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{{short description|56th NBA season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{one source|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox sports season
| title = 2001–02 NBA season
| league = [[National Basketball Association]]
| sport = [[Basketball]]
| duration = {{Bulleted list
| October 30, 2001 – April 17, 2002
| April 20 – June 2, 2002 (Playoffs)
| June 5 – 12, 2002 (Finals)
}}
| no_of_teams = 29
| TV = [[NBA on NBC|NBC]], [[NBA on TNT|TNT]], [[NBA on TBS|TBS]]
| draft = Draft
| draft_link = 2001 NBA draft
| top_pick = [[Kwame Brown]]
| top_pick_link = List of first overall NBA draft picks
| picked_by = [[2001–02 Washington Wizards season|Washington Wizards]]
| season = Regular season
| top_seed = [[2001–02 Sacramento Kings season|Sacramento Kings]]
| MVP = [[Tim Duncan]] ([[2001–02 San Antonio Spurs season|San Antonio]])
| MVP_link = NBA Most Valuable Player Award
| top_scorer = [[Allen Iverson]] ([[2001–02 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]])
| top_scorer_link = List of National Basketball Association annual scoring leaders
| playoffs = Playoffs
| playoffs_link = 2002 NBA playoffs
| conf1 = Eastern
| conf1_link = Eastern Conference (NBA)
| conf1_champ = [[2001–02 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey Nets]]
| conf1_runner-up = [[2001–02 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]]
| conf2 = Western
| conf2_link = Western Conference (NBA)
| conf2_champ = [[2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]]
| conf2_runner-up = [[2001–02 Sacramento Kings season|Sacramento Kings]]
| finals = Finals
| finals_link = 2002 NBA Finals
| finals_venue = * [[Continental Airlines Arena]], [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]]
* [[Staples Center]], [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]
| finals_champ = [[2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]]
| finals_runner-up = [[2001–02 New Jersey Nets season|New Jersey Nets]]
| finals_MVP = [[Shaquille O'Neal]] ([[2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]])
| finals_MVP_link = Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
| seasonslist = List of NBA seasons
| seasonslistnames = NBA
| prevseason_link = 2000–01 NBA season
| prevseason_year = 2000–01
| nextseason_link = 2002–03 NBA season
| nextseason_year = 2002–03
}}
The '''2001–02 NBA season''' was the 56th season of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA). The season ended with the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] winning their third straight championship, beating the [[New Jersey Nets]] 4–0 in the [[2002 NBA Finals]].
==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Coaching changes
! colspan="3"|Offseason
|-
! Team
! 2000–01 coach
! 2001–02 coach
|-
| [[Cleveland Cavaliers]]
| [[Randy Wittman]]
| [[John Lucas II|John Lucas]]
|-
| [[Detroit Pistons]]
| [[George Irvine (basketball)|George Irvine]]
| [[Rick Carlisle]]
|-
| [[Portland Trail Blazers]]
| [[Mike Dunleavy, Sr.]]
| [[Maurice Cheeks]]
|-
| [[Washington Wizards]]
| [[Leonard Hamilton]]
| [[Doug Collins (basketball)|Doug Collins]]
|-
! colspan="3"|In-season
|-
! Team
! Outgoing coach
! Incoming coach
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Chicago Bulls]]
| [[Tim Floyd]]
| [[Bill Berry (basketball)|Bill Berry]]
|-
| [[Bill Berry (basketball)|Bill Berry]]
| [[Bill Cartwright]]
|-
| [[Denver Nuggets]]
| [[Dan Issel]]
| [[Mike Evans (basketball)|Mike Evans]]
|-
| [[Golden State Warriors]]
| [[Dave Cowens]]
| [[Brian Winters]]
|-
| [[New York Knicks]]
| [[Jeff Van Gundy]]
| [[Don Chaney]]
|-
| [[Phoenix Suns]]
| [[Scott Skiles]]
| [[Frank Johnson (basketball)|Frank Johnson]]
|}
* [[Kwame Brown]] became the first [[NBA high school draftees|high school player]] to be drafted first overall when the [[Washington Wizards]] drafted him in the [[2001 NBA draft]].
