2002–03 San Antonio Spurs season


The 2002–03 NBA season was the 36th season of the franchise, 30th in San Antonio, and 27th in the National Basketball Association. This was also the Spurs' first season playing at the SBC Center. During the offseason, the team signed free agent Kevin Willis, traded for Speedy Claxton and Steve Kerr, and welcomed Argentinian future star Manu Ginóbili for his first NBA season. The Spurs played strong basketball, posting a nine-game winning streak at midseason, then winning eleven straight games near the end of the season. The Spurs would win 60 games for only the second time in franchise history as they attempted to win a second title in longtime star David Robinson's final season. The season saw Tim Duncan earn his second consecutive NBA MVP Award, and appear in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. Second-year guard Tony Parker showed improvement, averaging 15.5 points per game. Rookie Manu Ginóbili was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. This season marked the official beginning of the Big Three era, and the end of the Twin Towers era. The trio of Duncan, Parker, and Ginóbili would lead the Spurs to win 3 more championships.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns after losing Game 1 in overtime, then defeated the defending three-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals in six games. In the Western Conference Finals, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks to advance to the NBA Finals, where they beat the New Jersey Nets in six games and won their second championship. Following the season, Stephen Jackson signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks, Steve Smith signed with the New Orleans Hornets, and Robinson and Danny Ferry retired. It was also Steve Kerr's last season as an NBA player.
For the season, the Spurs changed their logo, which remained in use until 2017.

NBA Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
126John SalmonsSG/SFUnited StatesMiami
255Luis ScolaFTAU Cerámica
256Randy HolcombFUnited StatesSan Diego State

Roster

Note

'Bold' = All-Star Selection

Regular season

Standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

October

Record: 1–1; Home: 0–1; Road: 1–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerRecord
129 October 2002SpursLakersNAMalik Rose 1–0
230 October 2002WarriorsSpursNATim Duncan 1–1

November

Record: 10–6; Home: 6–2; Road: 4–4
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerRecord
31 November 2002RaptorsSpursNATim Duncan 2–1
44 November 2002SpursGrizzlies1Tim Duncan 3–1
55 November 2002WarriorsSpursNATony Parker 4–1
69 November 2002BlazersSpursNATim Duncan 4–2
711 November 2002TimberwolvesSpursNATim Duncan 5–2
813 November 2002SpursNetsNATim Duncan 5–3
914 November 2002Spurs76ersNATim Duncan 5–4
1016 November 2002SpursCavaliersNABruce Bowen 6–4
1118 November 2002CavaliersSpursNATim Duncan 7–4
1220 November 2002LakersSpursNAStephen Jackson 8–4
1322 November 2002GrizzliesSpursNATim Duncan 9–4
1424 November 2002SuperSonicsSpursNATim Duncan 9–5
1526 November 2002SpursNuggetsNATim Duncan 9–6
1627 November 2002NuggetsSpursNAStephen Jackson 10–6
1729 November 2002SpursSunsNATim Duncan 10–7
1830 November 2002JazzSpursNAStephen Jackson 11–7

December

Record: 8–6; Home: 5–1; Road: 3–5
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerRecord
193 December 2002SpursRocketsNATim Duncan 11–8
206 December 200276ersSpursNATim Duncan 12–8
218 December 2002KingsSpursNATim Duncan 12–9
2211 December 2002MavericksSpursNATony Parker 13–9
2313 December 2002ClippersSpursNATim Duncan 14–9
2416 December 2002SpursClippersNATim Duncan 14–10
2518 December 2002SpursSuperSonicsNATony Parker 15–10
2619 December 2002SpursKingsNATim Duncan 16–10
2721 December 2002WizardsSpursNATony Parker 17–10
2823 December 2002HornetsSpurs1Tim Duncan 18–10
2927 December 2002SpursHawksNATim Duncan 18–11
3028 December 2002SpursBullsNATony Parker 19–11
3130 December 2002SpursKnicksNATim Duncan 19–12
3231 December 2002SpursWizardsNATim Duncan 19–13

