The 2001–02 San Antonio Spurs season was the 26th season for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association, their 29th season in San Antonio, Texas, and their 35th season as a franchise.
Season summary
Off-season During the off-season, the Spurs acquired Steve Smith from the Portland Trail Blazers, and signed free agents Bruce Bowen, second-year guard Stephen Jackson, and Charles Smith. The team also selected point guard, and French basketball star Tony Parker with the 28th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.
Regular season With the addition of Steve Smith, Parker and Bowen, the Spurs won 20 of their first 24 games of the regular season, which included a 10-game winning streak in December, and later on held a 31–17 record at the All-Star break. The Spurs posted a 13-game winning streak in March and won their final nine games of the season, finishing in first place in the Midwest Division with a 58–24 record, and earning the second seed in the Western Conference. The team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
Tim Duncan averaged 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, as he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year, joining David Robinson as the only Spurs players to win the award; Duncan was also named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Robinson averaged 12.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, while Steve Smith contributed 11.6 points per game, and led the Spurs with 116 three-point field goals, while shooting .472 in three-point field-goal percentage, and Parker provided the team with 9.2 points and 4.3 assists per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Meanwhile, Malik Rose averaged 9.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, Antonio Daniels provided with 9.2 points per game, and Charles Smith contributed 7.4 points per game, Bowen contributed 7.0 points per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, Terry Porter provided with 5.5 points and 2.8 assists per game, and Danny Ferry averaged 4.6 points per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Duncan was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team. Meanwhile, Steve Smith participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, and Parker was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team. Rose finished in fourth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The Spurs led the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 906,390 at the Alamodome during the regular season.
NBA playoffs In the Western Conference First Round of the 2002 NBA playoffs, the Spurs faced off against the 7th–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, a team that featured All-Star guard Gary Payton, Rashard Lewis and Brent Barry. The Spurs won Game 1 over the SuperSonics at home, 110–89 at the Alamodome, but then lost Game 2 at home by a score of 98–90, as the SuperSonics evened the series. The Spurs managed to win Game 3 over the SuperSonics on the road, 102–75 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, before losing Game 4 on the road by a score of 91–79; neither Duncan or Robinson played in Game 4, as Duncan flew back home to the Virgin Islands to attend his father's funeral, while Robinson was out due to injury. With the series tied at 2–2, the Spurs won Game 5 over the SuperSonics at the Alamodome, 101–78 to win in a hard-fought five-game series.
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, and for the second consecutive year, the team faced off against the 3rd–seeded, and 2-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal, All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, and Derek Fisher. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, and the Spurs winning the Midwest Division title, the Lakers had home-court advantage in the series. The Spurs lost Game 1 to the Lakers on the road, 86–80 at the Staples Center, but managed to win Game 2 on the road, 88–85 to even the series. However, the Spurs lost their next two home games at the Alamodome, before losing Game 5 to the Lakers at the Staples Center, 93–87, thus losing the series in five games.
The Lakers would go on to defeat the New Jersey Nets in a four-game sweep in the 2002 NBA Finals, winning their third consecutive NBA championship.
