The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002-03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs won the series 4 games to 2. Spurs Forward Tim Duncan was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series. The 2002-03 NBA season is the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. ... The Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each. ... ‹ The template below (Taginfo) is being considered for deletion. ... The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A best-of-seven playoff, also known by the name seven-game series is a method of determining a victor between two contenders. ... Timothy Tim Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976 in Christiansted, St. ... The NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award is presented to the National Basketball Association (NBA) player in the NBA Finals that is seen as contributing the most to the series. ...

Television: ABC (Brad Nessler, Bill Walton, and Tom Tolbert announcing) The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Brad Nessler, as part of an NBA on ABC sports broadcast (c. ... William Theodore Walton III, better known as Bill Walton (born November 5, 1952), is a former American basketball player and current television sportscaster. ... Byron Thomas Tolbert (born October 16, 1965 in Long Beach, California) is an American sports radio personality/television color analyst for the National Basketball Association. ...

Background

The 2002-03 season had already started as a memorable one for the San Antonio Spurs as it was the team's first season in the basketball-friendly SBC Center. However, as this season was one of beginnings, it was also one of endings. During the season, Spurs star David Robinson announced that this season would be his last. Over the last few seasons, injuries had slowed down Robinson's productivity to the point where he missed 18 games in his final season while averaging only 8.5 points per game. Nevertheless, Robinson would retire holding Spurs franchise career records in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. The Spurs had a very successful season, finishing 60-22, tying for the best record in the NBA that year. The playoffs started off shaky for the Spurs as they lost game 1 of the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns in overtime. However the Spurs would bounce back to take the series in 6 games. The second round put the Spurs face-to-face with the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. After splitting the first four games, the Spurs eked out a win in game 5, benefitting from a rare last-second in-and-out miss from the Lakers' clutch-shooter Robert Horry (who would help the Spurs win a title two years later). The Spurs would eventually dispose of the Lakers in Game 6, ending the Lakers' championship run. In the Conference Finals, the Spurs would face their in-state nemesis the Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs would start off slow again, losing Game 1 by 3 points, but would take control of the series from there, taking the next three straight. After losing Game 5 at home 103-91, the Spurs would come from 15 points down in the fourth quarter in Game 6 as Steve Kerr buried four 3-pointers in a row to take the series in six games with a 79-71 win in Dallas, advancing to their second NBA Finals in franchise history. This article is about the sport. ... The AT&T Center is an indoor arena located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It was completed in 2002 as the SBC Center at a cost of $186 million, financed by a local sales tax. ... David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965)) is a retired American NBA basketball player, who is often considered one of the greatest centers to ever play the game. ... The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team, based in Phoenix, Arizona. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... Robert Horry (born August 25, 1970 in Harford County, Maryland) is an American National Basketball Association basketball player. ... The Dallas Mavericks (also known as the Mavs) are an NBA basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. ...

In the meantime the New Jersey Nets, who lost to the Lakers in the Finals the previous year, were out to prove that they were serious title contenders, despite the lack of competition in the Eastern Conference. The Nets would finish the regular season 49-33, good enough for the number 2 seed in the East. After splitting the first four games with the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, the Nets would take complete control, winning the series in 6 games. From then on, the Nets had no trouble making a return to the NBA Finals, sweeping the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons to win their second straight Eastern Conference championship. ‹ The template below (Taginfo) is being considered for deletion. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. ...

Series scoring summary

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers. In baseball, the totality of a game is summarized in a line score, or more verbosely in a box score. ...

Schedule

• Game 1 - June 4 Wednesday 8:00pm et @San Antonio San Antonio 101, New Jersey 89: San Antonio leads series 1-0
• Game 2 - June 6 Friday 8:00pm et @San Antonio New Jersey 87, San Antonio 85: Series tied 1-1
• Game 3 - June 8 Sunday 8:00pm, @New Jersey San Antonio 84, New Jersey 79: San Antonio leads series 2-1
• Game 4 - June 11 Wednesday 8:00pm, @New Jersey New Jersey 77, San Antonio 76: Series tied 2-2
• Game 5 - June 13 Friday 8:00pm et, @New Jersey San Antonio 93, New Jersey 83: San Antonio leads series 3-2
• Game 6 - June 15 Sunday 8:00pm et , @San Antonio San Antonio 88, New Jersey 77: San Antonio wins series 4-2

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. As of yet, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format. is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In team sports, a team representing a city or a region is to be that areas home team. ...

