NBA 2001/02

	National Basketball Association
	◄ previous	2001/02 season	next ►
Duration		October 2001 - June 2002
Season games per team		82
Number of teams		29
Regular season
Best record		Sacramento Kings
Season MVP		Tim Duncan
Top scorer		Allen Iverson
Playoffs
Eastern - Champion		New Jersey Nets
Runner-up team		Boston Celtics
Western - Champion		Los Angeles Lakers
Runner-up team		Sacramento Kings
Finals
NBA champions		Los Angeles Lakers
Runner-up		New Jersey Nets
Finals MVP		Shaquille O'Neal

The 2001-02 NBA season was the National Basketball Association's 56th 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 Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets 4-0 in the NBA Finals . They were NBA champions for the third time in a row and for the 14th time ever.

Season Notes

• The Grizzlies moved from Vancouver ( British Columbia ) to Memphis to. They played their first season at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis.
• The All-Star Game was played at the First Union Center in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The Lakers' Kobe Bryant became All-Star Game MVP after the West defeated the East 135-120.
• Before the start of the regular season , NBA legend Michael Jordan , a partner in the Washington Wizards , announced his second comeback with the Wizards.
• The Dallas Mavericks played their first game at the American Airlines Center , not to be confused with the American Airlines Arena in Miami .
• The NBA split from their TV broadcast partner NBC after 12 years.
• NBA teams wore patches and ribbons with the symbol of the American flag on their jerseys in memory of the victims of September 11th . The Toronto Raptors wore the American and Canadian flags on their jerseys.
• The New Jersey Nets , who had never won more than 49 games before and only made it to the second round of the playoffs once, won 52 games and played their first NBA final.

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.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division # team S. N PCT P 1 New Jersey Nets (1) 52 30th .634 - 2 Boston Celtics (3) 49 33 .598 3 3 Orlando Magic (5) 44 38 .537 8th 4th Philadelphia 76ers (6) 43 39 .524 9 5 Washington Wizards 37 45 .451 15th 6th Miami Heat 36 46 .439 16 7th New York Knicks 30th 52 .366 22nd Central Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Detroit Pistons (2) 50 32 .610 - 2 Charlotte Hornets (4) 44 38 .537 6th 3 Toronto Raptors (7) 42 40 .512 8th 4th Indiana Pacers (8) 42 40 .512 8th 5 Milwaukee Bucks 41 41 .500 9 6th Atlanta Hawks 33 49 .402 17th 7th Cleveland Cavaliers 29 53 .354 21st 8th Chicago Bulls 21st 61 .256 29

Western Conference Midwest Division # team S. N PCT P 1 San Antonio Spurs (2) 58 24 .707 - 2 Dallas Mavericks (4) 57 25th .695 1 3 Minnesota Timberwolves (5) 50 32 .610 8th 4th Utah Jazz (8) 44 38 .537 14th 5 Houston Rockets 28 54 .341 30th 6th Denver nuggets 27 55 .329 31 7th Memphis grizzlies 23 59 .280 35 Pacific Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Sacramento Kings (1) 61 21st .744 - 2 Los Angeles Lakers (3) 58 24 .707 3 3 Portland Trail Blazers (6) 49 33 .598 12 4th Seattle SuperSonics (7) 45 37 .549 16 5 Los Angeles Clippers 39 43 .476 22nd 6th Phoenix Suns 36 46 .439 25th 7th Golden State Warriors 21st 61 .256 40

Leading the player stats

category	player	team	value
Points per game	Allen Iverson	Philadelphia 76ers	31.4
Rebounds per game	Ben Wallace	Detroit Pistons	13.0
Assists per game	Andre Miller	Cleveland Cavaliers	10.9
Steals per game	Allen Iverson	Philadelphia 76ers	2.8
Blocks per game	Ben Wallace	Detroit Pistons	3.5
Field throw quota	Shaquille O'Neal	Los Angeles Lakers	57.9%
Free throw rate	Reggie Miller	Indiana Pacers	91.1%
Three throw quota	Steve Smith	San Antonio Spurs	47.2%

Play-offs 2002

• 2001-02 was the last season in which the first round was played in the best-of-five format.
• All other play-off rounds were best-of-seven series.

	First round					Conference semifinals					Conference Finals					NBA finals
	1	Sacramento	3
	8th	Utah	1
						1	Sacramento	4th
						4th	Dallas	1
	4th	Dallas	3
	5	Minnesota	0
											1	Sacramento	3
	Western Conference
											3	LA Lakers	4th
	3	LA Lakers	3
	6th	Portland	0
						3	LA Lakers	4th
						2	San Antonio	1
	2	San Antonio	3
	7th	Seattle	2
																W3	LA Lakers	4th
																E1	New Jersey	0
	1	New Jersey	3
	8th	Indiana	2
						1	New Jersey	4th
						4th	Charlotte	1
	4th	Charlotte	3
	5	Orlando	1
											1	New Jersey	4th
	Eastern Conference
											3	Boston	2
	3	Boston	3
	6th	Philadelphia	2
						3	Boston	4th
						2	Detroit	1
	2	Detroit	3
	7th	Toronto	2

NBA Finals 2002

game	date	Home team	Away team	Result	was standing
1	June 5th	los Angeles	New Jersey	99:94	1-0
2	June 7th	los Angeles	New Jersey	106: 83	2-0
3	June 9th	New Jersey	los Angeles	103: 106	0: 3
4th	June 12	New Jersey	los Angeles	107: 113	0: 4

Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers was named Finals MVP . After Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, he was only the third player in NBA history to win this trophy at least three times (later Tim Duncan and Lebron James ).

See also

• NBA Draft 2001

Web links

• Official site of the NBA