Aftermath This was also the Spurs' final season in which they played their home games at the Alamodome; the team moved into their brand new arena known as the SBC Center the following season. Meanwhile, Daniels and Charles Smith were both traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Porter retired after seventeen seasons in the NBA.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 28 Tony Parker PG 2 55 Robertas Javtokas C 2 57 Bryan Bracey F Oregon
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot
Game log
Regular season
| 1 | October 30 | L. A. Clippers | | Steve Smith (19) | Tim Duncan (13) | Terry Porter (6) | Alamodome16,803 | 1–0
| 2 | November 1 | @ Seattle | | Tim Duncan (22) | Tim Duncan (13) | Tim Duncan, Steve Smith (4) | KeyArena15,491 | 1–1 |- | 3 | November 3 | @ Portland | | Steve Smith (36) | Tim Duncan (15) | Tony Parker (6) | Rose Garden Arena19,980 | 2–1 |- | 4 | November 4 | @ Sacramento | | Tim Duncan (17) | Tim Duncan (13) | Antonio Daniels, Terry Porter (3) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 2–2 |- | 5 | November 6 | Orlando | | Tim Duncan (26) | Tim Duncan (14) | Terry Porter (5) | Alamodome15,927 | 3–2 |- | 6 | November 8 | @ Charlotte | | Tim Duncan (33) | Tim Duncan (16) | Terry Porter, Tony Parker, Bruce Bowen (5) | Charlotte Coliseum9,511 | 4–2 |- | 7 | November 10 | Atlanta | | Tim Duncan (20) | Tim Duncan (13) | Tony Parker (8) | Alamodome20,403 | 5–2 |- | 8 | November 13 | Houston | | Tim Duncan (19) | Tim Duncan (9) | Tony Parker (4) | Alamodome15,643 | 6–2 |- | 9 | November 16 | Cleveland | | Tim Duncan (27) | Malik Rose (11) | Tony Parker (8) | Alamodome19,222 | 7–2 |- | 10 | November 21 | Seattle | | Tim Duncan (30) | Tim Duncan (13) | Tony Parker (7) | Alamodome18,163 | 8–2 |- | 11 | November 23 | @ Indiana | | Tim Duncan (30) | Tim Duncan (18) | Tim Duncan (5) | Conseco Fieldhouse18,345 | 9–2 |- | 12 | November 24 | @ Minnesota | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (18) | Tim Duncan (8) | Target Center19,006 | 9–3 |- | 13 | November 28 | Golden State | | David Robinson (19) | David Robinson, Tim Duncan (12) | Tim Duncan (5) | Alamodome16,442 | 10–3 |- | 14 | November 30 | Sacramento | | Tim Duncan (38) | David Robinson (12) | Tony Parker (4) | Alamodome26,808 | 10–4
| 15 | December 1 | @ Houston | | Tim Duncan (25) | Tim Duncan (12) | Tony Parker (5) | Compaq Center12,232 | 11–4 |- | 16 | December 4 | Washington | | Antonio Daniels (15) | Tim Duncan (11) | Tim Duncan, Tony Parker (5) | Alamodome35,052 | 12–4 |- | 17 | December 5 | @ Atlanta | | Steve Smith (29) | Tim Duncan (15) | Tony Parker (8) | Philips Arena8,253 | 13–4 |- | 18 | December 7 | Philadelphia | | Charles Smith (20) | Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Malik Rose (9) | Antonio Daniels (6) | Alamodome29,836 | 14–4 |- | 19 | December 12 | Toronto | | Tim Duncan (28) | Tim Duncan (13) | Tony Parker (6) | Alamodome16,650 | 15–4 |- | 20 | December 14 | @ Phoenix | | Tim Duncan (32) | Tim Duncan (19) | Terry Porter (6) | America West Arena16,187 | 16–4 |- | 21 | December 15 | Utah | | Tim Duncan (26) | Tim Duncan (10) | Terry Porter (3) | Alamodome20,712 | 17–4 |- | 22 | December 18 | @ Denver | | Tim Duncan (24) | Tim Duncan (16) | Tim Duncan (5) | Pepsi Center14,118 | 18–4 |- | 23 | December 19 | Portland | | Tim Duncan (26) | David Robinson (16) | Tony Parker (6) | Alamodome16,089 | 19–4 |- | 24 | December 21 | Denver | | Tim Duncan (21) | David Robinson, Malik Rose (8) | Charles Smith (5) | Alamodome22,831 | 20–4 |- | 25 | December 23 | Milwaukee | | Tim Duncan (22) | Tim Duncan (18) | Tony Parker (5) | Alamodome24,708 | 20–5 |- | 26 | December 26 | Dallas | | Tim Duncan (53) | Tim Duncan (11) | Tim Duncan (4) | Alamodome20,667 | 20–6 |- | 27 | December 29 | @ Milwaukee | | Tim Duncan (38) | Tim Duncan (16) | Tony Parker (7) | Bradley Center18,717 | 20–7 |- | 28 | December 30 | @ Memphis | | Tim Duncan (27) | Tim Duncan (18) | Steve Smith, Antonio Daniels (5) | Pyramid Arena17,358 | 21–7
