Jason Terry is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 19 seasons. He was born on September 15, 1977, in Seattle, Washington, and attended Franklin High School. Terry played college basketball at the University of Arizona, where he was named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1999.
Terry was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 10th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft. He played for the Hawks for five seasons, where he established himself as a reliable scorer and three-point shooter. In 2003, he was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first player in Hawks history to win the award.
In 2004, Terry was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played for eight seasons. He played a key role in the Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals in 2006, where they lost to the Miami Heat in six games. Terry was named to the NBA All-Star team in 2005 and 2006 and was a key contributor to the Mavericks' 2011 NBA championship team. In the Finals, he averaged 18 points per game and made 18 three-pointers, including a crucial one in the final minutes of Game 6 that helped seal the victory.
After his time with the Mavericks, Terry played for several other teams, including the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and Milwaukee Bucks. He continued to be a reliable scorer and three-point shooter, and he was known for his leadership and veteran presence in the locker room.
Terry retired from the NBA in 2018 and immediately joined the coaching staff of the University of Arizona, his alma mater. He served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named the head coach of the Grand Rapids Gold, the NBA G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, in 2021.
Throughout his career, Terry was known for his work ethic, his ability to score from anywhere on the court, and his clutch performances in big moments. He finished his career with 18,881 points, 3,098 assists, and 2,282 three-pointers made, which ranks third all-time in NBA history. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2000.
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