, 20 rebounds , 10 assists and 8 blocks. He would have become the first player in NBA history to achieve this in an NBA final game.
- For the first time in NBA history, the New Jersey Nets and the San Antonio Spurs faced two former ABA teams in the finals.