Jason Terry
A clutch-shooting guard whose jet-fueled confidence and sixth-man brilliance were instrumental in delivering the Dallas Mavericks their first NBA championship.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American basketball player·Birthday: September 15·Generation X
Biography
Jason Terry, nicknamed 'JET' for his initials and his takeoff speed, carved out a 19-year NBA career defined by fearless shooting and palpable swagger. Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1999, he truly soared after a trade to the Dallas Mavericks in 2004. Terry wasn't just a scorer; he was an emotional catalyst, often seen wearing a replica NBA championship trophy on his arm as motivation years before winning one. His peak came in the 2010-2011 season. Coming off the bench, he provided explosive offense that destabilized opponents, a role for which he won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2009. In the 2011 Finals against the Miami Heat, his scoring bursts were critical, including a 27-point performance in the series-clinching Game 6. Beyond the ring, Terry's legacy is etched in the three-point record books, where he remains among the all-time leaders. After retiring, he transitioned to coaching, aiming to impart his brand of competitive fire to a new generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jason was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an NBA championship as a key contributor with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
- Awarded the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2008-2009 season.
- Ranks among the top fifteen players in NBA history for career three-point field goals made.
- Played 19 seasons in the NBA for six different franchises, amassing over 18,000 points.
Did You Know?
He famously had a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy on his bicep a full year before the Mavericks won it in 2011.
He won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2010 for his community service.
He played college basketball at the University of Arizona, winning the NCAA championship in 1997 under coach Lute Olson.
“I put that tattoo on my arm a year ago because I knew this was going to happen.”
