2001–02 Washington Wizards season

The 2001–02 NBA season was the Wizards' 41st season in the National Basketball Association.^[1] This season is most memorable for the return of All-Star guard and six-time champion Michael Jordan, who came out of his second retirement to play for the Wizards.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} After finishing 19–63 the previous season, the Wizards won the draft lottery,^[7][8] and selected high school basketball star Kwame Brown with the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} The team also signed free agent Tyronn Lue, who previously won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers,^[14][15] and acquired rookie center Brendan Haywood from the Orlando Magic,^[16] and acquired rookie guard Bobby Simmons from the Seattle SuperSonics. The Wizards hired head coach Doug Collins, who coached Jordan and the Chicago Bulls from 1986 to 1989.^{[17][18][19][20]} Jordan would also reunite with former Dream Team member Christian Laettner from the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.^[21][22]

2001–02 Washington Wizards season
Head coach	Doug Collins
General manager	Wes Unseld
President	Wes Unseld
Owner(s)	Abe Pollin
Arena	MCI Center
Results
Record	37–45 (.451)
Place	Division: 5th (Atlantic) Conference: 10th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
Radio	WTEM
< 2000–01 2002–03 >

Under Collins, the Wizards struggled with a 2–9 start to the season posting an 8-game losing streak in November, but then posted a nine-game winning streak in December, holding a 26–21 record before the All-Star break.^[23] However, they lost 14 of their next 17 games, as Jordan suffered a knee injury and was out for the remainder of the season after 60 games.^{[24][25][26][27]} The Wizards finished the season fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 37–45 record, which was an 18-game improvement.^[28]

However, they still missed the playoffs even with the help of Jordan, who averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^{[29][30][31][32][33]} In addition, Richard Hamilton finished second on the team in scoring, averaging 20.0 points per game, but only played 63 games due to a groin injury,^{[34][35][36][37]} while three-point specialist Chris Whitney provided the team with 10.2 points and 3.8 assists per game, second-year guard Courtney Alexander contributed 9.8 points per game, and Popeye Jones led the team with 7.3 rebounds per game. Brown failed to live up to expectations, only averaging just 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game off the bench.^[38]

Following the season, Hamilton was traded along with Hubert Davis to the Detroit Pistons,^{[39][40][41][42]} while Whitney was traded to the Denver Nuggets,^[43][44] Alexander was dealt to the New Orleans Hornets,^[45][46] Jones re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Dallas Mavericks,^[47][48] and Tyrone Nesby was released to free agency.

Offseason

During the off-season, the team fired head coach Leonard Hamilton and replaced him with Doug Collins.

On July 18, the Wizards signed Tyronn Lue, who would be Chris Whitney's backup during the season. A week later, the team waived forward Michael Smith.

On August 1, the Wizards traded Laron Profit and a 2005 1st round draft pick to the Orlando Magic for Brendan Haywood. Haywood would play with the Wizards for almost nine years, until he was traded in February 2010.

On September 25, the Wizards signed Michael Jordan. At 38 years old, Jordan would be the team's points-per-game leader during the season. He also led the team in assists per game.

On October 8, the Wizards waived small forward Mike Smith.

On October 24, the team released Kornél Dávid.

^[49]

NBA draft

Main article: 2001 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	1	Kwame Brown	Center	United States	Glynn Academy (Brunswick, GA)

Roster

2001–02 Washington Wizards roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From SG 4 Alexander, Courtney 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1977–04–27 Fresno State PF 5 Brown, Kwame 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 270 lb (122 kg) 1982–03–10 Glynn Academy (GA) SG 24 Davis, Hubert 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1970–05–17 North Carolina SG 32 Hamilton, Richard 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1978–02–14 Connecticut C 3 Haywood, Brendan 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 268 lb (122 kg) 1979–11–27 North Carolina PF 54 Jones, Popeye 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1970–06–17 Murray State SF 23 Jordan, Michael 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1963–02–17 North Carolina PF 44 Laettner, Christian 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1969–08–17 Duke PG 10 Lue, Tyronn 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1977–05–03 Nebraska SF 8 Nesby, Tyrone 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1976–01–31 UNLV SF 21 Simmons, Bobby 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1980–06–02 DePaul C 36 Thomas, Etan 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 256 lb (116 kg) 1978–04–01 Syracuse C 55 White, Jahidi 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 290 lb (132 kg) 1976–02–19 Georgetown PG 12 Whitney, Chris 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 168 lb (76 kg) 1971–10–05 Clemson

