Milwaukee Bucks veteran point guard Jason Terry, “The Jet,” told Woelfel's Press Box he has no intentions of retiring when this season ends:
“Oh, yeah, I’m going to keep playing. Next season would be No. 20. I want to play 20 years. That’s the goal I set for myself. I’m a very goal-oriented guy and I’m going to make sure that happens.’’
Terry, 40, said it was always a goal of him to have this long of a career:
“I looked at my role models who came before me and saw how long they played. Gary Payton, Jason Kidd … Those are two guys I looked up. Those are two guys played like 19 years.’’
It is funny how time has passed, and Kidd is now Terry's coach. The Jet made his debut in the 1999-00 season. He was drafted with the 10th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks. He is mostly remembered for his stint with the Dallas Mavericks.
Terry is famously known for getting a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien trophy before the 2010-11 season when he played with the Mavericks. That was a huge risk, as LeBron James had just joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach and they were strong favorites to win it all. Thankfully for Terry, the Mavericks beat the Heat in the NBA Finals and won the championship.
Terry is the third all-time leader in three-point field goals made with 2,244, the most by any active player. He has only played 140 minutes this season, but his young teammates really look up to him. 20-year old Thon Maker said:
“Jet is like one of the coaching staff members. He’s a true professional in terms of letting us young guys know what we need to do to continue playing in this league. He’ll talk to us whenever we need help.
Rashad Vaugh also holds a close bond with Terry:
“He’s like an uncle to me,’’ Vaughn said. “He’s helped me out; he’s helped me out a lot.’’
Terry's best years might be way behind, but his veteran leadership and wisdom are invaluable traits that a team with so many young players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton will always welcome with open arms.
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