2003-04 Nba Season Article Index for
2003-04
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2003-04 Nba Season




The 2003-04 NBA season was the 58th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Detroit Pistons upsetting the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the 2004 NBA Finals .


NOTABLE OCCURRENCES

  • The Houston Rockets play their first game at the Toyota Center .

  • The All-Star Game was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California . The West won 136-132; Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal is named Most Valuable Player.

  • The Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets , and Cleveland Cavaliers introduced new team uniforms.

  • Prior to the start of the season, Karl Malone and Gary Payton took major paycuts to leave their teams and join Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal on the Lakers for a chance at a possible NBA title; that title chase came to an end in the NBA Finals, as the Detroit Pistons won 4-1. Due to the star power on the Lakers' team (four potential Hall of Famers), this series is sometimes referred to as the "first five game sweep".

  • Behind their "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett , Latrell Sprewell , and Sam Cassell , the Minnesota Timberwolves amassed the best record in the Western Conference, and were expected to finally win a first round playoff series. They won two and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, which they lost to the Lakers.

  • Scoring in the league reached an all-time low. Many teams recorded their franchise lows in several scoring categories.

  • LeBron James (1st overall to Cleveland), Carmelo Anthony (3rd overall to Denver), Chris Bosh (4th overall to Toronto), and Dwyane Wade (5th overall to Miami), among others, form one of the strongest drafts in NBA history. Among the highly touted rookies, Anthony and Wade led their teams to the playoffs, and Wade's play pushed the Heat into the second round. James went on to win NBA Rookie Of The Year .



FINAL STANDINGS


Eastern Conference

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  Before 2002-03 NBA Season
  After 2004-05 NBA Season
  Title NBA Seasons
  Years 2003-04