January

Record: 11–3; Home: 5–1; Road: 6–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerRecord
333 January 2003WarriorsSpursNATim Duncan 20–13
345 January 2003SpursClippersNATony Parker 21–13
358 January 2003SpursSuperSonicsNATim Duncan 22–13
369 January 2003SpursBlazersNAStephen Jackson 22–14
3712 January 2003CelticsSpursNATim Duncan 23–14
3814 January 2003SunsSpurs1Tim Duncan 24–14
3917 January 2003HawksSpursNATim Duncan 25–14
4020 January 2003RocketsSpursNATim Duncan 26–14
4122 January 2003GrizzliesSpursNATim Duncan 26–15
4224 January 2003SpursJazzNATim Duncan 27–15
4325 January 2003PistonsSpursNATim Duncan 28–15
4427 January 2003SpursTimberwolvesNATony Parker 28–16
4529 January 2003SpursPacersNATony Parker 29–16
4631 January 2003SpursMagicNATim Duncan 30–16

February

Record: 9–1; Home: 3–0; Road: 6–1

March

Record: 14–3; Home: 9–3; Road: 5–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerRecord
571 March 2003KingsSpursNATony Parker 40–17
582 March 2003SpursRocketsNAManu Ginóbili 41–17
594 March 2003SunsSpursNATim Duncan 41–18
606 March 2003NetsSpursNATwo-way tie 42–18
619 March 2003SpursCelticsNATim Duncan 43–18
6211 March 2003SpursBucksNAMalik Rose 44–18
6312 March 2003SpursTimberwolvesNAStephen Jackson 45–18
6414 March 2003ClippersSpursNATim Duncan 46–18
6516 March 2003BullsSpursNATony Parker 47–18
6618 March 2003KnicksSpursNATim Duncan 47–19
6720 March 2003SpursMavericks1Tim Duncan 48–19
6821 March 2003TimberwolvesSpurs1Tim Duncan 48–20
6923 March 2003SpursLakersNATim Duncan 49–20
7025 March 2003BucksSpursNATim Duncan 50–20
7127 March 2003RocketsSpursNAStephen Jackson 51–20
7229 March 2003JazzSpursNATim Duncan 52–20
7330 March 2003SpursHornetsNATim Duncan 53–20

April

Record: 7–2; Home: 3–1; Road: 6–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTLeading scorerRecord
741 April 2003MagicSpursNATim Duncan 54–20
752 April 2003SpursGrizzliesNATim Duncan 55–20
764 April 2003SpursRaptorsNAMalik Rose 56–20
776 April 2003SpursPistonsNATim Duncan 57–20
789 April 2003BlazersSpursNAManu Ginóbili 58–20
7911 April 2003SuperSonicsSpursNAMalik Rose 59–20
8013 April 2003SpursSunsNAMalik Rose 59–21
8114 April 2003SpursJazzNATony Parker 60–21
8216 April 2003MavericksSpursNASteve Smith 60–22

Playoffs

West First Round

San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns
Last Playoff Meeting: 2000 Western Conference First Round

West Conference Semifinals

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Last Playoff Meeting: 2002 Western Conference Semifinals

West Conference Finals

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks
Last Playoff Meeting: 2001 Western Conference Semifinals

Player stats

Regular season

Playoffs

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
242431.3.372.438.5482.91.6.8.76.9
24013.6.438.000.7501.91.9.7.25.2
242442.5.529.000.67715.45.3.63.324.7
1616.3.286.286.0001.4.4.1.01.3
24027.5.386.384.7573.82.91.7.49.4
242433.8.414.336.8034.12.71.4.412.8
1004.6.636.833.750.3.6.1.02.2
242433.9.403.268.7132.83.5.9.114.7
232323.4.542.000.6676.6.9.81.47.8
24023.3.419.000.7665.81.0.7.59.3
907.3.208.1671.000.8.7.1.01.8
1805.1.5251.0001.0001.7.1.1.12.6

NBA finals

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

Schedule

The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. So far, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format.
Game 4 at Continental Airlines Arena was not a sell-out as it took place 48 hours after it hosted the New Jersey Devils third Stanley Cup celebration in 9 years, following their 3–0 win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. By winning the NBA championship, the Spurs denied New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year.

Award winners

Overview