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2001–02 NBA season
League National Basketball Association
Sport Basketball
TV partner/s NBC, TNT, NBA TV, TBS
Draft
Top draft pick Kwame Brown
Picked by Washington Wizards
Regular season
Season MVP Tim Duncan (San Antonio)
Top scorer Allen Iverson (Philadelphia)
Playoffs
Eastern champions New Jersey Nets
Eastern runners-up Boston Celtics
Western champions Los Angeles Lakers
Western runners-up Sacramento Kings
Finals
Finals champions Los Angeles Lakers
Runners-up New Jersey Nets
Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal (L.A. Lakers)

The 2001–02 NBA season was the 56th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their third straight championship, and fourteenth overall, beating the New Jersey Nets 4–0 in the 2002 NBA Finals.

Notable occurrences[]

  • The Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver, British Columbia to Memphis, Tennessee. They played their first seasons at The Pyramid in Memphis.
  • The Hornets played their final season in Charlotte, before relocating to New Orleans for the following season.
  • The San Antonio Spurs played their final home game at the Alamodome.
  • The 2002 NBA All-Star Game was held at First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers took MVP honors amidst boos from the Philadelphia fans following a 135-120 victory by the West.
  • Prior to the start of the season, NBA legend Michael Jordan, then part-owner of the Washington Wizards, announced his second comeback to the NBA, this time with the Wizards.
  • The Dallas Mavericks played their first game at the American Airlines Center, not to be confused with the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.
  • This was the last season that both NBC and TBS televise NBA games.
  • NBA teams wore patches on their jerseys with the American flag and ribbon, in honor of the victims of the September 11 attacks. The Raptors wore the American and Canadian flags on theirs.
  • The Toronto Raptors, after losing 17 of 18 to drop to 30-38, win 12 of their last 14 to finish at 42-40 and go to the NBA playoffs with the seventh seed in the East.
  • The New Jersey Nets, who had never won 50 games in a season and had only been to the second round of the playoffs once, won 52 games and went to their first NBA Finals.
  • With the Nets appearing in the Finals, the Denver Nuggets remained as the only former ABA team to not reach the Finals.
  • Former All-Star Jayson Williams was charged with the murder of his limo driver on 14 February 2002. He was immediately fired from his spot on NBC's Verizon Wireless at the Half shortly after appearing on TV during the All-Star Game the previous week.
  • Marv Albert and Mike Fratello were involved in a limo crash prior to the start of the 2002 Playoffs and were unable to announce for NBC. Marv returned to announce the 2002 Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
  • The 2002 NBA Playoffs featured several controversial last-second shots. During Game 4 of the series between the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic, Baron Davis hit a three-pointer at the buzzer that should have counted, but was waved off. Later, Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers was awarded a game-tying three-pointer from half-court against the New Jersey Nets that should not have counted, but was. In the Western Conference Finals between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, Lakers forward Samaki Walker hit a three-pointer to end the half that should not have counted (the three points would later haunt the Kings as Robert Horry won the game on a last second shot). After the playoffs ended, it was decided that instant replay was needed in the NBA. In addition, the NBA installed red light beams on the backboard to determine the end of the shot clock and/or the game clock.
  • This season marked the first time the league's scoring leader (in this case Allen Iverson) failed to make the All-NBA First Team.

Final standings[]

Eastern Conference[]

Atlantic Division
Team W L PCT GB
New Jersey Nets 52 30 .634 -
Boston Celtics 49 33 .598 3
Orlando Magic 44 38 .537 8
Philadelphia 76ers 43 39 .524 9
Washington Wizards 37 45 .451 15
Miami Heat 36 46 .439 16
New York Knicks 30 52 .366 22
Central Division
Team W L PCT GB
Detroit Pistons 50 32 .610 -
Charlotte Hornets 44 38 .537 6
Toronto Raptors 42 40 .512 8
Indiana Pacers 42 40 .512 8
Milwaukee Bucks 41 41 .500 9
Atlanta Hawks 33 49 .402 17
Cleveland Cavaliers 29 53 .354 21
Chicago Bulls 21 61 .256 29

Western Conference[]

Midwest Division
Team W L PCT GB
San Antonio Spurs 58 24 .707 -
Dallas Mavericks 57 25 .695 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 50 32 .610 8
Utah Jazz 44 38 .537 14
Houston Rockets 28 54 .341 30
Denver Nuggets 27 55 .329 31
Memphis Grizzlies 23 59 .280 35
Pacific Division
Team W L PCT GB
Sacramento Kings 61 21 .744 -
Los Angeles Lakers C 58 24 .707 3
Portland Trail Blazers 49 33 .598 12
Seattle SuperSonics 45 37 .549 16
Los Angeles Clippers 39 43 .476 22
Phoenix Suns 36 46 .439 25
Golden State Warriors 21 61 .256 40

C - NBA Champions

Statistics leaders[]

Category Player Team Stat
Points per game Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 31.4
Rebounds per game Ben Wallace Detroit Pistons 13.0
Assists per game Andre Miller Cleveland Cavaliers 10.9
Steals per game Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 2.8
Blocks per game Ben Wallace Detroit Pistons 3.5
FG% Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers 57.9
FT% Reggie Miller Indiana Pacers 91.1
3FG% Steve Smith San Antonio Spurs 47.2

NBA awards[]

  • Most Valuable Player: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
  • Rookie Of The Year: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
  • Defensive Player Of The Year: Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
  • Sixth Man Of The Year: Corliss Williamson, Detroit Pistons
  • Most Improved Player: Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers
  • Coach Of The Year: Rick Carlisle, Detroit Pistons
  • Executive of the Year: Rod Thorn, New Jersey Nets
  • Sportsmanship Award: Steve Smith, San Antonio Spurs
  • NBA First Team
    • Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic
    • Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
    • Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
    • Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
    • Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets
  • NBA Second Team
    • Chris Webber, Sacramento Kings
    • Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
    • Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
    • Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
    • Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
  • NBA Third Team
    • Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers
    • Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
    • Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia 76ers
    • Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
    • Steve Nash, Dallas Mavericks
  • NBA Defensive First Team
    • Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
    • Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
    • Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
    • Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets
    • Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
  • NBA Defensive Second Team
    • Bruce Bowen, San Antonio Spurs
    • Clifford Robinson, Detroit Pistons
    • Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia 76ers
    • Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
    • Doug Christie, Sacramento Kings
  • Rookie First Team
    • Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies
    • Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz
    • Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
    • Jason Richardson, Golden State Warriors
    • Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
  • Rookie Second Team
    • Vladimir Radmanović, Seattle SuperSonics
    • Joe Johnson, Phoenix Suns
    • Eddie Griffin, Houston Rockets
    • Željko Rebrača, Detroit Pistons
    • Jamaal Tinsley, Indiana Pacers
    • Richard Jefferson, New Jersey Nets
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