The 2002–03 Phoenix Suns season was the 35th for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. Frank Johnson returned as head coach, posting eight additional wins from the previous season to finish at 44–38. The Suns returned to the playoffs after snapping a streak of 13 seasons in a row the year before, a franchise record, and were supplanted by the play of rookie high school draft pick Amar'e Stoudemire. America West Arena hosted Suns home games.

Point guard Stephon Marbury and forward Shawn Marion provided a pair of 20–20 scorers, with Marbury leading the team at 22.3 points per game. The versatile Marion finished the season third in the league in minutes played, behind Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, and third in steals per game while Marbury finished fourth in the NBA in assists per game. The 20-year-old Stoudemire was drafted to balance out a team that had been deep at the guard position in years past, averaging 13.5 points as a power forward per game and grabbing nearly nine rebounds per game (although Marion again was tops with 9.5). Marion would earn a trip to the All-Star Game and Marbury ended the season a member of the All-NBA Third Team.

The Suns earned the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot and were matched against the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs. The Suns won Game 1 on the road, 96–95, but lost the series to the eventual league champions, four games to two.

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