Postseason always an exciting time for Jason Terry
When Jason Terry didn’t make the playoffs, way back when he was a young guard in Atlanta, at the turn of the century, he went to postseason games as a fan, to root for friends on other teams.
When Detroit beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals, Terry not only had a seat for every game but a behind-the-scenes host in friend Rasheed Wallace, a Pistons forward, and he learned everything he needed to know about a team coming together to win.
“At the games I sat there watching and envisioned myself in a Detroit uniform, and said, ’OK, I’m Richard Hamilton,’ ” said Terry. “I just imagined myself out there playing.
“Actually, I did everything but go to shootaround with those guys. I went to their team dinners, I hung out with them after the games, I really breathed it.”
He still has his ticket stub from the finals. He went to the parade in Detroit with hundreds of thousands of fans. He brought his father and took it all in, from the intense pregame focus of the players to the grateful frenzy of the fans.
“It was amazing,” said Terry.
That NBA postseason immersion back then affects the way Terry looks at the playoffs even now.
“It made me realize when my time came, I would be ready for it,” said Terry. “And cherish it.”
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At age 39, Terry is playing in the postseason for the 12th time — with his fourth team — as the Bucks prepare to face Toronto in the first round starting Saturday.
Terry first made the playoffs with Dallas in 2005; he and the Mavericks went to the playoffs eight straight years in all. Terry scored 1,466 points in 87 playoff games with the Mavs, winning it all in 2011.
Add his three years of playoff experience with Houston and Boston, and he’s played in 115 NBA playoff games (64 starts), scored 1,729 points and had 368 assists.
“To love the game as much as he does and to be excited to come in for shootaround and practice and games — that’s an unbelievable achievement,” said Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova. “His energy with his knowledge of the game — he knows how to play the right way."
A postseason history like that means there are some rules to live by. If you ever wondered, how is Jason Terry still in the league? Well here you go:
Terry doesn’t eat fried foods. French fries, fried chicken, egg rolls, crab Rangoon, chips — none of it is on his plate.
Same for dairy. Those cheeseburgers he loved in his youth are plain now. He made himself get used to giving up a favorite, and the benefit has been a clearer airway and better breathing, which helps in the cardio-demanding, lung-burning sport of basketball.
Terry also drinks water. All the time. Not sports drinks. Just water. Dehydration affects so much of the body’s ability to function, while being hydrated helps fight fatigue, lowers injury risk.
“There’s no supplement for water,” said Terry. “People always say Gatorade, but it just doesn’t work. The kind of water I use is kind of special to me — it’s called Eternal Water. It has a high PH level and natural electrolytes. Therefore I don’t really need Gatorade or any kind of sugar.
“I think people underestimate hydration, especially when you have a lot of little muscle tears, tightness. It also helps your muscles recover.”
Terry made these changes about four years ago and he began to follow the stories about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s nutritional philosophies.
“I’m pretty strict,” said Terry.
“He’s a guy who always takes care of his body,” said Bucks rookie Malcolm Brogdon. “And he’s still able to contribute at a high level. I’m not sure there’s a guy in the NBA that’s as old as him that’s contributing at a high level. Maybe Vince Carter.
“I’ve actually started to eat healthy and focus on some of the similar things, picking up from him, from other guys.”
Terry approaches his workouts with much of the same discipline. Strength training for him at this stage of the game is functional: core, glutes and hamstrings.
“This is where it all starts,” said Terry, patting his back. “If the muscles had a brain? It would start in your glutes. So you want to turn that on.”
He said his fitness and speed tests have revealed little to no dropoff in speed and power bursts.
“If anything, it’s the deceleration,” said Terry. “I can get up to maximum speed. But slowing it down? Ahhh, I’ve got to ease on the brakes a little earlier. The muscles just don’t stop as quickly.”
Terry has also discovered that five months shy of turning 40, he has to work a lot harder for the same results he had years ago when young. But he also has to be mindful of a good recovery because he’s older. He’s always striving for that balance.
Brogdon agreed with this: the Bucks are basically led by three people. Coach Jason Kidd, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Terry, who has helped the Bucks weather some of their lower points of the season.
“His main message has been, stay the course. You’re going to go through ups and downs,” said Brogdon. “You’re going to lose games; you’re going to lose four, five in a row. But that’s not the end of your season, and he’s been totally right. We’ve followed that advice.”
Terry relishes that role and has three points of advice for his teammates. Stick to the routine, be physically and mentally ready and enjoy the ride. Not all 22-year-olds get to go to the playoffs (he didn’t).
“Because they’re young and they haven’t really experienced a lot of adversity, or playoff series, I tell them to live in the moment, don’t take anything for granted and just play and have fun,” Terry said. “Young guys tend to tighten up.
"It’s the playoffs, people are talkin’…everything is riding on this. But this is a group that — they play better when they are loose. That’s just the personality of the team. Different teams are different. This team, they have to be loose and high spirited.”
BUCKS-RAPTORS SCHEDULE (All times Central)
Eastern Conference first-round series (best of seven)
Saturday - Game 1 at Toronto, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN, FSW)
Tuesday - Game 2 at Toronto, 6 p.m. (NBA TV, FSW)
Thursday, April 20 - Game 3 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. (NBA TV, FSW)
Saturday, April 22 - Game 4 at Milwaukee, 2 p.m. (TNT, FSW)
Monday, April 24 - Game 5 at Toronto, 6 p.m. (NBA TV, FSW), if necessary
Thursday, April 27 - Game 6 at Milwaukee, TBD (FSW), if necessary
Saturday, April 29 - Game 7 at Toronto, TBD (TNT, FSW), if necessary
USA Today Playoff Previews
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Chicago Bulls
No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Indiana Pacers
No. 3 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks
No. 4 Washington Wizards vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks
WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies