2002–03 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 2002–03 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 36th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association.^[1] During the off-season, the SuperSonics acquired Kenny Anderson and Vitaly Potapenko from the Boston Celtics,^[2][3][4] and signed free agent and rookie power forward Reggie Evans.

The SuperSonics got off to a solid start by winning eight of their first ten games of the regular season, but then lost six of their next seven games, then posted two six-game losing streaks in January and February, holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break.^[5] At mid-season, before the trading deadline, the team traded All-Star guard Gary Payton, and Desmond Mason to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for All-Star guard Ray Allen, and Kevin Ollie;^[6][7][8] Payton averaged 20.8 points, 8.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 52 games before the trade.^[9] The team also traded Anderson to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Elden Campbell.^[10][11] Despite the addition of Allen, the SuperSonics finished in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 40–42 record, and failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs.^[12]

Allen averaged 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 29 games after the trade, while Rashard Lewis averaged 18.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and Brent Barry provided the team with 10.3 points, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and also led them with 118 three-point field goals. In addition, second-year forward Vladimir Radmanović contributed 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and contributed 104 three-point field goals, while second-year center Predrag Drobnjak provided with 9.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and Ollie contributed 8.0 points and 3.8 assists per game in 29 games. Meanwhile, Jerome James averaged 5.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, Potapenko contributed 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, but only played just 26 games due to injury, and Evans provided with 3.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.^[9]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and before the mid-season trade, Payton was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was his final All-Star appearance.^[13][14][15] Meanwhile, Mason participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the third consecutive year,^[16][17] and Barry participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout,^[16][17] and also finished tied in 21st place in Most Improved Player voting.^[18]

The SuperSonics finished 20th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 637,194 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center during the regular season.^[9][19] Following the season, Drobnjak signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Clippers,^[20][21] while Ollie signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Campbell signed with the Detroit Pistons.^[22][23]