2002–03 Phoenix Suns season: Difference between revisions

2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
Head coach	Frank Johnson
General manager	Bryan Colangelo
Owner(s)	Jerry Colangelo
Arena	America West Arena
Results
Record	44–38 (.537)
Place	Division: 4th (Pacific); Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finish	First Round; (Lost to Spurs 2–4)
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	KUTP; Fox Sports Net Arizona; Cox 9;
Radio	KTAR
< 2001–02	2003–04 >

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 03:25, 2 December 2022

The 2002–03 NBA season was the 35th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association.^[1] After missing the playoffs the previous season, the Suns had the ninth pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected high school basketball star Amar'e Stoudemire,^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] and signed free agent Scott Williams during the off-season.^[6] Frank Johnson returned as head coach, as the Suns held a 29–21 record at the All-Star break,^[7] and posted eight additional wins from the previous season to finish fourth in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record.^[8] The Suns returned to the playoffs after snapping a streak of 13 seasons in a row the year before, a franchise record. America West Arena hosted Suns home games.

Point guard Stephon Marbury and forward Shawn Marion provided a pair of 20–20 scorers, with Marbury averaging 22.3 points, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while Marion averaged 21.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. The 20-year-old 6' 10" Stoudemire was drafted to balance out a team that had been deep at the guard position in years past, averaging 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while Anfernee Hardaway provided the team with 10.6 points and 4.4 assists per game, and second-year guard Joe Johnson contributed 9.8 points per game.^[9] Marbury and Marion were both selected for the All-Star Game,^[10] while Marbury ended the season as a member of the All-NBA Third Team.

The Suns earned the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot, and were matched against the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference First Round. The Suns won Game 1 on the road, 96–95,^[11]^[12] but lost the series to the eventual league champions, four games to two.^[13]^[14]^[15] The Spurs would reach the Finals to defeat the New Jersey Nets in six games, winning their second championship.^[16]^[17]^[18]

In Stoudemire, who earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, and became the first high school draft pick to become NBA Rookie of the Year,^[19]^[20]^[21] the Suns had drafted an athletic big man to join the equally athletic Marion for the coming seasons. Following the season, Bo Outlaw was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.^[22]^[23]

Offseason

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College / Club Team
1	9	Amar'e Stoudemire	Forward	United States
1	22	Casey Jacobsen	Guard	United States	Stanford

Roster

2002–03 Phoenix Suns roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	DOB	From
G	0	Brown, Randy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	1968–05–22	New Mexico State
F	4	Ford, Alton	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	1981–05–29	Houston
F	24	Gugliotta, Tom	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	240 lb (109 kg)	1969–12–19	NC State
G	1	Hardaway, Penny	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	1971–07–18	Memphis
F	23	Jacobsen, Casey	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	1981–03–19	Stanford
G	2	Johnson, Joe	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	1981–06–29	Arkansas
F	14	Langhi, Dan	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	1977–11–28	Vanderbilt
G	3	Marbury, Stephon (C)	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	1977–02–20	Georgia Tech
F	31	Marion, Shawn (C)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	1978–05–07	UNLV
C	45	Outlaw, Bo	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	1971–04–13	Houston
F	32	Stoudemire, Amar'e (C)	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	1982–11–16	Cypress Creek HS (FL)
C	25	Tsakalidis, Jake	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	1979–06–10	Georgia
C	43	Voskuhl, Jake	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	1977–11–01	Connecticut
C	47	Williams, Scott	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	1968–03–21	North Carolina

Head coach

Frank Johnson

Assistant coach(es)

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Roster
Last transaction: October 23, 2002

Regular season

Standings

Pacific Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Sacramento Kings	59	23	.720	–	35–6	24–17	17–7
x-Los Angeles Lakers	50	32	.610	9	31–10	19–22	15–9
x-Portland Trail Blazers	50	32	.610	9	27–14	23–18	15–9
x-Phoenix Suns	44	38	.537	15	30–11	14–27	12–12
Seattle SuperSonics	40	42	.488	19	25–16	15–26	11–13
Golden State Warriors	38	44	.463	21	24–17	14–27	8–16
Los Angeles Clippers	27	55	.329	32	16–25	11–30	6–18

#	Western Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-San Antonio Spurs	60	22	.732	–
2	y-Sacramento Kings	59	23	.720	1
3	x-Dallas Mavericks	60	22	.732	–
4	x-Minnesota Timberwolves	51	31	.622	9
5	x-Los Angeles Lakers	50	32	.610	10
6	x-Portland Trail Blazers	50	32	.610	10
7	x-Utah Jazz	47	35	.573	13
8	x-Phoenix Suns	44	38	.537	16