Head coach Doug Collins Assistant coach(es) Johnny Bach Larry Drew Brian James Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

After retiring from the Chicago Bulls in early 1999, Michael Jordan became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner in January 2000. In September 2001, after divesting himself of any ownership of the team due to NBA rules, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play basketball for the Washington Wizards. Jordan stated that he was returning for the love of the game, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks.^[50][51] Jordan was heading into his return dealing with tendinitis in his wrist and both of his knees, from which he would have fluid drained multiple times throughout the season. In addition, during a pickup game before the season, Ron Artest broke two of Jordan's ribs.^[52] The Wizards finished with the third worst record at 19–63 the previous season, their worst season in franchise history, and started the new season with a 2–9 record. However, they would then go on to have a nine-game winning streak and improve their record to 14–12.^[1]

On December 27, in a blowout 81–108 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Jordan scored only 6 points on 20% shooting in 25 minutes,^[53] ending his 866-game streak with at least 10 points.^[54] This poor performance and reduced minutes led Jordan to question his coach Doug Collins' faith in his abilities, asking him whether he could still play. In the next two games, Jordan scored 51 and 45 points, respectively, to start a four-win streak.^[55][56][57] In the first game against the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan scored 51 points on 55% shooting and added 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a 107–90 win.^[58] The second game was against the New Jersey Nets, who would go on to be in the 2002 NBA Finals, and Jordan added 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals to 45 points on 50% shooting in a 98–76 win.^[59] With these performances, Jordan became the only player in NBA history to score 50 points in three different decades, and at the time he was also the oldest player to score 50 points at 38 years, 315 days.^[60]

After a four-win streak, the Wizards entered a four-loss streak and continued to have a 50% winning pace. At the end of January 2002, Jordan recorded two back-to-back 40-points game, including a game-winning buzzer beater over the Cleveland Cavaliers, resulting in two wins and a 21–20 record.^[55] Before the All-Star break, Jordan was only one of two players, along with Kobe Bryant, to average more than 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, as he led the Wizards to a 26–21 record, and the only player and oldest to average more than 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists (Tracy McGrady would become the only player to average at least 25–6–5 by the end of the 2001–02 season). In total, Jordan was averaging per game 25.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 42.1% shooting.^[54] In addition, the Wizards had a winning record of 26–21 and were in playoff contention, as they were seeded 5th on a 5-game win streak and had won 7 out of the latest 8 games.^[1]

In the last game before the All-Star break, Jordan suffered a knee injury in a collision with Etan Thomas on February 7 against the Sacramento Kings.^[61] In the 46 games that Jordan played before the injury, he averaged per game 25.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 42% shooting. Jordan's numbers were also improving as the season went on, as in his last 20 games up to the injury he averaged per game 27.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 44% shooting, and in his last 10 games up to the injury he averaged per game 29.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks on 47% shooting.^[54] Before the injury, Jordan was considered an MVP contender at the age of 38 for what could have been a record-tying 6th MVP award;^[62][63] he would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot won by Tim Duncan.^[64]

The Wizards would lose 9 of their next 10 games following Jordan's knee injury. In the Wizards' 26–21 stretch, Richard Hamilton, the best scorer after Jordan, missed 5 weeks of playing time due to a groin injury.^[65] Starting with a November 28 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Wizards were 15–1 in the last 16 games that Jordan and Hamilton played together prior to Jordan's injury on February 7; no team had gone from less than 20 wins to 50 wins or a winning record the following season. At the time, the Wizards were on a 45-win pace (46–47 wins if considering the 26–20 record when Jordan played) and could have reached 50 wins had both Jordan and Hamilton stayed healthy throughout the season, even with a slow 2–9 start.^[66] In addition, the Wizards had the second worst defense in the league in terms of opponents' points allowed per game but with Jordan, the only significant addition to the roster, the Wizard became the sixth best defense, allowing only 92.2 points per game and only 90.0 points per game in the last 35 games before Jordan's injury, further improving to become the third best defense. With both Jordan and Hamilton in the 26–21 stretch, the Wizards had the best defense with 86.3 points allowed per game, 2.4 points less than the best defense throughout the season, the Miami Heat. After Jordan's injury, the Wizards allowed 96.8 points per game, falling to 19th place.^[1]

