Terry Dischinger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Terry Dischinger

Dischinger as a junior at Purdue, 1960-61
Personal information
Born	(1940-11-21)November 21, 1940 Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
Died	October 10, 2023(2023-10-10) (aged 82)
High school	James A. Garfield (Terre Haute, Indiana)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	189 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Purdue (1959–1962)
NBA Draft	1962 / Round: 2 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Chicago Zephyrs
Pro career	1962–1973
Career history
As player:
1962–1964	Chicago Zephyrs / Baltimore Bullets
1964–1972	Detroit Pistons
1972–1973	Portland Trail Blazers
As coach:
1971	Detroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
3× NBA All-Star (1963–1965) NBA Rookie of the Year (1963) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963) 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1961, 1962) Consensus second-team All-American (1960) Second-team Parade All-American (1958)
Career NBA statistics
Points	9,012 (13.8 ppg)
Rebounds	3,646 (5.6 rpg)
Assists	1,151 (1.8 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States Summer Olympic Games Gold 1960 Rome Team competition

Terry Gilbert Dischinger (born November 21, 1940 – died October 10, 2023) was an American basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Terry was a three-time NBA All-Star. He also won the 1963 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball at Purdue University. There, he averaged 28 points per game over three seasons. In 2019, Terry Dischinger was added to the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also part of the 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball team. This team won a gold medal and was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. After his basketball career, Dischinger became an orthodontist, a type of dentist who helps straighten teeth.

High School Basketball Star

Terry Dischinger went to James A. Garfield High School in Terre Haute, Indiana. His father was a football coach. Terry was a top player in basketball for three years. He was named the Purple Eagles' Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice.

In his senior year (1957–58), he was team captain and MVP of the 1958 Indiana All-Star team. Terry was also chosen as a 1958 Parade Magazine All-American. He earned all-state honors in basketball, football, and track.

As a freshman, he was on Terre Haute's 1955 Babe Ruth League world championship baseball team. He also helped Garfield High win the 1955 IHSAA Sectional Championship.

College Basketball Career

Terry Dischinger played college basketball at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He played for Coach Ray Eddy in the Big Ten Conference.

Early Years at Purdue

In his first year playing varsity as a sophomore (freshmen could not play varsity back then), Terry was named a Second Team All-American. He was 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds. He played as a guard/forward. He led the Boilermakers by averaging 26.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game.

On January 9, 1960, Dischinger grabbed 26 rebounds against Wisconsin. This was the second-highest in school history. After his sophomore year, he made the 1960 Olympic Team.

Junior Year Highlights

During his junior season (1960–1961), Purdue finished with 16 wins and 7 losses. Terry was named a First Team All-American. He led the Big Ten conference in scoring with 28.2 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.

On February 25, 1961, Dischinger scored a career-high 52 points against Michigan State. He made 19 field goals and 14 free throws. This broke the previous Big Ten Conference record of 48 points. In his next game, he set a school record by making 21 free throws against Iowa.

Senior Year Success

Purdue finished with 17 wins and 7 losses in Terry's senior season. In his last college game on March 12, 1962, he played with a sprained ankle and scored 30 points.

He led the conference in scoring for the third year in a row with 459 points. He was named a First Team All-American again. He led the Big Ten in both scoring (30.3 points) and rebounding (13.4). He also set a Purdue record by attempting 350 free throws in one season.

Purdue Career Summary

When Terry Dischinger left Purdue, he held many school scoring records. He was named All-Big Ten for three years in a row. He was also the Purdue MVP each season. He still holds records for nine games with 40 or more points. He made 713 free throws out of 871 attempts. He also averaged 14.3 rebounds per game.

Overall, Terry averaged 28.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. This is known as a double-double (double digits in two stats). He shot 55.3% from the field and 81.9% from the free-throw line in 70 college games. He is the sixth-highest scorer in Purdue history with 1,979 points.

