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× WSUC 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 on April 8, 1963, is a famous American basketball player and coach. He played for 17 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Terry was known for his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. After his playing career, he became a coach. He coached teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. He also coached college basketball at the University of Portland.

Growing Up and Playing Basketball

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

College Basketball Career

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

During his four years at Stevens Point, Terry was a great player. He scored about 13.5 points per game. He also helped his team with 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He shot the ball very well, making almost 59% of his shots.

In his junior year, he was even better. He averaged 18.8 points and shot over 65%. He was named an NAIA First-Team All-American twice. He was also named the NAIA "Player of the Year" in his junior year. In the 1984 NAIA tournament, he was the Most Valuable Player (MVP). This was special because his team, the Pointers, lost the championship game.

After the 1984 tournament, Terry was the only NAIA player invited to try out for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. Many famous players like Michael Jordan were at these tryouts. Terry made it to the final 20 players. He was cut from the team on May 13, 1984. Other famous players like Charles Barkley and John Stockton were also cut.

After the Olympic tryouts, NBA scouts started to notice Terry. They liked his strong defense, hard work, and good shooting. He said he wasn't very good in high school. But he improved a lot in college. He started as a shooting guard and then became a point guard.

After his senior year, Terry was the only player from a smaller college division to be named to a special All-America game. He also played in another all-star game. There, he was named the "top defensive player" and a co-MVP.

Terry went back to Wisconsin–Stevens Point to finish his degree. He studied communications and graduated in 1993. In 1999, he received a special award from the university.

Playing in the NBA

Joining the Portland Trail Blazers

Before the 1985 NBA draft, many NBA teams were interested in Terry Porter. On June 18, 1985, the Portland Trail Blazers picked him as the 24th player in the draft.

On February 5, 1987, Terry achieved his first "triple-double." This means he had at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game. He scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made 13 assists. This helped the Trail Blazers win against the Los Angeles Lakers. A month later, he had another triple-double.

During the 1987–88 season, Terry averaged 10.1 assists per game. He is the only player in the 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 six rebounds and 12 assists in a win against the Golden State Warriors. On April 14, he made a career-high 19 assists in a game.

Terry played for the Trail Blazers for ten years. During this time, his team reached the NBA Finals twice. This happened in 1990 and 1992. Terry was also chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game in 1991 and 1993. In 1993, he received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. This award is given to a player who shows great service to the community. As of 2010, Terry was the Trail Blazers' all-time leader in assists. He had 5,319 assists for the team.

Playing for Other Teams

After Portland, Terry signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995. He helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs for the first time ever. This was in the 1996–97 season.

In 1999, he joined the Miami Heat. On February 9, he scored his season-high of 21 points for the Heat.

Terry then signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. In the 2001 NBA playoffs, Terry was 38 years old. He played a very important role in the Spurs' journey to the Western Conference Finals. He started all 13 playoff games. He retired from playing after the 2001–02 season.

Amazing Career Facts

Terry Porter's teams won many games during his playing career. They won 815 games and lost 547. His teams almost always made it to the NBA playoffs.

In his 1,274 career games, Terry averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals. He scored a total of 15,586 points in his career. As of August 2021, Terry is 17th on the NBA's all-time assists list. He had 7,160 assists.

On December 16, 2008, the Portland Trail Blazers honored Terry. They retired his jersey number 30. This means no other player on the team can wear that number.

Coaching Career

Coaching in the NBA

Terry Porter started his coaching career in the 2002–03 NBA season. He was an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.

On August 6, 2003, he became the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. This was his hometown team. He coached the Bucks for two years. The team was expected to make the playoffs in his first year, and they did. However, they missed the playoffs the next season. Terry was then let go in 2005.

After leaving the NBA, Terry coached his son's fifth-grade basketball team. They had a perfect season, winning every game!

In 2006, Terry returned to the NBA. He joined the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach.

On June 9, 2008, Terry was named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns. However, the Suns fired him after 51 games on February 16, 2009. The team had a record of 28 wins and 23 losses at that time.

On December 6, 2011, he became an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He worked under coach Rick Adelman. In January 2013, Terry even filled in as acting head coach for a short time.

Coaching College Basketball

On April 2, 2016, Terry Porter was hired as the head men's basketball coach at 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. Terry left the team with a record of 43 wins and 103 losses.

Other Activities

In 2006, Terry was part of a group that tried to buy the Portland Trail Blazers. The team's owner, Paul Allen, later decided not to sell the team.

Terry also joined the Trail Blazers' TV broadcasting team in 2010. In 2014, he became an ambassador for the team. This means he helps represent the Trail Blazers.

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. His family lives in the Portland area.

Throughout his career, Terry has been very involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He is even a member of their Hall of Fame. In 1994, he started the Milwaukee Scholars Fund. This fund helps minority students in Milwaukee get scholarships to attend colleges in the University of Wisconsin System.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

Head Coaching Record

NBA Coaching Stats

College Coaching Stats

More About Terry Porter

• 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

See also

In Spanish: Terry Porter para niños