9	Houston Rockets	43	39	.524	17
10	Seattle SuperSonics	40	42	.488	20
11	Golden State Warriors	38	44	.463	22
12	Memphis Grizzlies	28	54	.341	32
13	Los Angeles Clippers	27	55	.329	33
14	Denver Nuggets	17	65	.207	43

Record vs. opponents

2002-03 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MEM	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NOH	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	0–3	2–2	4–0	0–2	2–0	1–3	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–1	3–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	2–2
Boston	3–0	—	2–2	4–0	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–2	2–0	1–3	3–1	4–0	3–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–2	1–1	1–3
Chicago	2–2	2–2	—	3–1	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–1	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–2	2–2	0–2	2–2	1–3	2–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–1	1–3
Cleveland	0–4	0–4	1–3	—	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–1	1–1	0–4	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–2	0–4	0–2	2–2	1–3	1–2	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–4
Dallas	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	—	4–0	2–0	4–0	4–0	1–1	4–0	1–3	4–0	2–0	0–2	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	2–0	2–2	2–0
Denver	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–4	—	0–2	0–4	0–4	1–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–1	0–4	1–1
Detroit	3–1	2–2	4–0	4–0	0–2	2–0	—	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	1–3	1–1	2–1	2–2	2–2	2–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	2–0	3–1
Golden State	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–4	4–0	1–1	—	1–3	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–2	2–0
Houston	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	0–4	4–0	0–2	3–1	—	1–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–3	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–0	1–3	1–1
Indiana	2–2	2–2	2–2	4–0	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	0–2	1–1	4–0	3–1	2–0	1–2	3–1	3–1	2–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	3–1	1–1	2–2
L.A. Clippers	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–4	3–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	—	0–4	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–3	0–2
L.A. Lakers	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–0	4–0	—	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–4	2–2	2–0	3–1	1–1
Memphis	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	0–4	2–2	0–2	2–2	1–3	1–1	2–2	0–4	—	2–0	2–0	0–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–3	1–1
Miami	3–1	2–2	2–1	2–1	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–4	0–2	1–1	0–2	—	1–3	1–1	0–4	0–4	2–2	0–4	0–4	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	4–0	0–2	1–3
Milwaukee	2–2	2–1	2–2	4–0	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	0–2	3–1	—	0–2	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	0–2	2–1
Minnesota	2–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–2	4–0	1–1	3–1	2–2	0–2	3–1	2–2	4–0	1–1	2–0	—	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	1–3	2–0
New Jersey	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	2–0	1–2	1–1	1–1	2–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	—	2–2	3–1	2–2	1–3	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	4–0	0–2	3–1
New Orleans	2–2	1–3	3–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	1–1	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	2–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	4–0	2–0	2–1
New York	3–1	0–4	1–2	2–1	0–2	2–0	2–2	0–2	2–0	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–3	0–2	1–3	1–3	—	2–2	2–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	2–2
Orlando	1–2	2–3	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–0	1–2	1–1	0–2	1–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–0	2–2	1–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	—	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–2
Philadelphia	1–3	2–2	3–1	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–1	3–1	1–2	2–2	2–2	—	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–0	1–1	4–0
Phoenix	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	2–0	—	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–3	1–1
Portland	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–3	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	0–2	1–3	—	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–0	1–3	1–1
Sacramento	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	2–2	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	—	1–3	3–1	1–1	3–1	2–0
San Antonio	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–2	3–1	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	3–1	4–0	3–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	—	3–1	2–0	4–0	1–1
Seattle	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	3–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–1	0–4	1–3	1–3	—	2–0	2–2	1–1
Toronto	3–1	2–1	2–2	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–3	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–4	2–2	1–1	0–4	0–4	1–3	2–2	0–3	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	—	0–2	3–1
Utah	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	4–0	0–2	2–2	3–1	1–1	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–0	2–0	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–0	—	1–1
Washington	2–2	3–1	3–1	4–0	0–2	1–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–2	0–2	1–3	1–2	2–2	2–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	—

