Though he never quite reached those lofty expectations, Finley was the perfect third option for Dallas.įrom 1998 to the early aughts, there were plenty of growing pains for the Mavericks. He was one of those anointed, along with Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill, for his explosive scoring and athleticism. He came into a league looking for its next Michael Jordan in 1995. Phoenix dealt him to the Mavs for a package that eventually yielded the pick that the Suns used to select Shawn Marion.įinley was the one many saw as a potential superstar. Nash had a couple of solid seasons in Phoenix but the Suns couldn’t see the sense in having him and Jason Kidd on the same roster. That is the now-iconic introductory press conference where Dallas not only presented Dirk to the local media but also Nash, who was their new point guard. Just watch this video of Dirk getting drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and then traded to Dallas. At the time, scouting international players wasn’t where it is now so most teams and analysts didn't quite know what to make of the wiry kid from Germany. Dirk was the fascination of the 1998 NBA Draft – a German kid that had barely any hype behind him until an eye-opening showing at the Nike showcase in Europe. This trio, in reality, was a bunch of misfits. This is when I started becoming a fan of the Mavericks (Dirk to be specific).īut it wasn’t just in the video game that they were strong. He only used three players to score: Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, and Steve Nash. Every time I would play with my big brother, I would always lose to the Dallas Mavericks. Z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot Record vs.The first ever NBA video game I played was NBA Live 2003. Roster 2002–03 Dallas Mavericks roster Players įollowing the season, Van Exel was traded to the Golden State Warriors, while LaFrentz was traded to the Boston Celtics, Adrian Griffin signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets, Bell signed with the Utah Jazz, and Williams retired. San Antonio won its second NBA Championship defeating the New Jersey Nets in six games in the Finals. However, after losing Nowitzki to a knee injury in Game 3, the Mavericks would go on to lose the series in six games. Dallas defeated the Kings in seven games to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1988, where they met their in-state rival, the San Antonio Spurs. In Game 3 at the ARCO Arena, Van Exel scored a career and playoff-high of 40 points to help the Mavericks take the series 2–1, with a 141-137 double-overtime win. It would be the "Nick Van Exel Show" as he scored 36 points to tie the series 1–1, with a 132–110 win. Although they lost Game 1 at home against the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Semi-finals, 124–113, they came back to win Game 2, where Kings captain Chris Webber suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Mavericks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in a tough seven game Western Conference First Round series. Nowitzki finished in seventh place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Van Exel finished in fourth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting. In addition, Michael Finley provided the team with 19.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while sixth man Nick Van Exel contributed 12.5 points and 4.3 assists per game off the bench, and Raef LaFrentz provided with 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Nowitzki averaged 25.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Nash averaged 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. It was the second straight All-Star appearance for both players. ĭirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash were both selected to play in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. They later held a 38–10 record at the All-Star break, and finished with a 60–22 record and lost the tie-breaker with the Spurs for the Midwest Division title. The Mavericks started the season strong by winning their first fourteen games of the season, which was one win shy of tying the NBA record set by the 1948–49 Washington Capitols and the 1993–94 Houston Rockets (15–0). During the off-season, the Mavericks signed free agents Walt Williams, and Raja Bell. The 2002–03 NBA season was the Mavericks' 23rd season in the National Basketball Association. NBA professional basketball team season 2002–03 Dallas Mavericks season
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