2002–03 Denver Nuggets season

NBA professional basketball team season August 2023 March 2026 Denver Nuggets 2003 17 65 Midwest 7 14 Jeff Bzdelik Kiki VanDeWeghe Stan Kroenke Pepsi Center Did not qualify DEN KTVD Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain KKFN The 2002–03 Denver Nuggets season was the 27th season for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association, and their 36th season as a franchise. Denver Nuggets Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/ August 6, 2026 Season summary Off-season The Nuggets received the fifth overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected power forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili from the Republic of Georgia. Lago Joe Rockets Make Yao Ming First Overall Pick ESPN June 26, 2002 https://www.espn.com/nbadraft/story?id=1399417 January 14, 2022 Passan Jeff Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft The Washington Post June 26, 2002 https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2002/06/27/rockets-select-yao-no-1-overall-in-draft/514fd892-fe37-4595-aed2-c42c53b509fb/ July 15, 2022 2002 NBA Draft Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2002.html December 1, 2022 During the off-season, the team acquired Marcus Camby, and Brazilian rookie power forward, and first-round draft pick Nenê Hilario from the New York Knicks on draft day, Western Conference: Team-by-Team Preview The New York Times October 28, 2002 https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/28/sports/basketball/teambyteam-preview-2002102890660337665.html July 16, 2022 acquired second-year guard Rodney White from the Detroit Pistons, signed free agents Mark Blount, and undrafted rookie point guard Junior Harrington, and acquired Chris Whitney from the Washington Wizards. The team also hired Jeff Bzdelik as their new head coach. Regular season Under Bzdelik and with the addition of Nenê, Camby and White, the Nuggets struggled losing nine of their first eleven games of the regular season. The team won three straight games afterwards, but then lost 15 of their next 16 games, which included a 10-game losing streak in December. Also in December, the team traded James Posey to the Houston Rockets in a three-team trade. Nuggets, Rockets, 76ers Agree to 3-Way Trade Arizona Daily Sun December 18, 2002 https://azdailysun.com/nuggets-rockets-76ers-agree-to-3-way-trade/article_df6c9f6c-533b-5bbb-b916-24583a16af95.html June 22, 2022 The Nuggets posted a seven-game losing streak between January and February, and held a 12–37 record at the All-Star break. NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003 Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/?month=2&day=6&year=2003 February 9, 2026 At mid-season, the team traded Blount back to his former team, the Boston Celtics, in exchange for Shammond Williams in February, while Whitney was released to free agency, and signed with the Orlando Magic for the remainder of the season. The Nuggets suffered a 14-game losing streak between February and March, and lost their final eight games of the season, finishing in last place in the Midwest Division with a league-worst 17–65 record, which was tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished with the same record this season. 2002–03 Denver Nuggets Schedule and Results Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/2003_games.html January 14, 2022 It was also the franchise's worst record since the 1997–98 season, as the team missed the NBA playoffs for the eighth consecutive year. Juwan Howard averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Nenê averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and Williams provided the team with 9.4 points and 5.1 assists per game in 27 games after the trade. In addition, White contributed 9.0 points per game, while Donnell Harvey provided with 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and Camby averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, but only played just 29 games due to injury. Meanwhile, rookie small forward, and second-round draft pick Vincent Yarbrough contributed 6.9 points per game, second-year center Chris Andersen averaged 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, Harrington contributed 