The
2002–03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4–2 in the 2003 NBA Finals. This would be Michael Jordan's last season in the NBA ...
was the Pistons'
62nd season as a franchise, the 55th in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
, and the 46th in the
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
area. During the off-season, the Pistons acquired
Richard Hamilton from the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
, and signed free agent
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
. With the acquisitions of Hamilton and Billups, the Pistons got off to a solid start winning 12 of their first 16 games, and held a 32–15 record at the All-Star break. However, the team suffered a 7-game losing streak between February and March, but managed to finish first place in the Eastern Conference with a 50–32 record, which tied the
1977 Philadelphia 76ers for the worst record by a number one-seeded team in the history of the league. The Pistons were the only team in the Eastern Conference with 50 or more wins this season.
Ben Wallace averaged 6.9 points, 15.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, and was voted to play in the
2003 NBA All-Star Game
The 2003 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game which was played on February 9, 2003 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks. This game was the 52nd edition of the North American National Basketball Association (NB ...
for the first time in his career. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award for the second year in a row, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team, and also finished in eighth place in
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
voting. In addition, Hamilton led the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, while Billups provided them with 16.2 points and 3.9 assists per game,
Clifford Robinson contributed 12.2 points per game, and sixth man
Corliss Williamson
Corliss Mondari Williamson (born December 4, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former basketball player who played for four teams during his 12-year NBA career. He last served as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. His nickname is ...
provided with 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game off the bench.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
, the Pistons faced elimination trailing 3–1 to the 8th-seeded
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was estab ...
, but managed to win the next three games, thus the series. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Pistons defeated
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
and the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
in six games, and were a serious title contender, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1991. Instead, they had their season ended with a sweep to the 2nd-seeded
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
in four straight Eastern Conference Final games. The Nets would reach the
Finals
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
for the second consecutive year, but would lose in six games to the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
.
Following the season, Pistons head coach
Rick Carlisle was fired after just two seasons with the team and was replaced by
Larry Brown, who had resigned from the 76ers' head coaching position on
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
. Carlisle would go on to coach the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
as he replaced
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for '' NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Gre ...
, who was fired after failing to reach the second round for three consecutive seasons in the playoffs. Also following the season, Robinson was traded to the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
, while three-point specialist
Jon Barry
Jon Alan Barry (born July 25, 1969) is an American former basketball player and current television analyst for ABC and ESPN.
Biography
Barry is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry and Pam Connolly, and has three brothers: Scooter, Brent, an ...
signed as a free agent with the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, and
Michael Curry was dealt to the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (NBA) ...
.
Draft picks
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
:z – clinched division title
:y – clinched division title
:x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Playoffs
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 1
, April 20
,
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
L 94–99,
Richard Hamilton (28)
,
Ben Wallace (13)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(8)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
21,261
, 0–1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 2
, April 23
,
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
W 89–77,
Richard Hamilton (30)
,
Ben Wallace (16)
,
Richard Hamilton (5)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 1–1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 3
, April 25
, @
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
L 80–89,
Richard Hamilton (22)
,
Ben Wallace (22)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(5)
,
TD Waterhouse Centre
Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was ...
17,283
, 1–2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 4
, April 27
, @
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
L 92–100,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(25)
,
Ben Wallace (24)
,
Barry Barry may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name
* Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
,
Billups (3)
,
TD Waterhouse Centre
Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was ...
17,283
, 1–3
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 5
, April 30
,
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
W 98–67,
Richard Hamilton (24)
,
Ben Wallace (21)
,
Billups,
Robinson Robinson may refer to:
People and names
* Robinson (name)
Fictional characters
* Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719
Geography
* Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960s ...
(4)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 2–3
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 6
, May 2
, @
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
W 103–88,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(40)
,
Ben Wallace (17)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(4)
,
TD Waterhouse Centre
Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was ...
16,909
, 3–3
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 7
, May 4
,
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
W 108–93,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(37)
,
Ben Wallace (12)
,
Michael Curry (6)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 4–3
, -
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 1
, May 6
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
W 98–87,
Richard Hamilton (25)
,
Ben Wallace (12)
,
Billups,
Robinson Robinson may refer to:
People and names
* Robinson (name)
Fictional characters
* Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719
Geography
* Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960s ...
(4)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 1–0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 2
, May 8
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
W 104–97 (OT),
Atkins,
Hamilton (23)
,
Ben Wallace (15)
,
Richard Hamilton (6)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 2–0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 3
, May 10
, @
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
L 83–93,
Richard Hamilton (24)
,
Mehmet Okur
Mehmet Murat Okur (born 26 May 1979) is a Turkish former professional basketball player. Listed at , he played as a Power forward (basketball), power forward and Center (basketball), center.
Okur is known for his three-point shooting and abili ...
(10)
,
Billups,
Robinson Robinson may refer to:
People and names
* Robinson (name)
Fictional characters
* Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719
Geography
* Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960s ...
(4)
,
First Union Center20,743
, 2–1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 4
, May 11
, @
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
L 82–95,
Richard Hamilton (30)
,
Ben Wallace (15)
, three players tied (3)
,
First Union Center20,549
, 2–2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 5
, May 14
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
W 78–77,
Richard Hamilton (20)
,
Ben Wallace (17)
,
Atkins,
Hamilton (5)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 3–2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
, 6
, May 16
, @
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
W 93–89 (OT),
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(28)
,
Ben Wallace (18)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(5)
,
First Union Center20,888
, 4–2
, -
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 1
, May 18
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
L 74–76,
Richard Hamilton (24)
,
Ben Wallace (22)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(6)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 0–1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 2
, May 20
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
L 86–88,
Richard Hamilton (24)
,
Ben Wallace (19)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(10)
,
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
22,076
, 0–2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 3
, May 22
, @
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
L 85–97,
Richard Hamilton (21)
,
Ben Wallace (15)
, five players tied (3)
,
Continental Airlines Arena
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
19,923
, 0–3
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
, 4
, May 24
, @
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
L 82–102,
Clifford Robinson (21)
,
Ben Wallace (13)
,
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 17 seasons in the NBA. Afte ...
(6)
,
Continental Airlines Arena
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
19,923
, 0–4
, -
Player statistics
Season
Playoffs
Awards and records
*
Ben Wallace,
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswrite ...
*
Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the executive vice president and head of basketball operations of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He could play either sho ...
,
NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general manager, president of basketball/business operations, or another high-ranking executive. Before ...
*
Ben Wallace,
All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
*
Ben Wallace,
NBA All-Defensive First Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Player Transactions Citation:
References
See also
*
2002–03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4–2 in the 2003 NBA Finals. This would be Michael Jordan's last season in the NBA ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:2002-03 Detroit Pistons Season
Detroit Pistons seasons
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...