* The [[List of Memphis Grizzlies seasons|Grizzlies]] relocated from [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] to [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. They played their first three seasons at [[Pyramid Arena|The Pyramid]] in Memphis.
* The [[2002 NBA All-Star Game]] was held at [[First Union Center]] in [[Philadelphia]]. [[Kobe Bryant]] of the [[Los Angeles Lakers|Lakers]] took MVP honors amidst boos from the Philadelphia fans following a 135–120 victory by the West. Philadelphia was originally slated to host the 1999 All-Star Game but was awarded the 2002 game instead due to the [[1998–99 NBA lockout|1999 lockout]].
* Prior to the start of the season, NBA and [[Chicago Bulls]] guard [[Michael Jordan]], then part-owner of the [[Washington Wizards]], announced his second comeback to the NBA, this time with the Wizards. The announcement was delayed due to the [[September 11 attacks]].
* The [[Dallas Mavericks]] played their first game at the [[American Airlines Center]], not to be confused with the American Airlines Arena (now [[Kaseya Center]]) in [[Miami, Florida]].
* This was the last season for [[NBA on NBC|NBC]], but the network would regain for NBA coverage starting in the [[2025–26 NBA season|2025–26 season]]. This was also the last season [[NBA on TBS|TBS]] broadcast NBA games on a regular basis.
* NBA teams wore patches on their jerseys with the [[Flag of the United States|American flag]] and a red-white-and-blue ribbon, in honor of the victims of the [[September 11 attacks]]. The Raptors wore the American and Canadian flags on their jerseys.
* The only Canadian team left in the NBA, the [[Toronto Raptors]], after losing seventeen of eighteen to drop to 30–38, won twelve of their last fourteen to finish at 42–40 and go to the NBA playoffs as the seventh seed in the East.
* [[List of Brooklyn Nets seasons|The New Jersey Nets]], who had never won fifty games in a season and had only been to the second round of the playoffs once, won 52 games to reach the Finals.
* 2001–02 is one of the most memorable seasons in the history of [[List of Milwaukee Bucks seasons|the Milwaukee Bucks]]. The team got off to a division-leading 26–13 start and were 10 games over .500 as late as March 6. However, the Bucks lost 16 of their last 22 games and missed the playoffs, one of the biggest late season collapses for a team that was contending for a division title in March.
* For the first time since 1985–86, no team won fewer than twenty games. [[2001–02 Chicago Bulls season|The Chicago Bulls]] and [[2001–02 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] shared the league's worst record of 21–61. This had however previously occurred during every season between 1973–74 and 1978–79 and again from 1983–84 to 1985–86.<ref>See Berri, David J., Brook, Stacey L., Frick, Bernd, Fenn, Aju J. and Vicente-Mayoral, Roberto; 'The Short Supply of Tall People: Competitive Imbalance and the National Basketball Association'; ''Journal of Economic Issues'', Vol. 39, No. 4 (Dec., 2005), pp. 1029–1041</ref>
* Former All-Star [[Jayson Williams]] was charged with the murder of his limousine driver on February 14. He was immediately fired from his spot on NBC's ''Verizon Wireless at the Half'' shortly after appearing on TV during the All-Star Game the previous week.
* [[Marv Albert]] and [[Mike Fratello]] were involved in a limousine crash prior to the start of the 2002 Playoffs and were unable to announce for NBC. Albert returned to announce the 2002 Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
* The [[San Antonio Spurs]] played their last season at the [[Alamodome]]. (Notably, this was the last time an NBA team's primary home venue was a non-NBA/non-basketball-specific arena, in this case an [[American football]]-specific stadium.)
* The [[zone defense]] was legalized.