After the All-Star break, Jordan's knee could not handle the workload of a full-season, as he ended the season on the injured list due to knee soreness.^[67] Although Jordan tried to play through the pain and on reduced minutes in the next 4 games and then the next 3, he was not the same and the Wizards went 1–7. Jordan's torn cartilage right knee injury and its aftermath knee soreness and losing streak moved the Wizards away from playoff contention. After 14 more games, Jordan had arthroscopic knee surgery and his season ended after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season.^[54] Jordan started 53 of his 60 games for the season, averaging 24.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and shooting 41.9% from the field in his 53 starts, achieving a 30–30 record and 8 double-doubles. His last seven appearances were in a reserve role, in which he averaged just over 20 minutes per game.^[54] After going 26–20 (0.565 win%) in the 46 games that Jordan played pre-injury, the Wizards went 11–25 (0.306 win%) in the games that he missed and played after injury, finishing the season with a 37–45 record for 10th place in the East.^[1] Still, Jordan had led the Wizards to an 18-win improvement from the previous season.^[64]

The immediate impact of Jordan's presence was seen on the Wizards' popularity and media presence. The team that ranked 18th in NBA home attendance and 26th in road one rose to third and second respectively, selling out every game at the MCI Center and only failing to do so in the three away games following Jordan's injury. Ratings rose on NBC, TNT and foreign cable.^[68][69] Chris Whitney was the only Wizard player to play all 82 games while Popeye Jones, Jordan, and Brendan Haywood had the best average for rebounds, assists, and blocks at 7.3, 5.2, and 1.5, respectively. Jordan also led the team in steals at 1.4 and points at 22.9, with only Hamilton also scoring at least 20 points. Kwame Brown, the number-one draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft, averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.^[1] His subpar performance as a first-overall draft pick has led many analysts to label Brown as one of the "biggest busts" in NBA history.^[70][71]

Standings

Atlantic Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-New Jersey Nets	52	30	.634	–	33–8	19–22	16–8
x-Boston Celtics	49	33	.598	3	27–14	22–19	17–7
x-Orlando Magic	44	38	.537	8	27–14	17–24	12–12
x-Philadelphia 76ers	43	39	.524	9	22–19	21–20	14–11
Washington Wizards	37	45	.451	15	22–19	15–26	12–13
Miami Heat	36	46	.439	16	18–23	18–23	10–14
New York Knicks	30	52	.366	22	19–22	11–30	4–20

#	Eastern Conference v t e
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-New Jersey Nets	52	30	.634	–
2	y-Detroit Pistons	50	32	.610	2
3	x-Boston Celtics	49	33	.598	3
4	x-Charlotte Hornets	44	38	.537	8
5	x-Orlando Magic	44	38	.537	8
6	x-Philadelphia 76ers	43	39	.524	9
7	x-Toronto Raptors	42	40	.512	10
8	x-Indiana Pacers	42	40	.512	10
9	Milwaukee Bucks	41	41	.500	11
10	Washington Wizards	37	45	.451	15
11	Miami Heat	36	46	.439	16
12	Atlanta Hawks	33	49	.402	19
13	New York Knicks	30	52	.366	22
14	Cleveland Cavaliers	29	53	.354	23
15	Chicago Bulls	21	61	.256	31