Playoffs

Game log

2003 playoff game log

First Round: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 19	@ San Antonio	W 96–95 (OT)	Stephon Marbury (26)	Shawn Marion (12)	Stephon Marbury (6)	SBC Center 19,217	1–0
2	April 21	@ San Antonio	L 76–84	Stephon Marbury (32)	Shawn Marion (12)	Stephon Marbury (5)	SBC Center 19,217	1–1
3	April 25	San Antonio	L 86–99	Stephon Marbury (25)	Joe Johnson (9)	Stephon Marbury (7)	America West Arena 19,023	1–2
4	April 27	San Antonio	W 86–84	Stephon Marbury (18)	Shawn Marion (14)	Hardaway, Marbury (7)	America West Arena 18,756	2–2
5	April 29	@ San Antonio	L 82–94	Shawn Marion (22)	Amar'e Stoudemire (14)	Stephon Marbury (7)	SBC Center 19,217	2–3
6	May 1	San Antonio	L 85–87	Shawn Marion (24)	Shawn Marion (15)	Penny Hardaway (5)	America West Arena 18,913	2–4

2003 playoff schedule

Awards and honors

Week/Month

Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for April.
Frank Johnson was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for December.
Stephon Marbury was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played November 24 through November 30.
Stephon Marbury was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played January 5 through January 11.
Shawn Marion was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played April 7 through April 13.

All-Star

Shawn Marion was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his first All-Star selection.
Stephon Marbury was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. It was his second All-Star selection.
Amar'e Stoudemire was selected to play for the Rookie team in the Rookie Challenge.
Stephon Marbury was selected to compete in the Skills Challenge. Marbury lost the competition to the player he was traded to Phoenix for, Jason Kidd.
Amar'e Stoudemire was selected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. Stoudemire finished third, behind Desmond Mason and champion Jason Richardson.

Season

Amar'e Stoudemire received the Rookie of the Year Award.
Stephon Marbury was named to the All-NBA Third Team.
Amar'e Stoudemire was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Shawn Marion finished 13th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.^[24]
Joe Johnson finished 11th in Sixth Man of the Year voting.^[24]
Stephon Marbury finished 14th in Most Improved Player voting.^[24]
Penny Hardaway finished 26th in Most Improved Player voting.^[24]

Player statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Randy Brown	32	0	8.2	.372	.	.750	0.8	1.1	.5	.1	1.3
Alton Ford	11	0	2.8	.333	.	.333	0.5	0.1	.0	.0	0.6
Tom Gugliotta	27	11	16.6	.455	.000	1.000^	3.7	1.1	.5	.2	4.8
Penny Hardaway	58	51	30.6	.447	.356	.794	4.4	4.1	1.1	.4	10.6
Casey Jacobsen	72	0	15.9	.373	.315	.686	1.2	1.0	.5	.1	5.1
Joe Johnson	82	34	27.5	.397	.366	.774	3.2	2.6	.8	.2	9.8
Dan Langhi	60	0	9.0	.401	.290	.600	1.5	0.4	.3	.1	3.1
Stephon Marbury	81	81	40.0	.439	.301	.803	3.2	8.1	1.3	.2	22.3
Shawn Marion	81	81	41.6	.452	.387	.851^	9.5	2.4	2.3	1.2	21.2
Bo Outlaw	80	20	22.5	.550†	.000	.621	4.6	1.4	.6	.9	4.7
Amar'e Stoudemire	82	71	31.3	.472†	.200	.661	8.8	1.0	.8	1.1	13.5
Jake Tsakalidis	33	27	16.5	.452	.	.672	3.7	0.4	.2	.5	4.9
Jake Voskuhl	65	1	14.6	.564†	.	.667	3.5	0.6	.3	.4	3.8
Scott Williams	69	33	12.6	.411	.000	.786	2.8	0.3	.4	.3	4.0

† – Minimum 300 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 125 free throws made.

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Tom Gugliotta	2	0	5.0	.500	.	.500	1.0	0.0	.0	.0	2.5
Penny Hardaway	6	6	40.7	.386	.360^	.722	6.0	4.3	2.2	.8	12.7
Casey Jacobsen	6	0	6.5	.200	.400^	.000	0.5	0.3	.5	.0	1.0
Joe Johnson	6	0	27.3	.275	.154	.400	4.3	1.3	.7	.3	5.3
Stephon Marbury	6	6	45.2	.375	.227	.758	4.0	5.7	1.2	.0	22.0
Shawn Marion	6	6	47.2	.374	.321	.846	11.7	2.0	1.8	1.8	18.5
Bo Outlaw	6	0	11.7	.100	.	.500	2.2	0.8	.2	.2	0.7
Amar'e Stoudemire	6	6	33.8	.523†	1.000^	.571	7.8	1.2	1.7	1.5	14.2
Jake Voskuhl	6	0	16.3	.706†	.	.923#	3.7	0.3	.7	.7	6.0
Scott Williams	6	6	13.8	.344	.	1.000#	2.5	0.2	.7	.5	4.0

† – Minimum 20 field goals made.
^ – Minimum 5 three-pointers made.
# – Minimum 10 free throws made.

