The 2002–03 NBA season was the Wizards' 42nd season in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Wizards acquired All-Star guard Jerry Stackhouse from the Detroit Pistons while signing free agents Larry Hughes, Bryon Russell and Charles Oakley. The Wizards got off to a 6–4 start to the season, but then struggled losing six straight games afterwards. The team played around .500 for the first half of the season, winning five straight games with a record of 18–17 as of January 8. However, with a 29–29 record, the Wizards lost 16 of their final 24 games, and finished fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 37–45 record, which was the same record as the previous season. Following the season, Michael Jordan retired for the third and final time in his career. He made his final All-Star appearance in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta. Also following the season, Oakley was released, and Russell signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jordan announced he would return for the 2002–03 season, and this time he was determined to be equipped with reinforcements, as he traded for All-Star Jerry Stackhouse and signed budding star Larry Hughes. Jordan even accepted a sixth-man role on the bench in order for his knee to survive the rigors of an 82-game season. However, a combination of numerous team injuries and uninspired play led to Jordan’s return to the starting lineup, where he tried to rebound the franchise from its early-season struggles. The move led to mixed results, as several of Jordan’s younger teammates complained about playing in Jordan’s shadow and his unfair expectations of them. By the end of the season, the Wizards finished with a 37-45 record once again. Jordan ended the season as the only Wizard to play in all 82 games, as he averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes per game.

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