The 2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers season was marked by struggles and transitions, setting the stage for future changes. The team finished with a dismal record of 17-65, placing them at the bottom of the Central Division and giving them the worst record in the NBA that year. Despite the presence of talented players like Ricky Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers struggled to find consistency and cohesion on the court.
Under the leadership of head coach John Lucas, who was replaced mid-season by Keith Smart, the Cavaliers faced numerous challenges, including injuries and a lack of defensive prowess. Ricky Davis emerged as a leading scorer, averaging over 20 points per game, but his efforts were not enough to turn the team’s fortunes around. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, returning from foot injuries, provided a solid presence in the paint, yet the team’s overall performance remained lackluster.
This season was pivotal for the franchise as it positioned them for a significant transformation. The Cavaliers’ poor performance secured them the top pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, which they used to select LeBron James. This acquisition would eventually reshape the team’s trajectory. The 2002-03 season, while challenging, was crucial in laying the groundwork for Cleveland’s future success and their eventual rise in the NBA ranks, highlighted by LeBron’s arrival and subsequent impact.
- Regular Season Record: 17-65
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers 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% |
| Ricky Davis | 79 | 20.6 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 36.3 | |||||||
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | 81 | 17.2 | 7.5 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dajuan Wagner | 47 | 13.4 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 31.6 | |||||||
| Carlos Boozer | 81 | 10.0 | 7.5 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jumaine Jones | 80 | 9.8 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 35.4 | |||||||
| Darius Miles | 67 | 9.2 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Tyrone Hill | 32 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Smush Parker | 66 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 32.2 | |||||||
| Chris Mihm | 52 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Milt Palacio | 80 | 5.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 21.6 | |||||||
| Bimbo Coles | 21 | 4.9 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 28.0 | |||||||
| Tierre Brown | 15 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| DeSagana Diop | 80 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Michael Stewart | 47 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
Cleveland Cavaliers 2002-03 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2002-03 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2002 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 94-67 | |
| Oct 30, 2002 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 98-96 | |
| Nov 01, 2002 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 78-74 | |
| Nov 05, 2002 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 89-70 | |
| Nov 06, 2002 | @ Washington Wizards | L 107-100 | |
| Nov 08, 2002 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 108-84 | |
| Nov 09, 2002 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 93-79 | |
| Nov 12, 2002 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 95-75 | |
| Nov 13, 2002 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 103-99 | |
| Nov 16, 2002 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 90-77 | |
| Nov 18, 2002 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 104-78 | |
| Nov 19, 2002 | @ Houston Rockets | L 97-80 | |
| Nov 22, 2002 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 120-79 | |
| Nov 23, 2002 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | L 97-84 | |
| Nov 26, 2002 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 91-85 | |
| Nov 27, 2002 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 112-80 | |
| Nov 29, 2002 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 106-99 | |
| Nov 30, 2002 | @ Miami Heat | L 85-79 | |
| Dec 02, 2002 | @ New York Knicks | L 125-93 | |
| Dec 04, 2002 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 111-101 | |
| Dec 07, 2002 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 112-104 | |
| Dec 09, 2002 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 140-133 | |
| Dec 11, 2002 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 96-83 | |
| Dec 13, 2002 | @ Boston Celtics | L 115-100 | |
| Dec 14, 2002 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 111-104 | |
| Dec 16, 2002 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-98 | |
| Dec 18, 2002 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 111-106 | |
| Dec 20, 2002 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 109-107 | |
| Dec 21, 2002 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 89-82 | |
| Dec 23, 2002 | vs. Miami Heat | W 74-72 | |
| Dec 27, 2002 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 113-89 | |
| Dec 29, 2002 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 103-84 | |
| Dec 30, 2002 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 102-88 | |
| Jan 03, 2003 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 81-80 | |
| Jan 04, 2003 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 85-79 | |
| Jan 06, 2003 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 106-94 | |
| Jan 10, 2003 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 115-99 | |
| Jan 12, 2003 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 87-79 | |
| Jan 13, 2003 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 118-94 | |
| Jan 15, 2003 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 108-80 | |
| Jan 17, 2003 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 97-80 | |
| Jan 18, 2003 | @ Utah Jazz | L 95-78 | |
| Jan 21, 2003 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 103-94 | |
| Jan 25, 2003 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 102-101 | |
| Jan 27, 2003 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 104-100 | |
| Jan 29, 2003 | @ Orlando Magic | L 113-108 | |
| Jan 31, 2003 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 96-91 | |
| Feb 02, 2003 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 114-95 | |
| Feb 04, 2003 | @ Washington Wizards | L 93-84 | |
| Feb 05, 2003 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 105-102 | |
| Feb 11, 2003 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 107-96 | |
| Feb 12, 2003 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | L 102-91 | |
| Feb 16, 2003 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 90-75 | |
| Feb 18, 2003 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 107-101 | |
| Feb 21, 2003 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 119-99 | |
| Feb 23, 2003 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-103 | |
| Feb 25, 2003 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 93-90 | |
| Feb 28, 2003 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 118-95 | |
| Mar 02, 2003 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 102-76 | |
| Mar 04, 2003 | @ New York Knicks | L 89-80 | |
| Mar 05, 2003 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 111-105 | |
| Mar 07, 2003 | @ New Orleans Hornets | L 102-76 | |
| Mar 08, 2003 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | L 115-89 | |
| Mar 11, 2003 | vs. Miami Heat | L 77-75 | |
| Mar 16, 2003 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 122-95 | |
| Mar 18, 2003 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 114-93 | |
| Mar 19, 2003 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | L 128-101 | |
| Mar 21, 2003 | @ Orlando Magic | L 109-85 | |
| Mar 23, 2003 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 93-88 | |
| Mar 25, 2003 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 124-103 | |
| Mar 26, 2003 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 89-83 | |
| Mar 28, 2003 | @ Boston Celtics | L 104-95 | |
| Mar 29, 2003 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 110-106 | |
| Apr 02, 2003 | vs. Indiana Pacers | L 103-82 | |
| Apr 04, 2003 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 95-93 | |
| Apr 05, 2003 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | W 79-76 | |
| Apr 08, 2003 | vs. Washington Wizards | L 100-91 | |
| Apr 09, 2003 | @ New Orleans Hornets | L 100-81 | |
| Apr 11, 2003 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 109-89 | |
| Apr 12, 2003 | vs. New York Knicks | W 104-99 | |
| Apr 14, 2003 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 89-88 | |
| Apr 16, 2003 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 96-86 |