2002-03 NBA
Physical / Isolation Era
San Antonio Spurs won the title.
- Teams
- 29
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 91.0
- Points per team game
- 95.1
- League true shooting
- .519
- Share of shots from three
- 18.2%
Award winners
- MVPTim Duncan
- Defensive Player of the YearBen Wallace
- Rookie of the YearAmar'e Stoudemire
- Sixth ManBobby Jackson
- Most ImprovedGilbert Arenas
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Pistons | 50 | 32 | 2.97 | Lost conf. finals |
| New Jersey Nets | 49 | 33 | 4.42 | Lost Finals |
| Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | 2.79 | Lost conf. finals |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 48 | 34 | 1.76 | Lost conf. finals |
| New Orleans Hornets | 47 | 35 | 1.52 | Lost conf. finals |
| Boston Celtics | 44 | 38 | -0.75 | Lost conf. finals |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | -0.24 | Lost 1st round |
| Orlando Magic | 42 | 40 | -0.39 | Lost 2nd round |
| New York Knicks | 37 | 45 | -1.61 | Missed playoffs |
| Washington Wizards | 37 | 45 | -1.47 | Missed playoffs |
| Atlanta Hawks | 35 | 47 | -3.87 | Missed playoffs |
| Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | -5.31 | Missed playoffs |
| Miami Heat | 25 | 57 | -5.13 | Missed playoffs |
| Toronto Raptors | 24 | 58 | -6.10 | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 17 | 65 | -9.59 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Mavericks | 60 | 22 | 7.90 | Lost conf. finals |
| San Antonio Spurs | 60 | 22 | 5.65 | Won title |
| Sacramento Kings | 59 | 23 | 6.68 | Lost conf. finals |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 51 | 31 | 2.46 | Lost conf. finals |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 50 | 32 | 2.71 | Lost conf. finals |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 50 | 32 | 2.97 | Lost 2nd round |
| Utah Jazz | 47 | 35 | 2.76 | Lost conf. finals |
| Phoenix Suns | 44 | 38 | 1.57 | Lost 1st round |
| Houston Rockets | 43 | 39 | 1.89 | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 40 | 42 | 0.37 | Missed playoffs |
| Golden State Warriors | 38 | 44 | -0.60 | Missed playoffs |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 28 | 54 | -2.60 | Missed playoffs |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 27 | 55 | -3.45 | Missed playoffs |
| Denver Nuggets | 17 | 65 | -7.41 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Restricted area arc | 4 ft arc |
| Three-point line | 23 ft 9 in (22 ft corners) |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Defensive three seconds | enforced |
| Hand-checking | restricted (source pending) |
| Zone defense | legal |
| Flagrant fouls | flagrant 1 / flagrant 2 (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 8 seconds |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
No league-wide rule or format changes recorded for this season.