 Terry with theDallas Mavericks in 2009 | |||||||||||||||
| Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1977-09-15)September 15, 1977 (age 48) Seattle, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Franklin (Seattle, Washington) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Arizona (1995–1999) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1999: 1st round, 10th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1999–2018 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Shooting guard /point guard | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 31, 4, 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2012 | Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Brooklyn Nets | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Arizona (assistant) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Grand Rapids Gold | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–present | Utah Jazz (assistant) | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 18,881 (13.4 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,274 (2.3 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
| Assists | 5,415 (3.8 apg) | ||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
| |||||||||||||||
Jason Eugene Terry (born September 15, 1977) is an American professionalbasketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for theUtah Jazz of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He played 19 seasons in the NBA as acombo guard and is also known by theinitialism "the Jet".[1] With theDallas Mavericks, Terry won theNBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in2009 and anNBA championship in2011. As of June, 2025, Terry has made the eleventh-mostthree-point field goals in NBA history.[2]
Terry attendedFranklin High School inSeattle,Washington, where he won back-to-back state championships in 1994 and 1995. On February 2, 2007, Terry's No. 31 was retired by Franklin High School.[3]
Terry played college basketball forArizona from 1995 to 1999. As a sophomore on Arizona'sNCAA Championship team, Terry made 18 starts and was the Wildcats' fourth-leading scorer at 10.6 points (also averaged 4.4 assists and 2.5 steals). He was namedPac-10 Player of the Year and was an All-Conference First Team selection as a senior. He concluded his career at Arizona ranked 12th in points (1,461), 5th in assists (493) and 2nd in three-point field goals (192). Currently, he is the only player in Arizona history to finish with 1,000 career points and 200 career steals.[4]
In 2015, Terry earned a bachelor's degree ingeneral studies with an emphasis on social, behavioral and human understanding from his alma mater, profiting from their program for former athletes to finish their course work.[5]
Terry was selected by theAtlanta Hawks with the 10th overall pick in the1999 NBA draft. That season, on November 16, 1999, Terry recorded 22 points and 5 assists off the bench in what would be among his best games as a rookie, in a 103–98 win against theCharlotte Hornets.[6] On March 6, 2000, Terry recorded a career-high 6 steals, alongside 12 points and 11 assists, in a loss against theMilwaukee Bucks.[7]
On December 12, 2000, Terry scored a then career-high 38 points in a 107–99 win against theSacramento Kings.[8] On December 15, 2000, Terry scored 17 points, recorded 13 assists, and grabbed 8 rebounds in a 85–74 win over theChicago Bulls.[9] During the 2000–01 season, Terry averaged a team and career-high 19.7 points with 3.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals. On January 15, 2002, he scored a career-high 46 points against theDallas Mavericks. On February 28, 2003, he recorded his first career triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists against theChicago Bulls.[4] During the 2002–03 season, Terry was seventh in assists per game, at 7.4.[10]
The Hawks failed to reach the playoffs during Terry's stint in Atlanta.[11] The closest Terry got was in 2003, when despite winning the final eight games of the season, the Hawks finished as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35–47 record.[12]
On August 4, 2004, Terry was traded by the Hawks along withAlan Henderson and a future first-round draft pick to theDallas Mavericks in exchange forAntoine Walker andTony Delk.[4] Known by his initials JET, mimicking an airplane with his arms as the wings became part of his persona in Dallas.[1] He quickly emerged as a fan favorite despite arriving as the replacement forSteve Nash after the unpopular decision to let Nash leave in free agency.[1]
In his first season in Dallas, Terry appeared in a team-high 80 games (started 57 of final 58 games) and averaged 12.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, team-high 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.0 minutes per game. He joined Steve Nash as the only other player to shoot at least 50% from the floor, 40% from 3-point range and 80% from the foul line.[4]
In 80 games during the 2005–06 season, Terry averaged 17.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, team-high 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.0 minutes per game.[4] He helped the Mavericks reach the2006 NBA Finals. He had 32 points in 37 minutes in Game 1 against theMiami Heat to become the fifth player to score at least 30 points in his first NBA Finals game, joiningMichael Jordan,Shawn Kemp,Tim Duncan andAllen Iverson.[4] In Game 5 of the series, Terry had 35 points.[4] Despite going up 2–0 in the series, the Mavericks lost to Miami in six games.
