2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 35th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. 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, and signed free agent Scott Williams during the off-season. Frank Johnson returned as head coach, as the Suns held a 29–21 record at the All-Star break, and posted eight additional wins from the previous season to finish fourth in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record. 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.
| 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 |
|
| Radio | KTAR |
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. Marbury and Marion were both selected for the All-Star Game, 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, but lost the series to the eventual league champions, four games to two. The Spurs would reach the Finals to defeat the New Jersey Nets in six games, winning their second championship.
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, 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.