Exclusive: Why Jason Terry continues to give back after NBA retirement

If you ask Utah Jazz assistant coach Jason Terry, being part of NBA All-Star Weekend is a great way to keep his name in the general public.

“For me, as a guy that retired seven years ago, it keeps you relevant because people recognize you,” Terry laughed during an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints. “They know you, and that kind of makes you feel good to know that people still enjoy and appreciate the contribution that you had when you were in the league.”

But it’s more than that for Terry. For one, he gets to continue to be around the game that he loves. And secondly, it’s a chance for him to give back to the new generation. While All-Star Weekend is a time to celebrate the current generation of NBA players, there’s always a solid mix of older vets and retired players participating in various events.

Just look at the Rising Stars competition with Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Austin Rivers serving as coaches. The weekend allows Terry to check in with the game’s ever-growing talent.

“It gives you an opportunity to interact with the fans that you haven’t seen all year long, and then also honor some of the guys that have had great performances at this point in the season,” Terry said. “The other part about All-Star Weekend that I like is the Rising Stars event where you get to see some of our up and coming talent that is trying to make a name for ourselves.”

And for Terry, there is plenty of young and prime talent in the NBA right now to pay attention to. He’s been on staff with the Jazz since 2022, so he’s had an up close and personal look at one of the top rising guards in the league in Keyonte George. Now in his third year in the NBA, George is in the midst of a breakout season.

“I like to talk about our own, first and foremost, Keyonte George. He’s had a phenomenal year. He’s probably going to be a lead candidate for Most Improved Player with the way he’s been able to score and assist out there, and the efficiency that he’s playing with,” Terry said. “The talent has a wide net, I’d be doing a disservice if I had to single out one or two guys.”

“When you talk about the older stars, the guys who have done it for a long period of time and are legends in our game, you’re talking about KD, Steph Curry, LeBron, those guys have done it with longevity,” Terry continued. “But then you still got guys like Jokic and Giannis, guys who are still performing at a high level. They haven’t quite passed their prime yet. You got the up and coming young guys. I think our game is in a great place and it’s going to continue to evolve.”

How Jason Terry has seen the NBA game change

Terry was the No. 10 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He came into the NBA having built a name for himself as one of the top college guards in the country while at Arizona. As a sophomore, he was instrumental during the Wildcats 1997 national championship run.

Affectionately nicknamed ‘The Jet,’ Terry was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and also played for the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks. His final stop was with the Bucks during the 2017-18 season, capping off a strong 19-year NBA career. Terry also played a key role off the bench during the Mavericks’ 2011 title run.

While there have been countless debates regarding the evolution of the NBA game and present high octane offenses, Terry believes that there isn’t much of a radical change between when he played and now. While there are some slight differences, as someone who played back in the day so to speak, and is still around the NBA via a coaching lens, the styles are similar.

“You have guys that display more individual talent, but you still see the fast-paced, super athletes. The super athletic plays like the dunks, the blocks. People like to say the scoring is higher now, but if you look at it over the years, it’s right there. There’s not that huge of a difference,” Terry said. “The pace of the play, the volume of shots that are being attempted are a little bit more. But for the most part it’s just as entertaining, just as competitive, and I think it’s just in a great place right now.”

In addition to the style of play on the court, the way technology and fan interaction has evolved is another big difference Terry has seen. Take for example his main source of participation over All-Star Weekened. Terry is partnered up with AT&T as part of the company’s Dunk Bus setup at the famed Venice Beach basketball courts.

One of the main attractions at the pop-up is for fans to participate in a live NBA 2K gaming competition alongside Terry, former NBA star Baron Davis, Toronto Raptors point guard Chris Paul and various streaming personalities.

“I’m an avid gamer at heart. If I’m not breaking down film and getting ready for the next opponent, I’m on 2K online playing against whoever, just a random nobody who just likes playing the game. . .when I do play 2K, I only play with myself,” Terry said. “Just how real the game is, and the interactions you have within the game where you’re actually able to create your own player, put yourself in there. Even if you didn’t have hoop skills growing up or at the present time, now you got hoop skills. If you’re a short guy, you can be tall. . .it doesn’t matter, they’re able to create that experience.”

Jason Terry’s new coaching venture with Jazz

After Terry retired from the NBA, his first post-playing coaching job was in 2020 as an assistant coach at his alma mater of Arizona under former head coach Sean Miller. After one season, Terry left to become the new head coach for the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League during their first season as the affiliate of the Denver Nuggets.

It was towards the end of his career during his final couple of seasons with the Rockets and Bucks when Terry began to see a future in coaching as a realistic possibility.

“I’ve always been a coach at heart. It was probably my fourth to last season when I was in Houston and I was starting to be an elder statesman on the team. I would start going to coaches meetings and be a part of game planning and then do player development on the side,” Terry said. “I was that veteran guy that people looked up to. . .I think that’s kind of what really lit the fuel for me as far as what I wanted to do when I retired.”

During the final two seasons of Terry’s career, he was the veteran leader and mentor for a Bucks team that included younger versions of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker. Immediately after retirement, he rejoined the Mavericks organization as the assistant general manager of their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

But Terry quickly realized that a front office position wasn’t for him just yet. It didn’t allow him to be as close to the game as he wanted to. He knew he was a coach at heart, as he described. He takes pride in working with the young Jazz players, and continuing to get better as a coach.

“Being hands on, being able to mentor and give back and grow the game in the coaching role is what really lit my fire,” Terry said. “And I think that’s why I’ve been able to do a decent job here in Utah as we rebuild with some of our young guys. The sky is the limit for me as I go forward, but continue to grow as a coach.”

That’s not to say there aren’t challenges that present itself with coaching. Growing pains are evident on a rebuilding team, and sometimes Terry finds those player instincts kicking in when a play breaks down or shots are missed. But for him, it’s all just part of the process.

“There’s some times when they’re having some adversity out there and even when they have success out on the floor, there’s times when I’ll be like, ‘man I sat in that seat. I know what they’re going through.’ And then you try to help as much as you can,” Terry said. “But the one thing about being a coach now and not a player is you can’t shoot it for them. You can’t pass it for them. And you sure can’t defend for them. So the best you can do is share you experience, give your knowledge and then encourage and inspire.”

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