Terry Dischinger
Encyclopedia
Terence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger (born November 21, 1940 in Terre Haute, Indiana
) is a retired American basketball
player in the NBA
. He currently practices orthodontics
.
, track and basketball while attending Garfield High School in Terre Haute. He was a member of Terre Haute's 1955 Babe Ruth League world championship baseball
team.
where he played basketball under head coach, Ray Eddy. In his first varsity season as a sophomore, the 6'7", 190 lb guard/forward was named a Second Team All-American, leading the Boilermakers
by averaging 26.3 points and 14.3 rebounds a game. On January 9, 1960, Terry pulled down 26 rebounds against Wisconsin
, the second most in a game behind Carl McNulty's school record of 27 in 1951.
During his junior season, Dischinger was named a First Team All-American and led the conference in scoring with 28.2 points and 13.4 rebounds a game. He made a single-game school record 21 free throws against Iowa
on February 27, 1961.
On Christmas Day in 1961, Terry scored a career high 52 points against Michigan State
, which included 19 field goals and 14 free throws. It broke Jerry Lucas
' prior Big Ten Conference
record of 48. In his last college game against Michigan
on March 12, Terry, who was playing with a sprained ankle
, scored 30 points. His 459 total points in his senior year led the conference in scoring for a third consecutive season. He was named a second straight First Team All-American while leading the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 30.3 points, and in rebounds, with 13.4 rebounds a game. He attempted a single-season school record 350 free throws in his senior season.
At the end of his college career, Dischinger held almost every Purdue scoring record, but many were broken by the likes of Dave Schellhase
and Rick Mount
within that next decade. He currently holds school records for nine 40+ point games, 713 made free throws with 871 attempeted, 14.3 rebounds a game and the second most in a career with 958 behind Joe Barry Carroll
's 1,148 mark. Terry averaged 28.3 points a game in his three varsity seasons, in which he led the conference. He's currently the sixth highest scorer in Boilermaker history with a total of 1,979 points. Dischinger was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1989, and more recently, to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 as part of the 1960 United States Olympic team.
under head coach Pete Newell
. As a starting guard/forward, he was teamed with future NBA Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson
, Jerry West
, and Jerry Lucas
. The team was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
in 1962 by the Chicago Zephyrs
. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award
in the 1962-1963 season
after averaging 25.5 points and eight rebound
s per game. After his rookie season, Dischinger and the Zephrys moved to Baltimore and changed their name to the Baltimore Bullets. In his second season, Dischinger averaged 20.8 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. In his third season in the NBA, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons
and averaged 18.2 points a game, and Dischinger was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the third consecutive season.
Following his third NBA season, Dischinger spent the next two years serving in the United States Army
, where he continued to play basketball and was named MVP for the Army all-Pacific team, served as a coach of the all-Army basketball team, and coached a State Department
team on a tour of Central America
in 1966.
After returning to the NBA in 1967, he returned to the Pistons, where he played for the next five seasons. During the 1971-72 season, he coached in two games as a player-coach
at the age of 31. Terry played for the Portland Trail Blazers
during the 1972-73 seasons before retiring after nine seasons playing in the NBA. He holds career averages of 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds a game, and a .506 field goal percentage.
and with his wife Mary, returned to Portland, where he had ended his NBA career to begin an orthodontic practice in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego
.
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
) is a retired American basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He currently practices orthodontics
Orthodontics
Orthodontics, orthodontia, or orthodonture is the first specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions , which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both...
.
High school career
The son of a football coach, Dischinger also earned All-State honors in footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, track and basketball while attending Garfield High School in Terre Haute. He was a member of Terre Haute's 1955 Babe Ruth League world championship baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team.
College career
Dischinger attended Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
where he played basketball under head coach, Ray Eddy. In his first varsity season as a sophomore, the 6'7", 190 lb guard/forward was named a Second Team All-American, leading the Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
by averaging 26.3 points and 14.3 rebounds a game. On January 9, 1960, Terry pulled down 26 rebounds against Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....