* The [[defensive three-second violation]] was introduced.
* This season marked the last time the [[NBA playoffs]] used a best–of–five series in the first round. Started from [[2003 NBA playoffs|next season]] onwards, the playoffs first-round series switched to the best–of–seven format.
* Several notable missed calls occurred during the playoffs regarding buzzer beaters. During the Magic–Hornets series, [[Baron Davis]]'s game-winner was incorrectly waved off at the buzzer by referee [[Bernie Fryer]]; in the Nets–Pacers series, [[Reggie Miller]] hit a turnaround 40-foot three–pointer slightly after the buzzer at the end of regulation that referee [[Bob Delaney (basketball)|Bob Delaney]] granted anyways; and lastly in Game 4 of the Kings–Lakers series, [[Samaki Walker]] hit a three–pointer slightly after the buzzer at the end of the first half that was granted anyways. Following the season, the NBA instituted new rules regarding the end-of-period indicators. An [[Light-emitting diode|LED]] light strip on the backboard and the scorer's table replaced the traditional electric red light behind the backboard, and a shot clock visible to all three viewable sides was mandated.
* Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals series between the Kings and the Lakers is considered to be one of the most controversial games in NBA history, as numerous questionable calls went against the Kings in the fourth quarter. The Lakers, led by O'Neal's 41 points and 17 rebounds, won, 106–102, setting the stage for Game 7 in Sacramento. There are allegations that the game was affected by the referees in relationship to the [[2007 NBA betting scandal|Tim Donaghy scandal]].
* This season marked the first time the league's scoring leader (in this case [[Allen Iverson]]) failed to make the All-NBA First Team.
==2001–02 NBA changes==
*[[Dallas Mavericks]] – added new logo and new uniforms, replacing blue and green with dark navy blue, grey and black, and moved into their new arena the [[American Airlines Center]].
*[[Detroit Pistons]] – added new logo and new uniforms, also brought back original red, white and blue colors replacing teal and maroon, added side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
*[[Los Angeles Lakers]] – added new logo changed from a lighter purple to a darker purple still remained with the gold and black color.
*[[New York Knicks]] – slightly changed their uniforms, removed from the jersey numbers with side stripes and panels to their shorts.
*[[Memphis Grizzlies]] – relocation from Canada to the United States, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Changed wordmark on their jerseys.
*[[Miami Heat]] – added new red alternate uniforms with black side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
*[[Milwaukee Bucks]] – slightly changed their uniforms, added side panels to their jerseys.
*[[Seattle SuperSonics]] – added new logo and new uniforms, also brought back original yellow and emerald green colors replacing dark green and red.
==Standings==
===By division===
;[[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]]
{{2001–02 NBA Atlantic standings}}
{{2001–02 NBA Central standings}}
;[[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]]
{{2001–02 NBA Midwest standings}}
{{2001–02 NBA Pacific standings}}
===By conference===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{2001–02 NBA East standings}}
{{col-2}}
{{2001–02 NBA West standings}}
{{col-end}}
'''Notes'''
*'''z''' – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
*'''c''' – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
*'''y''' – Clinched division title
*'''x''' – Clinched playoff spot
*'''e''' – Eliminated from playoff contention
==Playoffs==
{{main|2002 NBA playoffs}}
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. [[Home court advantage]] does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.