Record vs. opponents

2001-02 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MEM	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	—	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	1–3	0–2	2–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–3
Boston	2–2	—	2–1	2–2	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	3–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–3	1–1	3–1	4–0	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–1	3–1
Charlotte	2–2	1–2	—	4–0	3–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–0	2–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	3–1
Chicago	1–3	2–2	0–4	—	1–3	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–1	2–0	0–4	0–2	2–0	1–1	1–3	2–2	0–2	0–4	3–1	0–3	1–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	1–3
Cleveland	1–3	0–4	1–3	3–1	—	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1	3–1	2–0	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–3	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–2	1–2
Dallas	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	—	4–0	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	2–2	1–3	4–0	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	3–1	1–1	3–1	1–1
Denver	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–4	—	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–2	1–3	1–3	3–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	3–1	2–2	0–4	0–4	3–1	1–1	1–3	0–2
Detroit	3–1	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	—	1–1	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–1	2–2	1–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–1	1–1	4–0
Golden State	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–4	3–1	1–1	—	1–3	0–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	0–2	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–4	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	0–2	0–4	1–1
Houston	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	3–1	—	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–3	0–2	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	2–2	1–1	2–2	1–1
Indiana	3–1	0–3	1–3	4–0	2–2	0–2	2–0	1–3	2–0	2–0	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–1	1–3	2–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–1	3–1
L.A. Clippers	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–1	2–2	3–1	1–1	—	1–3	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	0–2	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–3	1–1	0–4	1–1
L.A. Lakers	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	3–1	4–0	2–0	3–1	—	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	3–1	3–1	3–1	1–1	3–1	2–0
Memphis	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–4	1–3	0–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–3	1–3	—	1–1	0–2	0–4	0–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–1	3–1	0–2
Miami	1–3	1–3	0–3	3–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	1–2	2–0	2–0	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	—	3–1	0–2	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–0	1–3	0–2	2–2
Milwaukee	3–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	0–2	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	—	0–2	1–2	1–3	2–1	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	4–0	2–0	3–1
Minnesota	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	0–2	2–2	2–2	1–1	3–1	2–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	4–0	2–0	2–0	—	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–1	3–1	2–0
New Jersey	1–2	1–3	3–1	4–0	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–1	1–1	—	4–0	3–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	3–1
New York	3–1	0–4	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	3–1	0–2	0–4	—	0–4	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–0	1–1	1–3
Orlando	3–1	1–3	1–3	3–0	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–3	1–2	1–1	1–3	4–0	—	3–1	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–1	2–2
Philadelphia	3–1	3–1	3–1	2–1	3–0	1–1	1–1	1–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–2	3–1	1–3	—	2–0	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–2	2–3
Phoenix	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–3	1–1	4–0	2–2	1–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	—	2–2	1–3	1–3	2–2	1–1	2–2	0–2
Portland	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	2–2	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	—	2–2	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–3	2–0
Sacramento	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–3	4–0	2–0	4–0	4–0	0–2	3–1	1–3	3–1	2–0	2–0	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–2	—	3–1	2–2	2–0	4–0	1–1
San Antonio	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	4–0	2–0	4–0	4–0	1–1	3–1	1–3	4–0	1–1	0–2	2–2	0–2	2–0	2–0	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	—	2–2	1–1	4–0	2–0
Seattle	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–3	1–3	1–1	4–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	1–3	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–3	2–2	2–2	—	2–0	1–3	1–1
Toronto	4–0	2–2	2–2	4–0	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–0	1–1	3–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	0–4	1–1	2–2	0–3	1–3	3–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–2	—	1–1	1–2
Utah	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–3	3–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	1–1	4–0	1–3	1–3	2–0	0–2	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	0–4	0–4	3–1	1–1	—	2–0
Washington	3–0	1–3	1–3	3–1	2–1	1–1	2–0	0–4	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–2	1–3	0–2	1–3	3–1	2–2	3–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–1	0–2	—