References

^ "2002-03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats".
^ Passan, Jeff (June 27, 2002). "Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
^ Povtak, Tim (June 27, 2002). "Foreign Players Make Move". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
^ "Rockets Make Yao Ming First Overall Pick". ESPN. June 26, 2002. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
^ "2002 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
^ "WESTERN CONFERENCE: Team-by-Team Preview". The New York Times. October 28, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
^ "2002–03 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ "2002–03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ "2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT)". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ Press, Associated (April 20, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Suns Cash In on a Couple of Unlikely Bank Shots". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
^ Press, Associated (April 20, 2003). "Suns Put Win in the Bank". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
^ Press, Associated (May 2, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Spurs Finish Suns' Season". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ Teaford, Elliott (May 2, 2003). "Another Shot at Champs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
^ Magruder, Jack (May 2, 2003). "Duncan Dominates, Suns Eliminated". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
^ Press, Associated (June 15, 2003). "Spurs Defeat Nets to Win N.B.A. Title". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
^ Heisler, Mark (June 16, 2003). "Spurs Reduce the 'Risk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
^ "San Antonio 88, New Jersey 77". United Press International. June 15, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
^ Press, Associated (April 25, 2003). "PLUS: N.B.A.; Stoudemire Named Rookie of the Year". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
^ "Stoudemire Is Rookie of Year". Deseret News. April 25, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
^ "NBA & ABA Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
^ "Grizzlies Acquire F Outlaw, C Tsakalidis from Suns". ESPN. September 30, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
^ "Suns Send Outlaw and Tsakalidis to Grizzlies". Deseret News. October 1, 2003. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 12, 2022.

External links

Standings on Basketball Reference

[1] "2002-03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats".

[2] Passan, Jeff (June 27, 2002). "Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2022.

[3] Povtak, Tim (June 27, 2002). "Foreign Players Make Move". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2022.

[4] "Rockets Make Yao Ming First Overall Pick". ESPN. June 26, 2002. Retrieved January 14, 2022.

[5] "2002 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.

[6] "WESTERN CONFERENCE: Team-by-Team Preview". The New York Times. October 28, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2022.

[7] "NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 13, 2022.

[results-8] "2002–03 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[roster-9] "2002–03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[10] "2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT)". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[11] Press, Associated (April 20, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Suns Cash In on a Couple of Unlikely Bank Shots". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.

[12] Press, Associated (April 20, 2003). "Suns Put Win in the Bank". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27, 2022.

[13] Press, Associated (May 2, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; Spurs Finish Suns' Season". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[14] Teaford, Elliott (May 2, 2003). "Another Shot at Champs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 11, 2022.

[15] Magruder, Jack (May 2, 2003). "Duncan Dominates, Suns Eliminated". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 27, 2022.

[16] Press, Associated (June 15, 2003). "Spurs Defeat Nets to Win N.B.A. Title". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2022.

[17] Heisler, Mark (June 16, 2003). "Spurs Reduce the 'Risk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2022.

[18] "San Antonio 88, New Jersey 77". United Press International. June 15, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2022.

[19] Press, Associated (April 25, 2003). "PLUS: N.B.A.; Stoudemire Named Rookie of the Year". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2022.

[20] "Stoudemire Is Rookie of Year". Deseret News. April 25, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.

[21] "NBA & ABA Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 29, 2022.

[22] "Grizzlies Acquire F Outlaw, C Tsakalidis from Suns". ESPN. September 30, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2022.

[23] "Suns Send Outlaw and Tsakalidis to Grizzlies". Deseret News. October 1, 2003. Retrieved November 27, 2022.

