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.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division # team S. N PCT P 1 New Jersey Nets (2) 49 33 .598 - 2 Philadelphia 76ers (4) 48 34 .585 1 3 Boston Celtics (6) 44 38 .537 5 4th Orlando Magic (8) 42 40 .512 7th 5 Washington Wizards 37 45 .451 12 6th New York Knicks 37 45 .451 12 7th Miami Heat 25th 57 .305 24 Central Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Detroit Pistons (1) 50 32 .610 - 2 Indiana Pacers (3) 48 34 .585 2 3 New Orleans Hornets (5) 47 35 .573 3 4th Milwaukee Bucks (7) 42 40 .512 8th 5 Atlanta Hawks 35 47 .427 15th 6th Chicago Bulls 30th 47 .366 20th 7th Toronto Raptors 24 58 .293 26th 8th Cleveland Cavaliers 17th 65 .207 33

Western Conference Midwest Division # team S. N PCT P 1 San Antonio Spurs (1) 60 22nd .732 - 2 Dallas Mavericks (3) 60 22nd .732 - 3 Minnesota Timberwolves (4) 51 31 .622 9 4th Utah Jazz (7) 47 35 .573 13 5 Houston Rockets 43 39 .524 17th 6th Memphis grizzlies 28 54 .341 32 7th Denver nuggets 17th 65 .207 43 Pacific Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Sacramento Kings (2) 59 23 .720 - 2 Los Angeles Lakers (5) 50 32 .610 9 3 Portland Trail Blazers (6) 50 32 .610 9 4th Phoenix Suns (8) 44 38 .537 15th 5 Seattle SuperSonics 40 42 .488 19th 6th Golden State Warriors 38 44 .463 21st 7th Los Angeles Clippers 27 55 .329 32

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.

See also

• NBA Draft 2002

Web links

• Official site of the NBA