2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Best of the Best
Contents
- The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: A Look at the Best Players
- The 2003 NBA Finals A Closer Look at the Roster
- The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: A Breakdown
- The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: A Position-by-Position Analysis
- The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Starting Lineup
- The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Bench
- The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Coaches
- The 2003 NBA Finals A Preview
- The 2003 NBA Finals A Predictions
- The 2003 NBA Finals A Recap
In honor of the 15th anniversary of the 2003 NBA Finals we’re looking back at the rosters of the two teams that faced off in what is widely considered one of the best Championship Series ever.
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: A Look at the Best Players
The 2003 NBA Finals was one of the most exciting and memorable Cavaliers roster of all time. This team went all the way to the Finals, led by two of the best players in the league, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving The Cavs also had other Great players like Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, and J.R. Smith.
When you look at this roster, it’s easy to see why they were so successful. They had a great mix of young talent and veteran leadership. They also had a lot of size and athleticism, which helped them on both ends of the court.
Looking back, there are a few things that stand out about this team. First, they were able to overcome a lot of adversity during the season. They lost Key Players like Anderson Varejao and Love early on, but they still found a way to win. Second, they were an excellent defensive team. They ranked in the top five in both points allowed per game and defensive efficiency And third, they had two of the best players in the world in James and Irving.
If you want to relive some of the best moments from this incredible team, be sure to check out our 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Best Of The Best video below!
The 2003 NBA Finals A Closer Look at the Roster
The 2003 NBA Finals Rosters were stacked with some of the best talent the league has ever seen. From seasoned veterans to fresh young faces, these teams went head to head in one of the most exciting and evenly matched NBA Finals in recent memory. In honor of the 15th anniversary of this momentous event, let’s take a closer look at the rosters of the two teams that battled it out for the championship.
The San Antonio Spurs were led by their All-Star duo of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker Duncan was in the midst of his prime, and Parker was a rising star who had emerged as one of the best point guards in the league. The Spurs also had a strong supporting cast, with players like Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, and Robert Horry providing key contributions.
The opposing team the New Jersey Nets were no slouches either. They were led by All-Star point guard Jason Kidd who was coming off a triple-double performance in the deciding Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Kidd was flanked by two talented scorers in Kerry Kittles and Richard Jefferson The Nets also had a talented supporting cast, including Kenyon Martin and Keith Van Horn
In the end, it was the Spurs who prevailed, winning 4 games to 2. But both teams left everything on the court, and they both have rosters that will go down as some of the best ever assembled.
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: A Breakdown
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster boasted some of the best players in the league. A breakdown of the team reveals a stacked lineup of All-Stars and Hall of Famers
The starting five for the Finals were:
-SF: LeBron James
-SG: Dwyane Wade
-C: Shaquille O’Neal
-PF: Chris Bosh
-PG: Carmelo Anthony
Reserves included future Hall of Famers like Kobe Bryant Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The team also featured All-Stars like Tracy McGrady Amar’e Stoudemire, and Jason Kidd
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster was one of the most star-studded rosters in NBA history Every player on the team was an All-Star or a Future Hall of Famer. The starting five was especially dominant, featuring four future Hall of Famers and one MVP. The team cruised to victory in the Finals, winning in five games.
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: A Position-by-Position Analysis
The 2003 NBA Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that pitted the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons against the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. The Pistons won the series, 4–2, to capture their third NBA Championship in franchise history.
Point guard
Chauncey Billups was named Finals MVP He averaged 21.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game in the series.
Shooting guard
Richard Hamilton averaged 19.6 points per game in the series and hit some Big Shots including a huge three-pointer in Game 3 to help the Pistons build a lead they would never relinquish.
Small forward
Tayshaun Prince defended Spurs star small forward Tim Duncan for most of the series and held his own on the offensive end as well, averaging 12.3 points per game
Power forward
Rasheed Wallace was a force on both ends of the court, averaging 16.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while also providing some much-needed intensity and leadership for the Pistons.
Center
Ben Wallace was a brick wall on defense, averaging 9.7 points, 16.6 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game en route to being named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Starting Lineup
There was no shortage of talent on the 2003 NBA Finals roster. The starting lineup alone featured some of the best players in the league.
Point guard: Jason Kidd
shooting guard Allen Iverson
small forward LeBron James
Power Forward Dirk Nowitzki
Center: Shaquille O’Neal
This team was loaded with star power and went on to win the NBA Finals that year. They remain one of the most talented teams in NBA history
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Bench
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets The Lakers swept the Nets, four games to none, to win their fourth NBA Championship in fifteen seasons. Shaquille O’Neal was named as the 2003 NBA Finals MVP
The bench players for the 2003 NBA Finals were:
Los Angeles Lakers
-Devean George
-Brian Shaw
-Rick Fox
– Derek Fisher
– Samaki Walker
– Lindsey Hunter
New Jersey Nets
-Aaron Williams
-Jason Kidd
-Richard Jefferson
-Kerry Kittles
The 2003 NBA Finals Roster: The Coaches
In 2003, two well-known and accomplished coaches led their teams to the NBA Finals For the Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson was in his ninth season as Head Coach He had led the team to five NBA championships including three in a row from 2000-2002. The other coach in the 2003 Finals was Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs Popovich was in his seventh season as head coach of the Spurs and had led them to two NBA Championships including one in 1999.
The 2003 NBA Finals A Preview
In 2003, the NBA Finals featured the New Jersey Nets and the San Antonio Spurs. The series was hyped up as a battle of two powerhouse teams, and it did not disappoint. The Nets had one of the best rosters in NBA history led by All-Stars Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin. The Spurs also had a star-studded lineup, including future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
The series went back and forth, with each team winning two games apiece. In the fifth and final game the Nets pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 112-115. Kidd was named the Finals MVP averaging 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists per game
The 2003 NBA Finals was one of the most entertaining and competitive series in NBA history It featured some of the best players in the world going head-to-head in a battle for supremacy.
The 2003 NBA Finals A Predictions
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets The Nets were heavy underdogs coming into the series, but they put up a good fight against the Spurs. Ultimately, the Spurs won the series 4–2 behind strong performances from their star players
In this article, we will take a look at the rosters of both teams and make some predictions about who would have been the best players in a hypothetical 7-game series. We’ll also give our thoughts on who would have won if the series had gone to a Game 7.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs were led by their “Big Three” of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. All three of these players were All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. They also had a solid supporting cast that included role players like Bruce Bowen and Steve Kerr
Predicted starting lineup
Duncan
Parker
Ginobili
Bowen
Kerr
New Jersey Nets:
The Nets were led by point guard Jason Kidd, who was in the prime of his career. They also had a young star in Richard Jefferson, as well as veteran role players like Kerry Kittles and Todd MacCulloch.
Predicted Starting Lineup
Kidd
Jefferson
Kittles
MacCulloch
The 2003 NBA Finals A Recap
The 2003 NBA Finals was one of the most legendary and talented matchups in recent memory. The rosters were filled with future Hall of Famers and All-Stars. The stage was set for an epic battle.
The Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, were looking to repeat as champions. Standing in their way were the upstart New Jersey Nets, led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin.
In a series for the ages, the Lakers ultimately prevailed in six games. But the Nets gave them all they could handle. It was a fitting end to one of the best NBA seasons ever.