2003 - NBA Finals Winner 2003

The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs, champions of the Western Conference, faced the New Jersey Nets, champions of the East, with San Antonio holding home-court advantage. The Spurs won the best-of-seven series 4 games to 2, and Tim Duncan was named Finals MVP. So if you are wondering who won the 2003 NBA Finals, the answer is the San Antonio Spurs.

Background

Both teams arrived with something to prove. The Spurs had won their first title in 1999 but had been knocked out by the Los Angeles Lakers in each of the two previous postseasons. The Nets, led by point guard Jason Kidd and coached by Byron Scott, were back in the Finals for the second straight year after being swept by the Lakers in 2002.

What happened in the series

San Antonio’s defense controlled most of the series, and Gregg Popovich’s team took a 3–2 lead back home for Game 6. The clincher on June 15, 2003, became one of the best individual Finals performances ever: Duncan finished with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 blocked shots, just two blocks short of a quadruple-double. The Spurs pulled away in the fourth quarter to win the 2003 NBA championship.

Why it mattered

The 2003 title was a farewell for David Robinson, the Spurs’ longtime center, who retired after the series with his second championship. It also marked the handoff to the next generation: young guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili played key roles, and the Duncan–Parker–Ginóbili core would define the franchise for more than a decade. For the Nets, it was a second consecutive Finals loss, and the franchise has not returned to the NBA Finals since.

What came next

The 2003 NBA champions went on to win again in 2005, 2007 and 2014, making San Antonio one of the most consistent winners in league history. You can follow the full story on our San Antonio Spurs team history page, or read about their next title in the 2007 NBA Finals.

Quick facts: 2003 NBA Finals

• Winner: San Antonio Spurs (4–2 over the New Jersey Nets)
• Finals MVP: Tim Duncan
• Clinching game: Game 6, June 15, 2003, in San Antonio
• Coaches: Gregg Popovich (Spurs), Byron Scott (Nets)
• Spurs championship number: second (after 1999)