2002–03 Sacramento Kings season

The 2002–03 Sacramento Kings season was the 54th season for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association, and their 18th season in Sacramento, California.^[1] The Kings were coming off their controversial Western Conference Finals defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the series in seven games. During the off-season, the Kings signed free agents Keon Clark and Damon Jones,^[2][3] and later on in December signed Jim Jackson.^[4]

After a 6–4 start to the regular season, the Kings won 12 of their next 13 games, while posting two six-game winning streaks in November and December, and later on held a 34–17 record at the All-Star break.^[5] The team posted another six-game winning streak in March, and won 13 of their final 15 games of the season. The Kings finished in first place in the Pacific Division with a 59–23 record, and earned the second seed in the Western Conference;^[6] the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.^[1]

Chris Webber averaged 23.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Peja Stojaković averaged 19.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and led the Kings with 155 three-point field goals, and Mike Bibby provided the team with 15.9 points, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, but only played 55 games due to a foot injury.^[7][8] In addition, Bobby Jackson contributed 15.2 points per game in 59 games, starting in 26 of them, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year,^[9][10] while Vlade Divac provided with 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and Doug Christie contributed 9.4 points, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Off the bench, Jim Jackson averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while Clark provided with 6.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and Hedo Türkoğlu contributed 6.7 points per game.^[11]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Webber and Stojaković were both selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team, while head coach Rick Adelman was selected to coach the Western Conference.^[12][13][14] However, Webber did not participate due to a sprained ankle, as Stojaković was selected as his replacement.^[15] Webber also finished in tenth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[16] while Bobby Jackson finished in eleventh place in Most Improved Player voting;^[16] Christie finished in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[17][16] while Clark finished tied in eleventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,^[16] and Adelman finished in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.^[16]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2003 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Kings faced off against the 7th–seeded Utah Jazz, a team that featured All-Star forward Karl Malone, Matt Harpring and John Stockton. The Kings won the first two games over the Jazz at home at the ARCO Arena II, before losing Game 3 on the road, 107–104 at the Delta Center. The Kings won the next two games, which included a Game 5 win over the Jazz at the ARCO Arena II, 111–91 to win the series in five games.^[18][19][20]

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, and also for the second consecutive year, the team faced off against the 3rd–seeded Dallas Mavericks, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki, All-Star guard Steve Nash, and Michael Finley. The Kings won Game 1 over the Mavericks on the road, 124–113 at the American Airlines Center. However, in Game 2, Webber suffered a knee injury and was out for the remainder of the playoffs, as the Kings lost to the Mavericks, 132–110; Webber's knee required microfracture surgery following the season.^[21][22][23] Without Webber, the Kings lost Game 3 to the Mavericks at home in double-overtime, 141–137 at the ARCO Arena II. The Mavericks later on took a 3–2 series lead, but the Kings managed to win Game 6 at the ARCO Arena II, 115–109 to even the series. However, the Kings lost Game 7 to the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center, 112–99, thus losing in a hard-fought seven-game series.^[24][25][26]

The Kings finished twelfth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 709,997 at the ARCO Arena II during the regular season.^[11][27] Following the season, Türkoğlu was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, while Scot Pollard was traded to the Indiana Pacers,^[28][29] Clark was dealt to the Utah Jazz, Jim Jackson signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets,^[30][31] and Jones was released to free agency.

For the season, the Kings changed their uniforms, adding purple primary road jerseys; these uniforms would remain in use until 2008.^[32][33] This would be the final season in which the Kings won the Pacific Division title until the 2022–23 season.^[1]