1960 Olympics Gold Medal

Terry Dischinger was chosen for the USA men's basketball team. This team won the gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He was only 19 years old and had just finished his sophomore year of college. This made him the youngest player on the team.

He played alongside future Basketball Hall of Famers like Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Jerry Lucas. The team was later added to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Terry started all 8 games. He scored 90 points in total, averaging 11.3 points per game. He was the team's fourth-leading scorer.

Terry said, "It was like a fairy tale because I played with my idol, Oscar Robertson. The experience made me a much better player."

Professional Basketball Career

Members of the 1963–64 Baltimore Bullets. From left to right: Rod Thorn, Charles Hardnett, Walt Bellamy, Gus Johnson, and Terry Dischinger. Thorn, Bellamy, and Johnson are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Starting in the NBA

The Chicago Zephyrs picked Terry Dischinger as the 8th player overall in the 1962 NBA draft. He was the first pick of the second round.

Terry quickly made a big impact in the NBA. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in the 1962–63 season. He averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 57 games.

Terry recalled, "During my rookie year, I wanted to get my Chemical Engineering degree from Purdue. So, Chicago let me go to school and play on weekends and holidays. One time, I left Purdue at 4 PM after class, taped my ankles in a taxi, and played that night in San Francisco. It wasn't that hard because I got my degree, the Rookie of the Year award, and got paid to play the game I loved."

Terry was named Rookie of the Year over four players who later became Hall of Famers. These included Zelmo Beaty, Dave DeBusschere, John Havlicek, and Chet Walker. All of them were on the 1962–63 NBA All-Rookie Team with him.

After his first season, the Zephyrs team moved to Baltimore, Maryland. They became the Baltimore Bullets. In his second year, Terry averaged 20.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Playing for the Detroit Pistons

In his third NBA season, Terry was traded to the Detroit Pistons. This happened on June 18, 1964. He averaged 18.2 points per game. He was also chosen as an NBA All-Star for the third year in a row.

Military Service Break

After his third NBA season, Terry left the NBA to serve in the military. He spent two years in the United States Army in Hawaii.

Terry said, "It was really bad for my basketball career. But it was there that I decided to become a dentist when I stopped playing." While in the Army, he continued to play basketball. He was named MVP for the Army all-Pacific team. He also coached the all-Army basketball team.

Return to the Pistons

Terry returned to the NBA in 1967 and rejoined the Pistons. He played for them for the next five seasons. During the 1971–72 season, he coached two games as a player-coach. In his six seasons with Detroit, Terry averaged 12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 452 games. He played alongside famous players like Bob Lanier and Dave Bing.

Final Season with Portland

On July 31, 1972, Terry was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per game for the 1972–73 season.

Terry decided to retire after this season. He joked, "If that is the only thing you're remembered for, something is wrong." After nine seasons in the NBA, he retired.

In his NBA career, Terry Dischinger averaged 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He played in 652 games.

Personal Life and Career After Basketball

After retiring from basketball in 1973, Terry Dischinger went to dental school in Memphis, Tennessee. He and his wife, Mary, moved back to Portland. There, he started his own practice as an orthodontist.

Terry and Mary were married for over fifty years. They had three children and nine grandchildren. His grandson, Michael Loomis, played basketball at Northwest Christian University.

Terry graduated from Purdue University with a degree in chemical engineering. He also earned his DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. He was the top student in his class.

Terry Dischinger passed away on October 10, 2023, at the age of 82.

Honors and Achievements

• In 1989, Terry Dischinger was added to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
• He was elected to the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall Of Fame in 1994.
• In 1995, Terry was named to the NFHS Hall of Fame.
• He was also inducted into the Indiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1995.
• In 1997, Terry was named to the "Purdue Centennial Basketball Team."
• The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team, which Terry was a part of, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
• In 2019, Terry Dischinger was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

Head Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Terry Dischinger para niños

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career free throw scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association top rookie scoring averages