[awards-24] "2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 12, 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 | radio = [[KTAR (AM)|KTAR]]
 }}
-The '''[[2002–03 NBA season]]''' was the 35th season for the [[Phoenix Suns]] in the [[National Basketball Association]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2003.html|title = 2002-03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats}}</ref> After missing the playoffs the previous season, the Suns had the ninth pick in the [[2002 NBA draft]], and selected high school basketball star [[Amar'e Stoudemire]],<ref>{{cite news | last = Passan | first = Jeff | title = Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft | work = The Washington Post | date = June 27, 2002 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2002/06/27/rockets-select-yao-no-1-overall-in-draft/514fd892-fe37-4595-aed2-c42c53b509fb/ | access-date = July 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Povtak | first = Tim | title = Foreign Players Make Move | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = June 27, 2002 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2002-06-27-0206270244-story.html | access-date = November 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Rockets Make Yao Ming First Overall Pick | work = ESPN | date = June 26, 2002 | url = https://www.espn.com/nbadraft/story?id=1399417 | access-date = January 14, 2022}}</ref> and signed free agent [[Scott Williams (basketball)|Scott Williams]] during the off-season.<ref>{{cite news | last =  | first =  | title = WESTERN CONFERENCE: Team-by-Team Preview | work = The New York Times | date = October 28, 2002 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/28/sports/basketball/teambyteam-preview-2002102890660337665.html | access-date = July 16, 2022}}</ref> [[Frank Johnson (basketball)|Frank Johnson]] returned as [[head coach]], as the Suns held a 29–21 record at the All-Star break,<ref>{{cite news | title = NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003 | work = Basketball-Reference | date =  | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/?month=2&day=6&year=2003 | access-date = September 13, 2022}}</ref> and posted eight additional wins from the [[2001–02 Phoenix Suns season|previous season]] to finish fourth in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record.<ref name="results">{{cite web|title=2002–03 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2003_games.html|access-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref> The Suns returned to the [[2003 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] after snapping a streak of 13 seasons in a row the year before, a franchise record. [[America West Arena]] hosted Suns home games.
+The '''[[2002–03 NBA season]]''' was the 35th season for the [[Phoenix Suns]] in the [[National Basketball Association]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2003.html|title = 2002-03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats}}</ref> After missing the playoffs the previous season, the Suns had the ninth pick in the [[2002 NBA draft]], and selected high school basketball star [[Amar'e Stoudemire]],<ref>{{cite news | last = Passan | first = Jeff | title = Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft | work = The Washington Post | date = June 27, 2002 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2002/06/27/rockets-select-yao-no-1-overall-in-draft/514fd892-fe37-4595-aed2-c42c53b509fb/ | access-date = July 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Povtak | first = Tim | title = Foreign Players Make Move | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = June 27, 2002 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2002-06-27-0206270244-story.html | access-date = November 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Rockets Make Yao Ming First Overall Pick | work = ESPN | date = June 26, 2002 | url = https://www.espn.com/nbadraft/story?id=1399417 | access-date = January 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = 2002 NBA Draft | work = Basketball-Reference | date =  | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2002.html | access-date = December 1, 2022}}</ref> and signed free agent [[Scott Williams (basketball)|Scott Williams]] during the off-season.<ref>{{cite news | last =  | first =  | title = WESTERN CONFERENCE: Team-by-Team Preview | work = The New York Times | date = October 28, 2002 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/28/sports/basketball/teambyteam-preview-2002102890660337665.html | access-date = July 16, 2022}}</ref> [[Frank Johnson (basketball)|Frank Johnson]] returned as [[head coach]], as the Suns held a 29–21 record at the All-Star break,<ref>{{cite news | title = NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003 | work = Basketball-Reference | date =  | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/?month=2&day=6&year=2003 | access-date = September 13, 2022}}</ref> and posted eight additional wins from the [[2001–02 Phoenix Suns season|previous season]] to finish fourth in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record.<ref name="results">{{cite web|title=2002–03 Phoenix Suns Schedule and Results|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2003_games.html|access-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref> The Suns returned to the [[2003 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] after snapping a streak of 13 seasons in a row the year before, a franchise record. [[America West Arena]] hosted Suns home games.
 [[Point guard]] [[Stephon Marbury]] and [[forward (basketball)|forward]] [[Shawn Marion]] provided a pair of 20–20 scorers, with Marbury averaging 22.3 [[point (basketball)|points]], 8.1 [[assist (basketball)|assists]] and 1.3 [[steal (basketball)|steals]] per game, while Marion averaged 21.2 points, 9.5 [[rebound (basketball)|rebounds]] and 2.3 steals per game. The 20-year-old 6' 10" Stoudemire was drafted to balance out a team that had been deep at the guard position in years past, averaging 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while [[Anfernee Hardaway]] provided the team with 10.6 points and 4.4 assists per game, and second-year guard [[Joe Johnson (basketball)|Joe Johnson]] contributed 9.8 points per game.<ref name="roster">{{cite web|title=2002–03 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2003.html|access-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref> Marbury and Marion were both selected for the [[2003 NBA All-Star Game|All-Star Game]],<ref>{{cite news | title = 2003 NBA All-Star Game: West 155, East 145 (2OT) | work = Basketball-Reference | date =  | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_2003.html | access-date = January 13, 2022}}</ref> while Marbury ended the season as a member of the [[All-NBA Third Team]].