2002–03 Toronto Raptors season

The 2002–03 Toronto Raptors season was the eighth season for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Raptors acquired Lamond Murray from the Cleveland Cavaliers, acquired Lindsey Hunter from the Los Angeles Lakers, and signed free agents Voshon Lenard and Jelani McCoy. However, Murray suffered a preseason right foot injury, and would miss the entire regular season.

Early into the regular season, Vince Carter re-injured his left knee, and only played just 43 games this season. The Raptors played around .500 in winning percentage with a 4–4 start to the season, but then posted a six-game losing streak afterwards, and then suffered a 12-game losing streak between December and January. In January, the Raptors signed free agent Rafer Alston, as the team later on held a 14–34 record at the All-Star break. The Raptors lost their final eight games of the season, finishing in seventh place in the Central Division with a disappointing 24–58 record.

Carter averaged 20.6 points per game, while Lenard averaged 14.3 points per game, and Morris Peterson provided the team with 14.1 points per game, and also led them with 116 three-point field goals. In addition, Antonio Davis provided with 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Alvin Williams contributed 13.2 points, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and Jerome Williams averaged 9.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Meanwhile, Hunter contributed 9.7 points per game, but only played just 29 games due to injury, Alston provided with 7.8 points and 4.1 assists per game, McCoy averaged 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and second-year forward Michael Bradley averaged 5.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Carter was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Carter was voted as the starting shooting guard for the Eastern Conference, but later on gave his starting spot to All-Star guard Michael Jordan of the Washington Wizards. The Raptors finished tenth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 777,507 at the Air Canada Centre during the regular season.

Following the season, Lenard re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Denver Nuggets, while Hunter was traded back to his former team, the Detroit Pistons, and head coach Lenny Wilkens resigned after three seasons with the Raptors.