| 29 | January 2 | Detroit | | Tim Duncan (20) | Tim Duncan (15) | Terry Porter (8) | Alamodome16,648 | 22–7 |- | 30 | January 4 | Indiana | | Tim Duncan (22) | Tim Duncan (12) | Tim Duncan (6) | Alamodome29,243 | 22–8 |- | 31 | January 5 | @ Dallas | | Tim Duncan (29) | Tim Duncan (17) | Terry Porter (6) | American Airlines Center20,123 | 23–8 |- | 32 | January 7 | New York | | Tim Duncan (21) | Tim Duncan (12) | Tony Parker (5) | Alamodome18,428 | 24–8 |- | 33 | January 9 | @ Boston | | Tim Duncan (25) | Tim Duncan (12) | Antonio Daniels (5) | FleetCenter16,003 | 25–8 |- | 34 | January 11 | @ Philadelphia | | Tim Duncan (22) | Tim Duncan (15) | Tony Parker, Antonio Daniels, Terry Porter (3) | First Union Center20,488 | 25–9 |- | 35 | January 14 | @ New Jersey | | Tim Duncan (27) | Tim Duncan (9) | Tim Duncan, Terry Porter (6) | Continental Airlines Arena11,091 | 25–10 |- | 36 | January 15 | @ Washington | | Tim Duncan (22) | David Robinson (10) | Terry Porter (7) | MCI Center20,674 | 26–10 |- | 37 | January 17 | Utah | | Tim Duncan (35) | Tim Duncan (10) | Antonio Daniels (6) | Alamodome16,868 | 27–10 |- | 38 | January 19 | L. A. Lakers | | Charles Smith (21) | Tim Duncan (15) | Tim Duncan (4) | Alamodome33,544 | 27–11 |- | 39 | January 22 | New Jersey | | Tim Duncan (32) | Tim Duncan (14) | Charles Smith (6) | Alamodome17,701 | 27–12 |- | 40 | January 23 | @ Utah | | Steve Smith (29) | Tim Duncan (9) | Antonio Daniels (5) | Delta Center19,623 | 28–12 |- | 41 | January 25 | @ L. A. Lakers | | Tim Duncan (24) | David Robinson (12) | Terry Porter (6) | STAPLES Center18,997 | 28–13 |- | 42 | January 26 | @ Golden State | | Tim Duncan (20) | Tim Duncan (9) | Tony Parker (6) | The Arena in Oakland18,328 | 29–13 |- | 43 | January 29 | Charlotte | | Tim Duncan (29) | Tim Duncan (21) | Tony Parker (4) | Alamodome16,624 | 29–14 |- | 44 | January 31 | L. A. Clippers | | Tim Duncan (23) | Tim Duncan (16) | Antonio Daniels (4) | Alamodome17,288 | 29–15
| 45 | February 1 | @ Miami | | Tim Duncan (29) | Tim Duncan (12) | Tony Parker (5) | AmericanAirlines Arena15,658 | 29–16 |- | 46 | February 3 | @ Orlando | | Tim Duncan (29) | Tim Duncan (15) | Antonio Daniels (7) | TD Waterhouse Centre15,072 | 30–16 |- | 47 | February 4 | Minnesota | | David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Antonio Daniels (13) | David Robinson (15) | Tony Parker (5) | Alamodome17,809 | 31–16 |- | 48 | February 7 | @ Toronto | | Tim Duncan (22) | Tim Duncan (17) | Steve Smith (5) | Air Canada Centre19,800 | 31–17 |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- | 49 | February 12 | @ Sacramento | | Tim Duncan (24) | Tim Duncan (21) | Tony Parker (6) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 31–18 |- | 50 | February 14 | @ L. A. Clippers | | Tim Duncan (15) | Tim Duncan (11) | Antonio Daniels, Steve Smith (4) | STAPLES Center18,964 | 32–18 |- | 51 | February 15 | @ Golden State | | Tim Duncan (36) | Tim Duncan (11) | Tim Duncan (8) | The Arena in Oakland14,187 | 33–18 |- | 52 | February 19 | Memphis | | Tim Duncan (23) | David Robinson (14) | Tim Duncan, Antonio Daniels, Tony Parker (5) | Alamodome16,229 | 34–18 |- | 53 | February 21 | Sacramento | | Charles Smith (32) | Tim Duncan (13) | Tony Parker (7) | Alamodome18,594 | 35–18 |- | 54 | February 23 | Minnesota | | Tim Duncan (25) | David Robinson (9) | Antonio Daniels (6) | Alamodome34,735 | 35–19 |- | 55 | February 24 | @ Phoenix | | David Robinson (25) | Tim Duncan (13) | Tim Duncan (5) | America West Arena15,836 | 35–20 |- | 56 | February 26 | Phoenix |