# 2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals) was the championship series of the 2002-03 NBA season, in which the [San Antonio Spurs](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-antonio-spurs) defeated the New Jersey Nets four games to two to win the franchise's second NBA title.[1](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-finals-2003) Spurs center [Tim Duncan](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-duncan) was named Finals MVP after averaging 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.3 blocks in the series.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Champion | San Antonio Spurs, second title in five years (1999, 2003)[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html) |
| Series result | Spurs defeated Nets 4-2[1](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-finals-2003) |
| Finals MVP | Tim Duncan: 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 5.3 blocks per game[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) |
| Clinching game | Game 6, 88-77, decided by a 19-0 Spurs run in the fourth quarter[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html) |
| Duncan's Game 6 | 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, 8 blocks, a near quadruple-double[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) |
| Regular season | Spurs finished 60-22, the NBA's best record, with Duncan the regular-season MVP for a second consecutive year[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) |
| Historical note | First Finals series between two former ABA teams[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) |
## Road to the Finals
[San Antonio](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-antonio) entered the 2002-03 season knowing an era was ending. [David Robinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-robinson), 37, had announced it would be his final year, and the team also moved into a new arena, the SBC Center (now the AT&T Center).[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) The Spurs went 33-16 before the All-Star break and 27-6 after it, finishing 60-22 with the league's best record and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) • [4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) Duncan averaged 23.3 points and 12.9 rebounds during the regular season and won his second straight MVP award.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) • [4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003)
In the playoffs San Antonio needed six games in every series. It beat Phoenix in the first round, then ended the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-lakers)' three-year championship reign with a 110-82 victory in Game 6 of the conference semifinals, a game in which Duncan had 37 points and 16 rebounds.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) • [4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) The Western Conference finals against Dallas, a matchup of the teams with the NBA's two best records, also ended in six games.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003)
The Nets reached their second consecutive Finals after a six-game first-round series with [Milwaukee](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee) followed by sweeps of Boston and Detroit.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) They had been swept by the Lakers in the 2002 Finals and were seeking to show their return was no fluke.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003)
## The series
It was the first Finals between two former ABA franchises.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) The home team won Games 1, 4, and 6, while the visiting team won Games 2, 3, and 5.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) • [10](https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/nba-finals-2003-2) Duncan opened the series with 32 points, 20 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 blocks in Game 1.[5](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/) New Jersey evened the series in Game 2 behind 30 points from [Jason Kidd](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-kidd), the franchise's first Finals victory.[5](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/) San Antonio took Game 3 to regain homecourt advantage, and New Jersey answered in Game 4, the lowest-scoring Final game of the era at 77-76, with 114 missed shots and 27 combined turnovers.[5](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/)
After splitting the first four games, the Spurs won Game 5, 93-83, nearly surrendering nothing after leading comfortably, and closed the series in Game 6.[4](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003) In the clincher San Antonio turned an eight-point deficit into a 10-point lead with a run of 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and won 88-77.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html) Duncan controlled the final stretch without scoring during the decisive run, and finished the game with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 blocks, a near quadruple-double.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03)
## Duncan's performance
Duncan's series is the statistical centerpiece of the matchup. His Finals averages of 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.3 blocks earned him a second Finals MVP.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) Contemporary commentary stressed how little help he had: the [San Francisco Chronicle](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-chronicle) wrote that the closest comparison was [Hakeem Olajuwon](https://www.edgepedia.org/hakeem-olajuwon) in 1994 and 1995, and that even Olajuwon had more support, describing Duncan as controlling the decisive stretch of Game 6 without scoring a point.[6](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/the-package-delivered-2608872.php) The Spanish sports daily AS later called the series the best basketball of Duncan's career and the performance that consolidated his status as a legend, noting his 29-point, 17-rebound Game 5 and the near quadruple-double in Game 6.[5](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/)
## Style of play and reception
The series was a defensive, low-scoring affair that contrasted sharply with the Western Conference finals, where Dallas and Sacramento had combined for 757 points in their first three games.[5](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/) Game 4's 77-76 final, 114 missed shots and 27 combined turnovers became emblematic of the grind; Kidd reportedly needed a key to a practice gym he had never used just to get shooting work in.[5](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/) The San Francisco Chronicle predicted the series would be remembered for Duncan's Game 6 rather than the poor shooting percentages and turnover-heavy play.[6](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/the-package-delivered-2608872.php) [The Atlantic](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-atlantic) later grouped these Spurs with the [Detroit Pistons](https://www.edgepedia.org/detroit-pistons) as teams that built championship formulas around slowing the pace and squeezing offenses.[7](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/05/adam-silver-nba-playoffs-tanking/686918/)
## Aftermath
The title was the second in five years for San Antonio and sent Robinson into retirement with a championship.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html) His departure freed roughly $15 million of salary cap space for the Spurs.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html) The series also marked the Finals debut of the young core around Duncan: [Tony Parker](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-parker), in his second season, and Manu Ginobili, a rookie that year, who would anchor the Spurs' later championships in 2005, 2007, and 2014.[2](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03) • [8](https://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan) Duncan finished his career with five titles and three Finals MVPs (1999, 2003, 2005).[8](https://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan) • [9](https://www.lemonde.fr/sports-us/article/2014/06/05/san-antonio-spurs-miami-heat-l-heure-de-la-revanche-a-sonne_6004852_1616670.html)
## References
1. [NBA Finals 2003, StatMuse](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-finals-2003)
2. [Season Review: 2002-03, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-season-review-2002-03)
3. [Basketball: Duncan inspires Spurs to second title, The Independent (Chris Sheridan, 17 June 2003)](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/basketball-duncan-inspires-spurs-to-second-title-109166.html)
4. [Top Moments: Tim Duncan, David Robinson wrap up another title, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-robinson-duncan-title-2003)
5. [Finales 2003: tedio, defensa y un Tim Duncan para la eternidad, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/finales-2003-tedio-defensa-y-un-tim-duncan-para-la-eternidad-n/)
6. [The Package delivered, San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate)](https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/the-package-delivered-2608872.php)
7. [Adam Silver Goes to War, The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/05/adam-silver-nba-playoffs-tanking/686918/)
8. [Consistent Greatness, San Antonio Spurs (NBA.com)](https://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan)
9. [San Antonio Spurs - Miami Heat : l'heure de la revanche a sonné, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/sports-us/article/2014/06/05/san-antonio-spurs-miami-heat-l-heure-de-la-revanche-a-sonne_6004852_1616670.html)
10. [NBA FINALS 2003, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/nba-finals-2003-2)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › NBA and WNBA (North American professional basketball) › NBA and WNBA seasons, champions, and records › NBA seasons and team seasons › NBA playoffs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license