On July 1, 2006, Terry and the Mavericks agreed on a six-year deal believed to be worth more than $50 million.[13]
In April 2009, Terry was named theNBA Sixth Man of the Year for the2008–09 season.[14] A sixth man in 63 of 74 games played in 2008–09, Terry averaged 19.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 33.6 minutes. He shot .463 from the field, .366 from beyond the three-point line and .880 from the free throw line. Among NBA leaders, Terry ranked 10th in three-pointers made (167), 11th in free throw percentage, 17th in steals, and tied for 22nd in scoring average.[14]
In 2010–11, Terry averaged 15.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 31.1 minutes in 82 games (10 starts). He was the only Maverick to appear in all 82 games in 2010–11. On November 6, 2010, he scored 26 points against theDenver Nuggets. He scored 23 of his 26 points in the 1st half, the most he's recorded in the first half of a game in his career (previous high 22, against thePortland Trail Blazers on April 7, 2007).[4] In the West Conference Semifinals against theLos Angeles Lakers, Terry scored a playoff-high 32 points in Game 4.[15] His 9 3-pointers tied an NBA playoff record held byRex Chapman, who set it in April 1997 with thePhoenix Suns.[4] It was surpassed byKlay Thompson (11) in 2016 andDamian Lillard (12, 2OT) in 2021.[16] As of 2022, it still stood as the most by a reserve in a playoff game.[17] The Mavericks went on to advance to the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history. In the2011 NBA Finals, against the Miami Heat, Terry averaged 18.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 32.5 minutes over the six games. He recorded 21 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in 30 minutes in Game 5 to become the first sub to record at least 20 points and 5 assists in a Finals game sinceMichael Cooper in 1987. Terry had a game-high 27 points in 34 minutes in the series-clinching Game 6 to claim his first NBA Championship.[4]
In the lockout-shortened2011–12 season, Terry averaged 15.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 37.8% from three-point territory. He finished second in the league with 138 made three-pointers and was third in the NBA in three-point field goal attempts (365). He concluded his time in Dallas with the fourth-most three-point shots in NBA history with 1,788, trailing onlyRay Allen,Reggie Miller and teammateJason Kidd.[18]
On July 18, 2012, Terry signed a multi-year deal with theBoston Celtics.[18] He averaged 10.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.84 steals in 26.9 minutes per game during the 2012–13 season. He recorded his first double-double as a Celtic with 17 points and season-high 11 assists to go along with three steals against theMilwaukee Bucks on December 1, 2012. He scored a season-high 26 points against theDenver Nuggets on February 10, 2013.[4]
On June 28, 2013, the day of theNBA draft, theBoston Celtics andBrooklyn Nets reached a deal to trade Terry,Paul Pierce andKevin Garnett for future first-round picks in the2014, 2016, and 2018 drafts andKris Humphries,Gerald Wallace,Kris Joseph,MarShon Brooks, andKeith Bogans.[19] The deal was finalized on July 12, 2013.[20]
On February 19, 2014, Terry was traded, along withReggie Evans, to theSacramento Kings in exchange forMarcus Thornton.[21] It was later announced that due to a lingering knee injury, Terry wouldn't join the team in 2013–14; instead he rehabilitated the injury in Dallas to prepare for 2014–15.[22][23] He did not appear in a game for the Kings during his time with the organization.
