Terry Porter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Terry Porter

Porter in 2009
Personal information
Born	(1963-04-08) April 8, 1963 (age 62) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
High school	South Division (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	Wisconsin–Stevens Point (1981–1985)
NBA Draft	1985 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Pro career	1985–2002
Coaching career	2002–present
Career history
As player:
1985–1995	Portland Trail Blazers
1995–1998	Minnesota Timberwolves
1999	Miami Heat
1999–2002	San Antonio Spurs
As coach:
2002–2003	Sacramento Kings (assistant)
2003–2005	Milwaukee Bucks
2006–2008	Detroit Pistons (assistant)
2008–2009	Phoenix Suns
2011–2014	Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant)
2016–2021	University of Portland
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (1991, 1993) No. 30 retired by Portland Trail Blazers 2× First-team NAIA All-American (1984, 1985) 2× WIAC Player of the Year (1984, 1985) NAIA tournament MVP (1984)
Career NBA statistics
Points	15,586 (12.2 ppg)
Rebounds	3,872 (3.0 rpg)
Assists	7,160 (5.6 apg)

Terry Porter (born April 8, 1963) is an American who used to play and coach basketball. He played for 17 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing career, he became a coach. He was even a head coach for two NBA teams and later for the University of Portland college team.

Terry Porter's Early Life

Terry Porter was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 8, 1963. He played basketball in high school at South Division High School in Milwaukee. Back then, he played as a forward.

College Basketball Career

Terry Porter went to the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. This school was part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) at the time. He played for coach Dick Bennett.

Playing for the Pointers

In his four years at Stevens Point, Porter was a great player. He scored about 13.5 points, grabbed 3.8 rebounds, and made 3.8 assists per game. He was very good at shooting, making almost 59% of his shots.

As a junior, he scored 18.8 points per game. He was named an NAIA First-Team All-American twice. He was also named the NAIA "Player of the Year" in 1984. He even won the Most Valuable Player award at the 1984 NAIA tournament.

Olympic Team Trials

After the 1984 NAIA tournament, Terry Porter was the only NAIA player invited to try out for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. Many famous players like Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing were also there. Porter made it to the final 20 players.

Even though he was sick with chickenpox, he impressed the scouts. They noticed his strong defense, hard work, and good shooting. He was cut from the team on May 13, 1984, along with Charles Barkley and John Stockton.

Finishing College

After his senior year, Porter was the only player from Division III to be chosen for a special All-America game. He also played in the Aloha Basketball All-Star Classic. There, he was named "top defensive player" and a co-MVP.

Terry Porter went back to the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point to finish his degree. He earned a degree in communications in 1993. In 1999, he received a special award from the university.

NBA Playing Career

Terry Porter was a highly sought-after player before the 1985 NBA draft. Many teams wanted to draft him.

Portland Trail Blazers Years

On June 18, 1985, the Portland Trail Blazers picked Terry Porter. He was the 24th player chosen in the NBA draft.

On February 5, 1987, Porter had his first "triple-double." This means he got double-digit numbers in three different stats: 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. He helped his team win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

During the 1987–88 season, Porter averaged 10.1 assists per game. He is the only player in Trail Blazers history to average double-digit assists in a season. On March 18, 1988, he scored a career-high 40 points. He also had 12 assists in that game.

During his ten years with the Trail Blazers, Porter played in the NBA Finals twice. This was in 1990 and 1992. He was also chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game in 1991 and 1993. In 1993, he won an award for being a good citizen. As of 2010, he was the Trail Blazers' all-time leader in assists.

Playing for Other NBA Teams

After Portland, Porter played for other NBA teams.

• Minnesota Timberwolves: He joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995. He helped them reach the playoffs for the first time ever in 1997.
• Miami Heat: In 1999, he signed with the Miami Heat. He scored a season-high 21 points in a game on February 9.
• San Antonio Spurs: Porter joined the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. In the 2001 NBA playoffs, even at 38 years old, he played a big role. He started all 13 playoff games and helped the Spurs reach the Western Conference Finals. He retired after the 2001–02 season.

Career Achievements

Terry Porter's teams won many games during his playing career. They made it to the postseason almost every year.

In his 1,274 career games, Porter averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals. He scored a total of 15,586 points. As of August 2021, he is 17th on the NBA's all-time assists list.

On December 16, 2008, the Portland Trail Blazers honored Terry Porter. They retired his number 30 jersey, meaning no other player on the team will wear that number again.

Coaching Career

NBA Coaching

Terry Porter started his coaching career in the NBA.

• Sacramento Kings: He was an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings during the 2002–03 season.
• Milwaukee Bucks: On August 6, 2003, he became the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He coached them for two years.
• Detroit Pistons: After a break, Porter became an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons for the 2006–07 season.
• Phoenix Suns: On June 9, 2008, Porter was named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. He coached 51 games before the team decided to make a change.
• Minnesota Timberwolves: On December 6, 2011, he returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves as an assistant coach. He even served as acting head coach for a short time.

College Coaching

On April 2, 2016, Terry Porter was hired as the head men's basketball coach for the University of Portland. He coached the Pilots for almost five seasons. On February 5, 2021, the University of Portland decided to make a change in their coaching staff.

Other Activities

In 2006, Terry Porter tried to buy the Portland Trail Blazers team. He also joined the Trail Blazers' TV broadcasting team in 2010. In 2014, he became an ambassador for the team.

Personal Life

Terry Porter is the youngest of six children. He enjoys playing golf. He is married to Susie, and they have three children: Brianna, Franklin, and Malcolm. They live in the Portland area.

Porter has always been involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He is even in their Hall of Fame. In 1994, he started the Milwaukee Scholars Fund. This fund helps minority students in Milwaukee get scholarships for college.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Head Coaching Record

NBA Coaching Record

College Coaching Record

See also

• List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders