2003 NBA Finals

Definition
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the 2002–03 season, determining the league’s champion for that year.

Overview
The series was contested in a best‑of‑seven format between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks. The Spurs won the series 4 games to 2, securing the franchise’s second NBA championship. The games were played from June 5 to June 12, 2003. San Antonio’s center Tim Duncan was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his performance, which included averaging 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. The victory marked the Spurs’ second title in franchise history, the first having been won in 1999.

Etymology / Origin
The term “2003 NBA Finals” combines the calendar year “2003,” indicating the year in which the championship series concluded, with “NBA,” the abbreviation for the National Basketball Association, and “Finals,” denoting the league’s concluding playoff round that determines the season champion.

Characteristics

• Participants: San Antonio Spurs (Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (Eastern Conference)
• Series format: Best‑of‑seven; first team to win four games becomes champion.
• Game results:
  1. Game 1 – Spurs 96, Knicks 89 (San Antonio)
  2. Game 2 – Spurs 106, Knicks 85 (San Antonio)
  3. Game 3 – Knicks 96, Spurs 89 (New York)
  4. Game 4 – Knicks 89, Spurs 84 (New York)
  5. Game 5 – Spurs 96, Knicks 91 (San Antonio)
  6. Game 6 – Spurs 96, Knicks 89 (San Antonio)
• Key players: Tim Duncan (Spurs), David Robinson (Spurs), Tony Parker (Spurs), Manu Ginóbili (Spurs), Allan Houston (Knicks), Latrell Sprewell (Knicks).
• Broadcast: The series was televised in the United States on NBC, which was broadcasting its final season of NBA coverage.
• Venue: Games 1, 2, 5, and 6 were held at the SBC Center (now AT&T Center) in San Antonio, Texas; Games 3 and 4 were held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Related Topics

• NBA Finals (overall history and format)
• 2002–03 NBA season
• San Antonio Spurs franchise history
• New York Knicks franchise history
• Tim Duncan (NBA career and accolades)
• NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Finals MVP)
• Television broadcasting of NBA games in the early 2000s.