On September 17, 2014, Terry was traded, along with two future second-round picks, to theHouston Rockets in exchange forAlonzo Gee andScotty Hopson.[24] On December 22, 2014, in a 110–95 win over thePortland Trail Blazers, Terry hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter to become the third player in NBA history to make 2,000 three-pointers, joiningRay Allen andReggie Miller.[25]
On August 24, 2015, Terry re-signed with the Rockets.[26] In July 2016, he parted ways with the Rockets.[27]
On August 22, 2016, Terry signed with theMilwaukee Bucks.[28] On February 24, 2017, in Milwaukee's 109–95 loss to theUtah Jazz, Terry became the oldest player to play for the Bucks, at 39 years, 162 days, passingDale Ellis (39 years, 155 days).[29] On April 10, 2017, he had season highs of 15 points and five 3-pointers in an 89–79 win over theCharlotte Hornets.[30] That was the only time in 74 games in 2016–17 that he finished with 10 points or more.[31]
On September 18, 2017, Terry re-signed with the Bucks.[32] On December 5, 2017, he was ruled out for two or more weeks after suffering a left calf strain the previous night against theBoston Celtics.[33] On January 28, 2018, he scored a season-high 12 points in a 110–96 win over theChicago Bulls. Terry hadn't scored in double figures since his 15-point outing against Charlotte on April 10, 2017.[31] On February 10, 2018, he came off the bench to score 11 points in the second half in the Bucks' 111–104 victory over theOrlando Magic.[34] On February 23, 2018, he had a 14-point effort in a 122–119 overtime win over theToronto Raptors.[35] On March 2, 2018, in a 103–96 loss to theIndiana Pacers, Terry made his first start since January 22, 2016, with Houston. He blocked three shots for the first time since December 22, 2010, with Dallas against Philadelphia.[36]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | Atlanta | 81 | 27 | 23.3 | .415 | .293 | .807 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .1 | 8.1 |
| 2000–01 | Atlanta | 82 | 77 | 37.7 | .436 | .395 | .846 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | .1 | 19.7 |
| 2001–02 | Atlanta | 78 | 78 | 38.0 | .430 | .387 | .835 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 1.8 | .2 | 19.3 |
| 2002–03 | Atlanta | 81 | 81 | 38.0 | .428 | .371 | .887 | 3.4 | 7.4 | 1.6 | .2 | 17.2 |
| 2003–04 | Atlanta | 81 | 78 | 37.3 | .417 | .347 | .827 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 1.5 | .2 | 16.8 |
| 2004–05 | Dallas | 80 | 57 | 30.0 | .501 | .420 | .844 | 2.4 | 5.4 | 1.4 | .2 | 12.4 |
| 2005–06 | Dallas | 80 | 80 | 35.0 | .470 | .411 | .800 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 17.1 |
| 2006–07 | Dallas | 81 | 80 | 35.1 | .484 | .438 | .804 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 1.0 | .2 | 16.7 |
| 2007–08 | Dallas | 82* | 34 | 31.5 | .467 | .375 | .857 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .2 | 15.5 |
| 2008–09 | Dallas | 74 | 11 | 33.7 | .463 | .366 | .880 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 1.3 | .3 | 19.6 |
| 2009–10 | Dallas | 77 | 12 | 33.0 | .438 | .365 | .866 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 1.2 | .2 | 16.6 |
| 2010–11† | Dallas | 82 | 10 | 31.3 | .451 | .362 | .850 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 1.1 | .2 | 15.8 |
| 2011–12 | Dallas | 63 | 1 | 31.7 | .430 | .378 | .883 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 1.2 | .2 | 15.1 |
| 2012–13 | Boston | 79 | 24 | 26.9 | .434 | .372 | .870 | 2.0 | 2.5 | .8 | .1 | 10.1 |
| 2013–14 | Brooklyn | 35 | 0 | 16.3 | .362 | .379 | .667 | 1.1 | 1.6 | .4 | .0 | 4.5 |
| 2014–15 | Houston | 77 | 18 | 21.3 | .422 | .390 | .813 | 1.6 | 1.9 | .9 | .2 | 7.0 |
| 2015–16 | Houston | 72 | 7 | 17.5 | .402 | .356 | .818 | 1.1 | 1.4 | .7 | .1 | 5.9 |
| 2016–17 | Milwaukee | 74 | 0 | 18.4 | .432 | .427 | .828 | 1.4 | 1.3 | .6 | .3 | 4.1 |
| 2017–18 | Milwaukee | 51 | 4 | 16.0 | .383 | .348 | .889 | .9 | 1.2 | .8 | .3 | 3.3 |
| Career | 1,410 | 679 | 29.8 | .444 | .380 | .845 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .2 | 13.4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Dallas | 13 | 13 | 38.5 | .506 | .491 | .884 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 1.3 | .5 | 17.5 |
| 2006 | Dallas | 22 | 22 | 38.4 | .442 | .307 | .831 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.2 | .0 | 18.9 |
