2002–03 Atlanta Hawks season
| 2002–03 Atlanta Hawks season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Lon Kruger Terry Stotts |
| Arena | Philips Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 35–47 (.427) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Central) Conference: 11th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WUPA Fox Sports Net South Turner South |
| Radio | WCNN |
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 54th season for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association, and their 35th season in Atlanta, Georgia. The city of Atlanta hosted the 2003 NBA All-Star Game at the Philips Arena this season. During the off-season, the Hawks acquired All-Star forward Glenn Robinson from the Milwaukee Bucks. However, DerMarr Johnson missed the entire regular season due to a broken neck sustained from an off-season car accident.
With the addition of Robinson, and Theo Ratliff playing his first full season with the team, the Hawks would get off to a 6–4 start to the regular season, which included a road win over the 3-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, 95–83 at the Staples Center on November 12. However, the team would proceed to struggle, as head coach Lon Kruger was fired after Christmas with the team holding an 11–16 record. Under replacement Terry Stotts, the Hawks lost 12 of their next 15 games, including two six-game losing streaks in December and January, and held a 19–30 record at the All-Star break. Despite winning six of their final eight games in April, the team finished in fifth place in the Central Division with a 35–47 record.
Robinson averaged 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while Shareef Abdur-Rahim averaged 19.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and Jason Terry provided the team with 17.2 points, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. In addition, Dion Glover contributed 9.7 points per game, while Ratliff provided 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and a team-leading 3.2 blocks per game, and Ira Newble contributed 7.7 points per game.
The Hawks finished 28th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 528,655 at the Philips Arena, which was the second-lowest during the regular season. Following the season, Robinson was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after just one season in Atlanta, while Newble signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Johnson and Emanual Davis were both released to free agency.