Terry Cummings facts for kids

Robert Terrell “Terry” Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is a former American professional basketball player. He played for 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Terry Cummings was named Rookie of the Year. He was also chosen as an All-Star twice. He was a key player on several teams that made it to the playoffs.

College Basketball Journey

Terry Cummings was born in Chicago. He went to Carver High School. After high school, he attended DePaul University from 1979 to 1982. During his time there, he averaged 16.4 points per game in 85 games. He decided to enter the 1982 NBA draft after his college career.

NBA Career Highlights

Starting with the San Diego Clippers

Terry Cummings was picked second overall in the first round of the 1982 NBA draft. The San Diego Clippers chose him. He was drafted right after James Worthy. Before his first season, Cummings had some disagreements with the Clippers' owner, Donald Sterling. Despite this, they agreed on a four-year contract.

In his first season (1982–83), he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He averaged 23.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. These were the highest numbers of his career in those areas. Towards the end of his rookie season, he had some heart issues. This kept him out for the last two weeks. The team lost every game without him.

Becoming a Star with the Milwaukee Bucks

After his second season (1983–84), Terry was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He continued to play very well there. For four out of his five years with the Bucks, he averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds.

In the 1985 NBA playoffs, Cummings scored more points per game (29.5) than rookie Michael Jordan (29.3). The Bucks won that series 3-1. This was the only time Jordan did not lead all scorers in a playoff series he played in. The Bucks then lost in the next round.

The next season, Cummings and his teammate Sidney Moncrief helped the Bucks get a great record of 57 wins and 25 losses. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. On January 6, 1986, Cummings had 16 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 assists in a win. In the playoffs that year, he scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a sweep against the New Jersey Nets. He then led the Bucks past Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers in a tough seven-game series. Cummings scored 27 points in the final game, even with a dislocated finger. However, the Bucks lost to the Boston Celtics and did not reach the NBA Finals.

On January 9, 1987, Cummings grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds. He also scored 28 points. A week later, he had one of his best games ever. He recorded a triple-double with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also had a career-high 6 steals. In the playoffs that year, he again helped the Bucks beat Philadelphia. He averaged 21.4 points and 6.2 rebounds. The Bucks lost in 7 games to the Boston Celtics.

On March 1, 1989, Cummings scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win against the New York Knicks. As a Buck, he was chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game in 1985 and 1989.

Joining the San Antonio Spurs

Terry Cummings was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on May 28, 1989. His first season with the Spurs was amazing. With new teammate David Robinson, the Spurs went from 21 wins in 1989 to 56 wins in 1990. That season, Cummings scored a career-high 52 points in one game.

He stayed with the Spurs for six years. His scoring and rebounding numbers were still very good. He helped his team have two seasons with over 50 wins and make the playoffs. He was known as a strong power forward in the league.

In the summer of 1992, Cummings had a serious knee injury. He missed most of the next season. After his return, he could no longer play at an All-Star level. He then played a new role as a reserve player. He stayed with San Antonio until 1994–95.

Returning to the Bucks and Other Teams

In November 1995, he rejoined the Milwaukee Bucks. He played 81 games, averaging 8.0 points in 21 minutes per game.

In January 1997, he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics. He helped the Sonics reach the Western Conference Semi-finals. They lost to the Houston Rockets in 7 games.

He then signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in September 1997. He played 44 games for them.

In February 1998, he was traded to the New York Knicks. He played 30 games for the Knicks that season.

Before the 1999 season, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. He played two seasons for the Warriors. He retired from basketball after the 1999–2000 season. In his final season, even at 38 years old and with injuries, he averaged 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game.

Career Summary

In his 18 seasons, Terry Cummings scored 19,460 points. This places him among the top NBA all-time regular-season scoring leaders. He finished his career averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He played in 1,183 games.

Personal Life and Interests

When Terry Cummings was growing up, he actually wanted to be a professional hockey player! He didn't start playing competitive basketball until he had a sudden growth spurt in high school.

On April 4, 1985, Terry Cummings sang the national anthem before a home game in Milwaukee. In December 1989, he and some of his Spurs teammates even released a Christmas song.

Terry Cummings has been a Pentecostal minister since 1977. He even performed the wedding for his former teammate Sean Elliott. He has three sons: Antonio, T. J., and Shawn.

In 2007, Cummings released a music album called T.C. Finally. He wrote, sang, and played keyboards on the album. His music sounds like classic R&B and soul artists such as Marvin Gaye and Al Green.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Terry Cummings para niños

• List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
• List of NBA rookie single-season scoring leaders