| 2007 | Dallas | 6 | 6 | 38.2 | .424 | .281 | .833 | 2.3 | 3.7 | .8 | .3 | 17.0 |
| 2008 | Dallas | 5 | 3 | 36.0 | .433 | .438 | .867 | 1.6 | 4.8 | .4 | .2 | 15.8 |
| 2009 | Dallas | 10 | 1 | 32.5 | .389 | .373 | .767 | 2.8 | 1.9 | .6 | .3 | 14.3 |
| 2010 | Dallas | 6 | 0 | 29.0 | .377 | .400 | .750 | 2.5 | 2.0 | .7 | .2 | 12.7 |
| 2011† | Dallas | 21 | 0 | 32.6 | .478 | .442 | .843 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 1.2 | .1 | 17.5 |
| 2012 | Dallas | 4 | 1 | 34.8 | .455 | .500 | .625 | 2.3 | 3.8 | .3 | .0 | 13.8 |
| 2013 | Boston | 6 | 1 | 31.5 | .444 | .441 | .818 | 2.2 | 2.0 | .7 | .3 | 12.0 |
| 2015 | Houston | 17 | 17 | 28.6 | .425 | .354 | .813 | 2.2 | 2.8 | .9 | .1 | 9.2 |
| 2016 | Houston | 5 | 0 | 24.8 | .342 | .316 | 1.000 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | 7.0 |
| 2017 | Milwaukee | 6 | 0 | 11.3 | .333 | .200 | 1.000 | 1.3 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 2.5 |
| 2018 | Milwaukee | 3 | 0 | 14.7 | .400 | .400 | – | 1.0 | .7 | .3 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Career | 124 | 64 | 32.2 | .441 | .385 | .829 | 2.5 | 3.0 | .9 | .2 | 14.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Arizona | 31 | 0 | 9.8 | .542 | .577 | .593 | .7 | 1.1 | .6 | .0 | 3.1 |
| 1996–97 | Arizona | 34 | 18 | 30.5 | .443 | .331 | .713 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 2.5 | .1 | 10.6 |
| 1997–98 | Arizona | 35 | 0 | 22.8 | .422 | .347 | .827 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 1.7 | .2 | 10.6 |
| 1998–99 | Arizona | 29 | 29 | 38.2 | .443 | .398 | .839 | 3.3 | 5.5 | 2.8 | .2 | 21.9 |
| Career | 129 | 47 | 25.1 | .443 | .374 | .784 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 1.9 | .1 | 11.3 | |
Terry was a member of the United States squad that competed in the2001 Goodwill Games inBrisbane, Australia.[37]
In September 2019, Terry was appointed assistant general manager of theTexas Legends of theNBA G League, ending his 19-year playing career.[38][39] In May 2020, Terry was appointed an assistant coach for theArizona Wildcats.[40] After one season in Arizona, he returned to the G League as the head coach of theGrand Rapids Gold, the new affiliate of theDenver Nuggets.[41] In July 2022, he would join the coaching staff of theUtah Jazz as an assistant coach under new head coachWill Hardy.[42]
An elite shooter, Terry has made the tenth-most career three-pointers in NBA history.[2] He frequently pulled up for midrangejump shots off the dribble, and during his time in Dallas, Terry relished the role of fourth-quarter specialist.[43]
Terry was one of ten children raised by his mother, Andrea Cheatham, and his father, Curtis Terry.[4] One of his brothers,Curtis, played professional basketball between 2008 and 2012. Terry is the cousin of former NBA playerMartell Webster.[44]
Terry and his wife, Johnyika, have five daughters.[4][45]
Prior to the Mavericks' 2010–11 championship-winning season, Terry tattooed theLarry O'Brien Championship Trophy on his right biceps.[46] Two years later, prior to the 2012–13 season, Terry tattooed the Celtics' famous leprechaun spinning the trophy on his finger on his left arm.[47] He also got a tattoo related to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013, though it did not reference a championship trophy.[48]
NCAA Lawsuit Over Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)
In July 2024, Terry and three other former University of Arizona basketball players initiated legal action against the NCAA. The lawsuit alleged that the NCAA had utilized theirname, image, and likeness (NIL) without consent in March Madness highlight reels and promotional materials. The plaintiffs sought compensation for the unauthorized use of their identities.[49]
"Terry became involved in a legal dispute with jewelerEric Mavani in September 2023 over a $25,000Rolex watch he had rented but allegedly neither paid for nor returned."[50][51]
1999 NCAA Tournament Violation
While attending theUniversity of Arizona, Terry was implicated in a controversy related toNCAA rules violations. In 1999, reports indicated that he had received approximately $11,500 in unauthorized benefits from agents. Consequently, the university forfeited its sole game in the 1999 NCAA Tournament and returned 45% of its tournament revenue share.[52]