2003 NBA Finals roster

San Antonio Spurs roster

Coach: Gregg Popovich
Tim Duncan | David Robinson | Stephen Jackson | Malik Rose | Tony Parker | Emanuel Ginobili | Bruce Bowen | Steve Smith | Speedy Claxton | Kevin Willis | Steve Kerr | Danny Ferry | Devin Brown | Anthony Goldwire | Mengke Bateer Gregg Popovich (Popović/Поповић in Serbian (born January 28, 1949 in East Chicago, Indiana) is the head coach of the NBAs San Antonio Spurs. ... Timothy Tim Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976 in Christiansted, St. ... David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965)) is a retired American NBA basketball player, who is often considered one of the greatest centers to ever play the game. ... Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978 in Port Arthur, Texas, USA) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. ... Malik Rose shows his support for his friends Malik Rose (born November 23, 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a National Basketball Association player with the New York Knicks, playing predominantly in the power forward position. ... William Anthony Tony Parker[1] (born May 17, 1982)) is a French professional basketball player with the NBAs San Antonio Spurs and captain of Frances national basketball team. ... Emanuel David Manu Ginobili (born July 28, 1977 in Bahía Blanca, Argentina) is an Argentine basketball player. ... Bruce Bowen Jr. ... Steven (Steve) Delano Smith (born March 31, 1969, in Highland Park, Michigan) is a retired American National Basketball Association player. ... Craig Speedy Claxton (born May 8, 1978 in Hempstead, New York) is an American basketball player with the NBAs Atlanta Hawks. ... Kevin Alvin Willis (born September 6, 1962 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He is a 7-foot power forward/center. ... Stephen Douglas Steve Kerr (born September 27, 1965 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a retired American professional basketball player. ... Daniel John Willard Danny Ferry (born October 17, 1966 in Hyattsville, Maryland) is a former pro basketball player and current General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. ... Devin Brown (born December 30, 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American National Basketball Association player currently with the New Orleans Hornets. ... Anthony Goldwire (born on September 6, 1971 in West Palm Beach, Florida) is a player in the NBA. He played for the University of Houston. ... Mengke Bateer (or Menk Batere, Chinese: ; pinyin: or very often just Bateer Chinese: ; pinyin: ), born November 20, 1975 in Hanggin Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China) is a professional basketball player formerly in the American NBA. Like many ethnic Mongolians, he does not have a family name, and his full...

New Jersey Nets roster

Coach: Byron Scott
Jason Kidd | Kenyon Martin | Richard Jefferson | Kerry Kittles | Lucious Harris | Rodney Rogers | Aaron Williams | Dikembe Mutombo | Jason Collins | Anthony Johnson | Brian Scalabrine | Tamar Slay | Brandon Armstrong | Chris Childs | Donny Marshall Byron Anton Scott (born March 28, 1961 in Ogden, Utah) is a former National Basketball Association All-Star and current head coach of the NBAs New Orleans Hornets. ... Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973, in San Francisco, California) is an American All-Star professional basketball player in the NBA. After earlier tours with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, he is currently the New Jersey Nets starting point guard and captain. ... Kenyon Lee Martin (born December 30, 1977 in Saginaw, Michigan), is an American professional basketball player. ... Richard Alle Jefferson (June 21, 1980, Los Angeles, California) is a 6 ft 7 in (2. ... Kerry Kittles (born June 12, 1974 in Dayton, Ohio) was a professional basketball player who last played with the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association. ... Lucious Harris (born December 18, 1970 in Los Angeles, California), is a professional American basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round (28th overall) of the 1993 NBA Draft. ... Rodney Ray Rogers (born June 20, 1971 in Durham, North Carolina) is a former NBA basketball player who last played power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers. ... Aaron Williams (born October 2, 1971 in Evanston, Illinois) is a professional basketball player currently with the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He was undrafted after a college career at Xavier University, and has played for the Utah Jazz, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Denver Nuggets, the Vancouver Grizzlies (now the... Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, more commonly known as Dikembe Mutombo (born June 25, 1966), is a basketball player in the NBA, playing at the position of center for the Houston Rockets. ... Jason Collins (born December 2, 1978) is a professional basketball player for the NBA. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School and later attended Stanford University. ... This article is about the NBA basketball player. ... Brian David Scalabrine (born March 18, 1978 in Long Beach, California) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Boston Celtics of the NBA. A 69, 235 lbs. ... Tamar Ulysses Slay (born April 2, 1980 in Beckley, West Virginia) is a Guard/Forward with the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA. He was the 54th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, selected by the New Jersey Nets. ... Brandon Simone Armstrong (born June 16, 1980 in San Francisco, California) is a professional basketball player in the NBA. He played college basketball at Pepperdine University, and was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 23rd overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, but was traded, along with fellow Rockets... Chris Childs (born November 20, 1967 in Bakersfield, California) is an American professional basketball player. ... Donny E. Marshall (born July 17, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2nd round (39th overall) of the 1995 NBA Draft. ...