{{excerpt|2002 NBA playoffs|Bracket|bold=yes|hat=no}}
==Statistics leaders==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+
|-
! Category !! Player || Team || Stat
|-
| Points per game || [[Allen Iverson]] || [[Philadelphia 76ers]] || 31.4
|-
| Rebounds per game || [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]] || [[Detroit Pistons]] || 13.0
|-
| Assists per game || [[Andre Miller]] || [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] || 10.9
|-
| Steals per game || [[Allen Iverson]] || [[Philadelphia 76ers]] || 2.8
|-
| Blocks per game || [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]] || [[Detroit Pistons]] || 3.5
|-
| FG% || [[Shaquille O'Neal]] || [[Los Angeles Lakers]] || .579
|-
| FT% || [[Reggie Miller]] || [[Indiana Pacers]] || .911
|-
| 3FG% || [[Steve Smith (basketball)|Steve Smith]] || [[San Antonio Spurs]] || .472
|-
|}
==Awards==
===Yearly awards===
*'''[[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]]:''' [[Tim Duncan]], [[San Antonio Spurs]]
*'''[[NBA Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]]:''' [[Pau Gasol]], [[Memphis Grizzlies]]
*'''[[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|Defensive Player of the Year]]:''' [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
*'''[[NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award|Sixth Man of the Year]]:''' [[Corliss Williamson]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
*'''[[NBA Most Improved Player Award|Most Improved Player]]:''' [[Jermaine O'Neal]], [[Indiana Pacers]]
*'''[[NBA Coach of the Year Award|Coach of the Year]]:''' [[Rick Carlisle]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
*'''[[NBA Executive of the Year Award|Executive of the Year]]:''' [[Rod Thorn]], [[New Jersey Nets]]
*'''[[NBA Sportsmanship Award|Sportsmanship Award]]:''' [[Steve Smith (basketball)|Steve Smith]], [[San Antonio Spurs]]
{{col-begin|width=99%}}
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''[[All-NBA First Team]]:'''
**F – [[Tracy McGrady]], [[Orlando Magic]]
**F – [[Tim Duncan]], [[San Antonio Spurs]]
**C – [[Shaquille O'Neal]], [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
**G – [[Kobe Bryant]], [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
**G – [[Jason Kidd]], [[New Jersey Nets]]
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''All-NBA Second Team:'''
**F – [[Kevin Garnett]], [[Minnesota Timberwolves]]
**F – [[Chris Webber]], [[Sacramento Kings]]
**C – [[Dirk Nowitzki]], [[Dallas Mavericks]]
**G – [[Gary Payton]], [[Seattle SuperSonics]]
**G – [[Allen Iverson]], [[Philadelphia 76ers]]
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''All-NBA Third Team'''
**F – [[Jermaine O'Neal]], [[Indiana Pacers]]
**F – [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
**C – [[Dikembe Mutombo]], [[Philadelphia 76ers]]
**G – [[Paul Pierce]], [[Boston Celtics]]
**G – [[Steve Nash]], [[Dallas Mavericks]]
{{col-end}}
{{col-begin|width=66%}}
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''[[NBA All-Defensive First Team]]:'''
**F – [[Tim Duncan]], [[San Antonio Spurs]]
**F – [[Kevin Garnett]], [[Minnesota Timberwolves]]
**C – [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
**G – [[Gary Payton]], [[Seattle SuperSonics]]
**G – [[Jason Kidd]], [[New Jersey Nets]]
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''NBA All-Defensive Second Team'''
**F – [[Clifford Robinson (basketball, born 1966)|Clifford Robinson]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
**F – [[Bruce Bowen]], [[San Antonio Spurs]]
**C – [[Dikembe Mutombo]], [[Philadelphia 76ers]]
**G – [[Doug Christie (basketball)|Doug Christie]], [[Sacramento Kings]]
**G – [[Kobe Bryant]], [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
{{col-end}}
{{col-begin|width=66%}}
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''[[NBA All-Rookie First Team]]:'''
**[[Shane Battier]], [[Memphis Grizzlies]]
**[[Pau Gasol]], [[Memphis Grizzlies]]
**[[Andrei Kirilenko]], [[Utah Jazz]]
**[[Tony Parker]], [[San Antonio Spurs]]
**[[Jason Richardson]], [[Golden State Warriors]]
{{col-break|width=33%}}
*'''All-Rookie Second Team:'''
**[[Eddie Griffin (basketball)|Eddie Griffin]], [[Houston Rockets]]
**[[Richard Jefferson]], [[New Jersey Nets]]
**[[Joe Johnson (basketball)|Joe Johnson]], [[Phoenix Suns]]
**[[Vladimir Radmanović]], [[Seattle SuperSonics]]
**[[Željko Rebrača]], [[Detroit Pistons]]
**[[Jamaal Tinsley]], [[Indiana Pacers]]
{{col-end}}
