Terry Porter
A cerebral point guard whose steady leadership and sharp shooting powered the Portland Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American basketball player & coach·Birthday: April 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Terry Porter's path to the NBA was unconventional, rising from NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to become a second-round draft pick. In Portland, he quickly silenced doubters, forming the engine of a Trail Blazers team that contended for championships throughout the early 1990s. Alongside Clyde Drexler, Porter was the floor general—a point guard known for his poise, three-point accuracy, and knack for making the right play. He led the Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, embodying the team's unselfish, hard-nosed identity. After 17 seasons as a reliable veteran, he transitioned to coaching, serving as a head coach for Milwaukee and Phoenix and later returning to the college ranks. Porter's career is a testament to basketball intelligence and consistency triumphing over flash.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Terry was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Terry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Terry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
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
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 10 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, leading them to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992.
- Selected as an NBA All-Star twice (1991, 1993).
- Ranks among the Trail Blazers' all-time leaders in points, assists, and steals.
- Served as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns.
Did You Know?
He was a Division III All-American at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
He and his wife Susie have three sons, two of whom have played college basketball.
He was drafted 24th overall in the 1985 NBA Draft, a draft that also included Karl Malone and Joe Dumars.
After his NBA coaching career, he returned to be the head coach at the University of Portland, his former professional city.
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