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Regular season

Washington Wizards statistics

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Courtney Alexander	56	28	23.7	.470	.278	.810	2.6	1.5	.6	.1	9.8
Kwame Brown	57	3	14.3	.387	.000	.707	3.5	.8	.3	.5	4.5
Hubert Davis	51	17	24.1	.448	.452	.762	1.5	2.1	.5	.1	7.2
Richard Hamilton	63	57	35.0	.435	.381	.890	3.4	2.7	.6	.2	20.0
Brendan Haywood	62	2	20.4	.493		.606	5.2	.5	.3	1.5	5.1
Popeye Jones	79	40	24.3	.437	.364	.815	7.3	1.6	.6	.2	7.0
Michael Jordan	60	53	34.9	.416	.189	.790	5.7	5.2	1.4	.4	22.9
Christian Laettner	57	48	25.3	.464	.200	.868	5.3	2.6	1.1	.4	7.1
Tyronn Lue	71	0	20.5	.427	.447	.762	1.7	3.5	.7	.0	7.8
Tyrone Nesby	70	9	21.4	.435	.277	.688	4.5	1.3	.9	.3	6.3
Bobby Simmons	30	3	11.4	.453	.286	.733	1.7	.6	.4	.2	3.7
Etan Thomas	47	0	13.1	.536		.554	3.9	.1	.4	.7	4.3
Jahidi White	71	69	19.0	.538		.539	6.3	.2	.4	1.1	5.4
Chris Whitney	82	81	26.5	.418	.406	.880	1.9	3.8	.9	.1	10.2