===Players of the month===
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Month
!Eastern Conference
!Western Conference
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|1}}October – November
|{{sortname|Jason|Kidd}} ([[New Jersey Nets]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Kobe|Bryant}} ([[Los Angeles Lakers]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|2}}December
|{{sortname|Paul|Pierce}} ([[Boston Celtics]]) <small>(1/2)</small><br>{{sortname|Antoine|Walker}} ([[Boston Celtics]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Tim|Duncan}} ([[San Antonio Spurs]]) <small>(1/2)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|3}}January
|{{sortname|Allen|Iverson}} ([[Philadelphia 76ers]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Chris|Webber}} ([[Sacramento Kings]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|4}}February
|{{sortname|Tracy|McGrady}} ([[Orlando Magic]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Kevin|Garnett}} ([[Minnesota Timberwolves]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|5}}March
|{{sortname|Ben|Wallace|dab=basketball}} ([[Detroit Pistons]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Shawn|Marion}} ([[Phoenix Suns]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|6}}April
|{{sortname|Paul|Pierce}} ([[Boston Celtics]]) <small>(2/2)</small>
|{{sortname|Tim|Duncan}} ([[San Antonio Spurs]]) <small>(2/2)</small>
|}
===Rookies of the month===
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Month
!Eastern Conference
!Western Conference
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|1}}October – November
|{{sortname|Jamaal|Tinsley}} ([[Indiana Pacers]]) <small>(1/2)</small>
|{{sortname|Pau|Gasol}} ([[Memphis Grizzlies]]) <small>(1/3)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|2}}December
|{{sortname|Brendan|Haywood}} ([[Washington Wizards]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Shane|Battier}} ([[Memphis Grizzlies]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|3}}January
|{{sortname|Richard|Jefferson}} ([[New Jersey Nets]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Pau|Gasol}} ([[Memphis Grizzlies]]) <small>(2/3)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|4}}February
|{{sortname|Trenton|Hassell}} ([[Chicago Bulls]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Jason|Richardson}} ([[Golden State Warriors]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|5}}March
|{{sortname|Jamaal|Tinsley}} ([[Indiana Pacers]]) <small>(2/2)</small>
|{{sortname|Pau|Gasol}} ([[Memphis Grizzlies]]) <small>(3/3)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|6}}April
|{{sortname|Željko|Rebrača}} ([[Detroit Pistons]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|{{sortname|Gilbert|Arenas}} ([[Golden State Warriors]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|}
===Coaches of the month===
The following coaches were named Coaches of the Month.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Month
!Coach
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|1}}October – November
|{{sortname|Larry|Brown|dab=basketball}} ([[Philadelphia 76ers]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|2}}December
|{{sortname|Doug|Collins|Doug Collins (basketball)}} ([[Washington Wizards]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|3}}January
|{{sortname|Rick|Adelman}} ([[Sacramento Kings]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|4}}February
|{{sortname|Rick|Carlisle}} ([[Detroit Pistons]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|5}}March
|{{sortname|Gregg|Popovich}} ([[San Antonio Spurs]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|-
|align=center|{{Hs|5}}April
|{{sortname|Lenny|Wilkens}} ([[Toronto Raptors]]) <small>(1/1)</small>
|}
==See also==
* [[List of NBA regular season records]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{NBA seasons|2002}}
{{2001–02 NBA season by team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2001-02 Nba Season}}
[[Category:2001–02 NBA season| ]]
[[Category:2001–02 in American basketball by league|NBA]]
[[Category:2001–02 in Canadian basketball]]
| |||