Features

While the series received the usual hype of any Finals, it was not heavily anticipated due to the absence of the Lakers, who had won the previous three finals. The Spurs did have a star in Tim Duncan, but at the time he was criticized as being boring compared to flashier players such as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

The series was largely centered around the halfcourt offense and defense of each team, with only 1 team breaking 100 points in the series. The Nets constantly double-teamed Tim Duncan, and at one point quadruple-teamed him, allowing him to find open teammate or score over the top of the multiple defenders.

Nets point guard Jason Kidd, second to Tim Duncan in MVP voting during the 2003 season, was in the last year of his contract with the team, leading to speculation that the Spurs (a team that could afford signing him) would pursue him in the free agency following the 2003 Finals despite already having future All-Star Tony Parker on the roster. The underlying story of whether or not Kidd would be in a Spurs uniform the following season continued into the offseason. Kidd would visit San Antonio and speak with team officials, but ultimately resigned with the Nets.

Perhaps the lasting memory of the series is David Robinson retiring a champion. In the clinching game 6, Robinson had 13 points and 17 rebounds to complement Tim Duncan on the inside. In that game, the Spurs trailed at one point 72-63 before going on a 19-0 run to put the game away and take the series.

Impact of the Series

• The great performance by Spurs swingman Stephen Jackson led to his eventual parting with the Spurs in the offseason. Other Spurs veterans like guard Steve Kerr and forward Danny Ferry, like David Robinson, would retire after the 2003 Finals.
• The low scoring in the series may have carried over into the next season, as in the 2003-04 season the NBA set a league record for lowest scoring average.
• Duncan and Robinson would be named Men of the Year by Sports Illustrated for 2003.

Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978 in Port Arthur, Texas, USA) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. ... Stephen Douglas Steve Kerr (born September 27, 1965 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a retired American professional basketball player. ... Daniel John Willard Danny Ferry (born October 17, 1966 in Hyattsville, Maryland) is a former pro basketball player and current General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. ... The 2003-04 NBA season is the 58th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ...

Trivia

• The 2003 NBA Finals marked the first championship contested between two former ABA teams.
• Continental Airlines Arena had a unique situation as the series shifted back to New Jersey. As the Spurs and Nets got ready to play Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals, which featured the New Jersey Devils, was going into a 7th and deciding game, which was going to be played at New Jersey. So as soon as Game 3 ended, the arena made a quick turnover to get ready for the next day's deciding Stanley Cup Finals match (and Stanley Cup celebration since the Devils would wind up winning the game), and then back again in time for Game 4 of the NBA Finals the following day.
• In the series clinching game, Tim Duncan came two blocks shy of a quadruple-double in an NBA Finals match, an extremely rare feat, finishing with 22 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks.
• Duncan became the 7th player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP award a second time. He joined the list of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal.
• Until 2007, This was the lowest rated finals in NBA history.
• This NBA Finals was aired on ABC, after a 30 years of absence for ABC Sports carrying the NBA.

For the league that began in 1999, see American Basketball Association (2000-). The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967, and eventually merged, in part, with the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... Continental Airlines Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... Image:Stanleycuptrophy. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. ... Timothy Tim Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976 in Christiansted, St. ... For the football player, see Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar. ... “Earvin Johnson” redirects here. ... Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956)) is a retired American NBA basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, and one of the best clutch performers in the history of sports. ... For other persons named Michael Jordan, see Michael Jordan (disambiguation). ... Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (born Akeem Abdul Olajuwon on January 21, 1963) is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... Shaquille Rashaun ONeal (pronounced shak-KEEL) (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ...

See also

• 2003 NBA Playoffs

The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Associations 2002-03 NBA season. ...

External links

• 2003 NBA Finals