Terry Catledge facts for kids

Terry DeWayne Catledge, born on August 22, 1963, is a former American basketball player. He was a tall player, standing 6 feet 8 inches (203 cm) tall, and played as a power forward. He played college basketball at the University of South Alabama. After college, he spent eight seasons (from 1985 to 1993) playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, and Orlando Magic.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Terry Catledge grew up in Houston, Mississippi. He went to Houston High School, where he was a star basketball player. During his time there, he was amazing on the court. He averaged 31 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocked shots per game.

College Career Highlights

Terry first joined the University of South Alabama in April 1981. However, he felt homesick and went back to Houston. He then enrolled at Itawamba Junior College for a short time. He returned to South Alabama in September, but because of the transfer, he lost one year of playing eligibility.

Despite this, Terry had a fantastic college career. In his three seasons at South Alabama, he averaged 21.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year twice (in 1984 and 1985). He was also chosen for the First-team All-Sun Belt three times (from 1983 to 1985).

In 1985, the University of South Alabama honored him by retiring his jersey number, 23. This means no other player on the team can wear that number again. In 1999, he was also added to the South Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing in the NBA

After his successful college career, Terry Catledge was picked by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft. He was the 21st player chosen overall.

In his first year, he played alongside famous players like Charles Barkley. Terry averaged 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, his playing time increased because another star player, Moses Malone, was injured. Terry stepped up, averaging 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. He even scored 27 points in a key playoff game against the Washington Bullets.

In June 1986, Terry was traded to the Washington Bullets. He played three seasons with them, averaging 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds.

In 1989, a new team called the Orlando Magic was formed. They picked Terry Catledge as their fifth choice in the 1989 NBA expansion draft. During the 1989-1990 season, Terry was a top player for the Magic. He led the team with a career-high average of 19.4 points per game. After four seasons with the Magic, Terry decided to leave the team in October 1993. This was because he was getting less playing time as the team focused on younger players.

Later Career Teams

After leaving the NBA, Terry continued his basketball career around the world.

• In October 1993, he played for Pau-Orthez in France. He played in two games, averaging 20 points and 6 rebounds, before returning to the U.S.
• He then joined the Oklahoma City Cavalry in the Continental Basketball Association.
• In 1994, he played for the Mississippi Coast Gamblers in the United States Basketball League. In his first game, he scored an amazing 44 points! He averaged 33 points per game that season.
• Terry also played for Aris in Greece for a short time in 1994.
• Later, he joined the Shreveport Crawdads (who later became the Shreveport Storm). He played 10 games for the Crawdads, averaging 20.7 points and 8.9 rebounds.
• In 1996, he played for Atenas de Córdoba in Argentina. He played five games, averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Terry Catledge had a long and exciting basketball career, playing for many teams both in the NBA and around the world.

See also

In Spanish: Terry Catledge para niños