Award winners

References

1. 2001-02 Washington Wizards
2. Smith, Sam (September 11, 2001). "M.J. Hints He's Returning". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
3. Wyche, Steve (September 24, 2001). "Jordan Will Return, Play for Wizards". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
4. Wise, Mike (September 25, 2001). "Jordan Makes His Return Official". The New York Times. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
5. Wyche, Steve (September 26, 2001). "Jordan Makes It Official: He's a Wizard". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
6. Wilbon, Michael (September 30, 2001). "Jordan's Electricity Will Light Up Team, City". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
7. Wyche, Steve (May 21, 2001). "Wizards Land Top Pick in Draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
8. "Wizards Win Draft Lottery". Deseret News. Associated Press. May 21, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
9. "Wizards Go Young, But Bulls Go Younger". ESPN. Associated Press. June 27, 2001. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
10. Wise, Mike (June 28, 2001). "High School Star Taken No. 1 in N.B.A. Draft". The New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
11. Denlinger, Ken (June 28, 2001). "NBA Draft Is Elementary". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
12. Brewer, Jerry (June 28, 2001). "And a Child Leads Them". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
13. "2001 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
14. Wyche, Steve (July 4, 2001). "Wizards Get Closer to Lue". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
15. "Free Agent Lue Signs with Wizards". United Press International. July 18, 2001. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
16. Wise, Mike (October 30, 2001). "PRO BASKETBALL; Jordan Against the New Generation, Lakers Against the World". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
17. "Doug Collins Hired by Wizards". United Press International. April 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
18. Berkow, Ira (April 20, 2001). "PRO BASKETBALL; Collins Would Love to Be Jordan's Coach Again". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
19. "Jordan Turns to Old Friend to Lead Struggling Wizards". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. April 20, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
20. Wyche, Steve (April 20, 2001). "Wizards Hire Collins as Head Coach". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
21. Markus, Don (October 4, 2001). "Laettner Craves Chance to Revive Career". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
22. Wyche, Steve (October 9, 2001). "Laettner in the Middle of a Turnaround". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
23. "NBA Games Played on February 7, 2002". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
24. "PRO BASKETBALL; Jordan's Knee Problems May Force Him to Sideline". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 26, 2002. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
25. Wyche, Steve (February 27, 2002). "Jordan to Have Knee Surgery". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
26. "Surgery Sidelines Jordan". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 28, 2002. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
27. Wyche, Steve (April 4, 2002). "Jordan Puts Himself on Ice". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
28. "2001–02 Washington Wizards Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
29. Broussard, Chris (February 11, 2002). "PRO BASKETBALL; As Fans Show No Love, Bryant Shows No Mercy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
30. Wyche, Steve (February 11, 2002). "Jordan's All-Star Effort Is No Slam Dunk". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
31. "2002 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
32. "2002 All-Star Weekend - at Philadelphia: February 8-10". Eskimo North. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
33. "2002 NBA All-Star Game: West 135, East 120". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
34. Wyche, Steve (December 25, 2001). "Wizards' Hamilton Could Miss 3 to 4 Weeks". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
35. Wilbon, Michael (December 25, 2001). "Injury Curse Can't Doom This Season". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
36. Markus, Don (December 25, 2001). "Wizards' Hamilton Could Miss 3-4 Weeks". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
37. Wyche, Steve (December 27, 2001). "Hamilton Is Out, and Alexander In". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
38. "2001–02 Washington Wizards Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
39. "PLUS: PRO BASKETBALL; Pistons' Stackhouse Traded to Wizards". The New York Times. September 12, 2002. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
40. "Stackhouse Goes to Wizards". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. September 12, 2002. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
41. Wyche, Steve (September 12, 2002). "Wizards Get Stackhouse from Detroit". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
42. "6-Player Deal Sends Stackhouse to Wizards". Deseret News. Associated Press. September 12, 2002. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
43. Wyche, Steve (October 25, 2002). "Whitney Traded to Nuggets". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
44. Kent, Milton (October 25, 2002). "Wizards Trade Whitney to Nuggets for McCloud". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
45. "Hornets Get Alexander for Draft Pick". United Press International. June 25, 2002. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
46. Kent, Milton (June 26, 2002). "Wizards Trade Alexander for Hornets' First-Round Pick". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
47. "Mavericks Sign Popeye Jones". United Press International. September 20, 2002. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
48. Wyche, Steve (December 23, 2002). "Mavs' Jones Eager to Help Out". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
49. "2001–02 Washington Wizards Transactions". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
50. Pollin Establishes Education Fund, National Basketball Association, September 9, 2002. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
51. News Summary, The New York Times, September 26, 2001. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
52. "Metta World Peace once broke Michael Jordan's ribs during summer pickup game". RSN. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
53. "Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers Box Score, December 27, 2001". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
54. Michael Jordan
55. "Michael Jordan 2001-02 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
56. Pincus, David (February 7, 2014). "Michael Jordan's Double-Digit Scoring Streak Was Incredible (and Almost Even Longer)". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
57. Leahy, Michael (2004). "Resurrection". When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-7648-1.
58. "Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards Box Score, December 29, 2001". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
59. "New Jersey Nets at Washington Wizards Box Score, December 31, 2001". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
60. "Jamal Crawford makes NBA history, becomes only player to have 50-point games with four different teams". NBA.com. April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
61. "USATODAY.com - Hamilton, Jordan carry Wizards past Kings". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
62. Wise, Mike (January 13, 2002). "Pro Basketball: Inside The N.B.A.; Jordan Lifts Wizards And His M.V.P. Bid". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
63. "The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland on February 2, 2002 · Page A12". Newspapers.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021. But the race for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award has a late 1980s-early 1990s feel about it, with Michael Jordan competing against a point guard. [...] But Jordan, who has returned from retirement to breathe life into the left-for-dead Washington Wizards, and Kidd, who has quarterbacked the Nets out of the mire of the Meadowlands swamps, are the odds-on favorites. [...] Jordan's return from three years of retirement has been remarkable, with five 40-point performances already. He is also rebounding and handing out assists on par with his career averages. Most importantly, his indomitable will and thirst for winning have lifted Washington into playoff contention with more wins by Jan. 24 than they had all of last season. [...] But if the Nets slip and the Wizards make the playoffs, Jordan will have earned what would be a record-tying sixth MVP.
64. Silva, Orlando (April 8, 2020). "38-Year-Old Michael Jordan Was In The MVP Race In 2002 Before Suffering A Knee Injury". Fadeaway World. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
65. "USATODAY.com - Jordan enhances story in 53 games". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
66. "Richard Hamilton 2001-02 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
67. "ESPN.com: NBA - Jordan's knee injury serious blow to Wizards". Espn.com. February 2, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
68. His playing career ends -- with frustration, betrayal and flashes of brilliance
69. When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback
70. "Biggest draft busts in NBA history". foxsports.com. October 20, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
71. "The Biggest Bust In Each NBA Draft From The 2000s". TheSportster. May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.

• Washington Wizards on Database Basketball
• Washington Wizards on Basketball Reference