5.1 points and 3.4 assists per game, Tskitishvili contributed 3.9 points per game, but struggled only shooting .293 in field-goal percentage, and Ryan Bowen provided with 3.9 points per game. 2002–03 Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/2003.html January 14, 2022 During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Nenê was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team. Basketball The Madison Courier February 8, 2003 A8 https://books.google.com/books?id=KbpJAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5&dq=2003+NBA+All-Star+Rosters&article_id=6980,3744966&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjUp7Pcs6-SAxUnmIkEHXTXEisQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q=2003%20NBA%20All-Star%20Rosters&f=false January 28, 2026 2003 NBA Rising Stars: Sophomores 132, Rookies 112 Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_2003_rookie.html January 28, 2026 He also finished in sixth place in Rookie of the Year voting. 2002–03 NBA Awards Voting Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2003.html February 9, 2026 The Nuggets finished 25th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 607,813 at the Pepsi Center during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league. 2002–03 NBA Season Summary Basketball-Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2003.html February 9, 2026 Aftermath Following the season, Howard signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic, and Williams, Harvey and Harrington were all released to free agency. Draft picks 2002 NBA draft Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 5 Nikoloz Tskitishvili F/C 1 25 Frank Williams PG Illinois 2 33 Vincent Yarbrough SF Tennessee Roster Denver Nuggets 2002–03 #002147 #C39953 #A50021 #FFFFFF 15 Chris Andersen C/F 6 10 230 Blinn 32 Ryan Bowen F/G 6 7 215 Iowa yes 23 Marcus Camby C/F 6 11 220 Massachusetts 21 Adam Harrington basketball G 6 5 200 Auburn 6 Junior Harrington Lorinza Harrington G 6 4 180 Wingate 1 Donnell Harvey F 6 8 220 Florida 5 Juwan Howard F/C 6 9 240 Michigan 31 Nenê C/F 6 11 260 Brazil 4 Predrag Savović G 6 6 225 Hawaii yes 20 Jeff Trepagnier G 6 4 200 USC 22 Nikoloz Tskitishvili F 7 0 225 Georgia (country)Republic of Georgia 7 Rodney White F/G 6 9 238 Charlotte 11 Shammond Williams G 6 1 201 North Carolina 3 Vincent Yarbrough G 6 7 210 Tennessee Jeff Bzdelik (UIC) Jarinn Akana (Hawaii) Bill Branch (Lenoir-Rhyne) (assistant coach/scout) T. R. Dunn (Alabama) John MacLeod (Bellarmine) Mark Randall (Kansas) (player development) https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DEN/2003.html Roster notes Point guard Shammond Williams holds American and Georgian dual citizenship. He played for the Georgian national team although he was born in the United States. Regular season Season standings DEN DEN z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot Game log January 2011 Player statistics Regular season Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPGJuwan Howard777735.5.450.500.8037.63.01.00.418.4James Posey252434.9.373.273.8435.83.11.20.214.1Nenê805328.2.519.000.5786.11.91.60.810.5Chris Whitney292026.3.360.336.8071.64.30.60.09.6Shammond Williams27926.4.390.363.6672.35.10.60.19.4Rodney White721921.7.408.239.7843.01.70.60.49.0Donnell Harvey772720.9.446.143.6705.31.30.60.47.9Marcus Camby29921.2.410.400.6607.21.60.71.47.6Vincent Yarbrough593923.4.393.269.7902.72.21.00.66.9Devin Brown3223.7.280.000.6673.71.71.30.36.0Kenny Satterfield22619.1.309.179.6961.62.40.80.15.6Jeff Trepagnier8012.1.425.5001.0002.00.81.00.05.6Mark Blount542416.4.393.7173.40.60.40.95.2Chris Andersen59315.4.400.000.5504.60.50.51.05.2Junior Harrington825124.4.362.250.6523.03.41.00.25.1Nikoloz Tskitishvili811616.3.293.243.7382.21.10.40.43.9Ryan Bowen623116.1.492.286.6592.50.91.00.53.6John Crotty12015.0.341.308.6001.32.40.30.03.4Adam Harrington6012.3.350.364.5001.01.70.20.03.2Predrag Savović2709.5.312.154.7240.90.80.50.03.1Mark Bryant304.7.000.5000.70.70.00.00.3 Player statistics citation: Awards and records Nenê, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team Transactions January 2011 References See also 2002-03 NBA season Category:Denver Nuggets seasons Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets Denver Nug