The 2002-03 Los Angeles Lakers season was marked by high expectations as the team sought to win a fourth consecutive NBA championship. Coached by Phil Jackson, the Lakers roster featured superstars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Despite their impressive lineup, the Lakers faced challenges early in the season. Shaquille O’Neal missed the start due to offseason toe surgery, leading to a 3-9 record in November. However, Kobe Bryant carried the team, setting a franchise record by scoring at least 40 points in nine consecutive games.
The Lakers finished the regular season with a 50-32 record, placing them fifth in the Western Conference. The team struggled with consistency throughout the season, partly due to injuries and internal tensions. Nevertheless, they displayed resilience by closing the regular season with a strong 11-game winning streak. Bryant had one of his best statistical seasons, averaging 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.
In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2 in the first round. However, their quest for a fourth straight title was thwarted by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, ousted the Lakers in six games. This defeat signaled the end of the Lakers’ three-peat dynasty and prompted offseason changes aimed at reclaiming the championship in future seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 50-32
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 4-2, Western Conference Semifinals: 2-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 2002-03 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Kobe Bryant | 82 | 30.0 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 38.3 | 12 | 32.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 40.3 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | 67 | 27.5 | 11.1 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 12 | 27.0 | 14.8 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 0.0 |
| Derek Fisher | 82 | 10.5 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 40.1 | 12 | 12.8 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 61.7 |
| Rick Fox | 76 | 9.0 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 37.5 | 4 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 50.0 |
| Devean George | 71 | 6.9 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 37.1 | 11 | 8.0 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 33.3 |
| Robert Horry | 80 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 28.8 | 12 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 5.3 |
| Samaki Walker | 67 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 9 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Stanislav Medvedenko | 58 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 9 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Brian Shaw | 72 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 34.9 | 12 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 23.1 |
| Mark Madsen | 54 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 12 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Kareem Rush | 76 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 27.9 | 9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 36.4 |
| Jannero Pargo | 34 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 29.2 | 11 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 26.7 |
| Tracy Murray | 31 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 21.1 | |||||||
| Soumaila Samake | 13 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
In the first round of the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by superstars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, faced a surprising challenge from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being the fifth seed, the Lakers managed to overcome the Timberwolves in six games, showcasing their championship experience and resilience. This set the stage for their subsequent, albeit unsuccessful, quest for a fourth consecutive NBA title.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2003 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 117-98 | |
| Apr 22, 2003 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 119-91 | |
| Apr 24, 2003 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 114-110 | |
| Apr 27, 2003 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 102-97 | |
| Apr 29, 2003 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 120-90 | |
| May 01, 2003 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 101-85 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. San Antonio Spurs
In the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite the formidable duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers struggled against a disciplined Spurs team led by Tim Duncan. The Spurs ultimately won the series in six games, ending the Lakers' quest for a fourth consecutive championship and marking a shift in the power dynamics of the Western Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 05, 2003 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 87-82 | |
| May 07, 2003 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 114-95 | |
| May 09, 2003 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 110-95 | |
| May 11, 2003 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 99-95 | |
| May 13, 2003 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 96-94 | |
| May 15, 2003 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 110-82 |
Los Angeles Lakers 2002-03 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2002-03 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2002 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 87-82 | |
| Oct 30, 2002 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 102-90 | |
| Nov 01, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 108-93 | |
| Nov 03, 2002 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 98-95 | |
| Nov 05, 2002 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 89-70 | |
| Nov 07, 2002 | @ Boston Celtics | L 98-95 | |
| Nov 08, 2002 | @ Washington Wizards | L 100-99 | |
| Nov 12, 2002 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 95-83 | |
| Nov 15, 2002 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 96-89 | |
| Nov 17, 2002 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 93-89 | |
| Nov 19, 2002 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 98-72 | |
| Nov 20, 2002 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 95-88 | |
| Nov 22, 2002 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 86-73 | |
| Nov 24, 2002 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 111-99 | |
| Nov 26, 2002 | @ Miami Heat | L 97-85 | |
| Nov 27, 2002 | @ Orlando Magic | L 112-102 | |
| Nov 29, 2002 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 112-106 | |
| Dec 01, 2002 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 110-107 | |
| Dec 03, 2002 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 101-91 | |
| Dec 04, 2002 | @ Utah Jazz | L 93-85 | |
| Dec 06, 2002 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 105-103 | |
| Dec 08, 2002 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 110-101 | |
| Dec 10, 2002 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 106-102 | |
| Dec 13, 2002 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | L 98-82 | |
| Dec 15, 2002 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 107-84 | |
| Dec 17, 2002 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 96-80 | |
| Dec 19, 2002 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 98-71 | |
| Dec 20, 2002 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 107-104 | |
| Dec 22, 2002 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 109-107 | |
| Dec 25, 2002 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 105-99 | |
| Dec 28, 2002 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 112-93 | |
| Dec 29, 2002 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 104-88 | |
| Jan 04, 2003 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 107-93 | |
| Jan 05, 2003 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 109-97 | |
| Jan 07, 2003 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 119-98 | |
| Jan 10, 2003 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 115-99 | |
| Jan 12, 2003 | vs. Miami Heat | W 106-81 | |
| Jan 15, 2003 | @ New Orleans Hornets | W 90-82 | |
| Jan 17, 2003 | @ Houston Rockets | L 108-104 | |
| Jan 20, 2003 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 96-92 | |
| Jan 22, 2003 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 114-110 | |
| Jan 24, 2003 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 89-83 | |
| Jan 29, 2003 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 99-90 | |
| Jan 31, 2003 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 124-113 | |
| Feb 01, 2003 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 99-87 | |
| Feb 04, 2003 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 97-94 | |
| Feb 06, 2003 | @ New York Knicks | W 114-109 | |
| Feb 11, 2003 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 121-93 | |
| Feb 12, 2003 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 113-102 | |
| Feb 14, 2003 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 103-95 | |
| Feb 16, 2003 | vs. New York Knicks | L 117-110 | |
| Feb 18, 2003 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 106-99 | |
| Feb 19, 2003 | @ Utah Jazz | W 93-87 | |
| Feb 21, 2003 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 92-84 | |
| Feb 23, 2003 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 106-101 | |
| Feb 25, 2003 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 109-98 | |
| Feb 27, 2003 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 95-85 | |
| Feb 28, 2003 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 107-90 | |
| Mar 05, 2003 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 97-95 | |
| Mar 07, 2003 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 106-96 | |
| Mar 09, 2003 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 106-92 | |
| Mar 11, 2003 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 116-99 | |
| Mar 12, 2003 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 111-88 | |
| Mar 14, 2003 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 106-99 | |
| Mar 15, 2003 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 98-94 | |
| Mar 17, 2003 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 102-85 | |
| Mar 20, 2003 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 107-99 | |
| Mar 21, 2003 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 104-96 | |
| Mar 23, 2003 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 98-89 | |
| Mar 25, 2003 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 108-91 | |
| Mar 26, 2003 | @ Houston Rockets | W 96-93 | |
| Mar 28, 2003 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 108-94 | |
| Mar 30, 2003 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 119-98 | |
| Mar 31, 2003 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 110-94 | |
| Apr 03, 2003 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 100-89 | |
| Apr 04, 2003 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 102-101 | |
| Apr 06, 2003 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 115-113 | |
| Apr 08, 2003 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 108-99 | |
| Apr 10, 2003 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 117-104 | |
| Apr 13, 2003 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 101-99 | |
| Apr 15, 2003 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 126-104 | |
| Apr 16, 2003 | @ Golden State Warriors | W 117-111 |
