The 2002–03 NBA season was the Nets' 36th season in the National Basketball Association, and 27th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. During the offseason, the Nets acquired All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo from the Philadelphia 76ers and signed free agent Rodney Rogers. However, Mutombo only played just 24 games due to injury. The Nets got off a solid start with a 26–9 record, while posting a ten-game winning streak between December and January. The team finished their season first place in the Atlantic Division with a 49–33 record, while posting a successful 33–8 home record. Jason Kidd was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, leading the Nets with 18.7 points, 8.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game. In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, then swept the 6th-seeded Boston Celtics in four straight games in the semifinals, and then defeating the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in another four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For the second consecutive year, they made it to the NBA Finals. However, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in a six-game series. Following the season, Mutombo was released and signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks.

On August 1, the Nets re-signed Chris Childs as a free agent. Five days later, the organization traded Todd MacCulloch and F Keith Van Horn to the Philadelphia 76ers for Dikembe Mutombo. On August 14, the Nets signed Rodney Rogers as a free agent. On October 25, they signed Anthony Johnson as a free agent. Their final offseason transaction would come three days later, when they waived Donny Marshall.

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