2002–03 Washington Wizards season

The 2002–03 Washington Wizards season was the 42nd season for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association, and their 30th season in Washington, D.C.. This also marked the 15th and final season for All-Star guard, and NBA legend Michael Jordan, who retired for the third and final time at the age of 40. During the off-season, the Wizards acquired All-Star guard Jerry Stackhouse from the Detroit Pistons, and signed free agents Larry Hughes, Bryon Russell, and Charles Oakley. Retired All-Star center Patrick Ewing was hired as the team's assistant coach.

With the addition of Stackhouse and Hughes, the Wizards got off to a promising 6–4 start to the regular season, but then fell below .500 in winning percentage by posting a six-game losing streak afterwards. The team posted a five-game winning streak between December and January, and later on held a 24–25 record at the All-Star break. However, the Wizards lost 8 of their final 11 games of the season, and finished in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 37–45 record, which was the same record as the previous season, as the team missed the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

Stackhouse averaged 21.5 points and 4.5 assists per game, while Jordan finished second on the team in scoring averaging 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and Hughes provided the team with 12.8 points and 1.3 steals per game. In addition, Tyronn Lue contributed 8.6 points and 3.5 assists per game, while Christian Laettner provided with 8.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and second-year forward Kwame Brown averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, rookie point guard Juan Dixon contributed 6.4 points per game, but only played just 42 games due to injury, second-year center Brendan Haywood averaged 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Russell provided with 4.5 points per game.

Jordan played his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in a 107–87 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the First Union Center. During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Jordan was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his 14th and final All-Star selection. Jordan scored 20 points despite only making 9 out of 27 field-goal attempts; however, the Eastern Conference lost to the Western Conference in double-overtime, 155–145.

The Wizards finished second in the NBA in home-game attendance behind the Detroit Pistons, with an attendance of 827,093 at the MCI Center during the regular season. Following the season, Russell signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Lue signed with the Orlando Magic, Oakley was released to free agency, and head coach Doug Collins was fired after two seasons with the Wizards. (See 2002–03 Washington Wizards season#Regular season)