, the second most in a game behind Carl McNulty's school record of 27 in 1951.
During his junior season, Dischinger was named a First Team All-American and led the conference in scoring with 28.2 points and 13.4 rebounds a game. He made a single-game school record 21 free throws against Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball
The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...
on February 27, 1961.
On Christmas Day in 1961, Terry scored a career high 52 points against Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
, which included 19 field goals and 14 free throws. It broke Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
' prior Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
record of 48. In his last college game against Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
on March 12, Terry, who was playing with a sprained ankle
Sprained ankle
A sprained ankle, also known as an ankle sprain, twisted ankle, rolled ankle, ankle injury or ankle ligament injury, is a common medical condition where one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is torn or partially torn.-Cause:...
, scored 30 points. His 459 total points in his senior year led the conference in scoring for a third consecutive season. He was named a second straight First Team All-American while leading the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 30.3 points, and in rebounds, with 13.4 rebounds a game. He attempted a single-season school record 350 free throws in his senior season.
At the end of his college career, Dischinger held almost every Purdue scoring record, but many were broken by the likes of Dave Schellhase
Dave Schellhase
Dave Schellhase is a retired American collegiate basketball coach and basketball player in the National Basketball Association .-Evansville North:...
and Rick Mount
Rick Mount
Richard Carl Mount is a former American basketball player in the American Basketball Association . He was the first high school athlete to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.-Early life:...
within that next decade. He currently holds school records for nine 40+ point games, 713 made free throws with 871 attempeted, 14.3 rebounds a game and the second most in a career with 958 behind Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA.-1974–1976:...
's 1,148 mark. Terry averaged 28.3 points a game in his three varsity seasons, in which he led the conference. He's currently the sixth highest scorer in Boilermaker history with a total of 1,979 points. Dischinger was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is a sports museum and hall of fame in New Castle, Indiana. It honors men and women associated with high school, college and professional basketball in Indiana....
in 1989, and more recently, to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 as part of the 1960 United States Olympic team.
1960 Olympics
Dischinger was selected to the USA men's basketball team that won a gold medal in the 1960 Rome OlympicsBasketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. 16 nations were admitted into the Olympic tournament, with many others being eliminated in a pre-Olympic tournament held earlier in the year from 13 to 20 August 1960 at the Sports Palace at Bologna...
under head coach Pete Newell
Pete Newell
Peter Francis Newell was an American college men's basketball coach and basketball instructional coach. He coached for 15 years at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley, compiling an overall record of 234 wins and 123 losses...
. As a starting guard/forward, he was teamed with future NBA Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
, Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
, and Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
. The team was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Professional career
Dischinger was the first pick of the second round of the NBA DraftNBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
in 1962 by the Chicago Zephyrs
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
in the 1962-1963 season
1962-63 NBA season
The 1962–63 NBA season was the 17th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 5th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.- History :...
after averaging 25.5 points and eight rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s per game. After his rookie season, Dischinger and the Zephrys moved to Baltimore and changed their name to the Baltimore Bullets. In his second season, Dischinger averaged 20.8 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. In his third season in the NBA, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
and averaged 18.2 points a game, and Dischinger was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the third consecutive season.
Following his third NBA season, Dischinger spent the next two years serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, where he continued to play basketball and was named MVP for the Army all-Pacific team, served as a coach of the all-Army basketball team, and coached a State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
team on a tour of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
in 1966.
After returning to the NBA in 1967, he returned to the Pistons, where he played for the next five seasons. During the 1971-72 season, he coached in two games as a player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
at the age of 31. Terry played for the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
during the 1972-73 seasons before retiring after nine seasons playing in the NBA. He holds career averages of 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds a game, and a .506 field goal percentage.
After basketball
Following his retirement from basketball in 1973, Dischinger completed dental school in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and with his wife Mary, returned to Portland, where he had ended his NBA career to begin an orthodontic practice in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego is a city located primarily in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Small portions of the city are also located in neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located south of Portland surrounding the Oswego Lake, the town was founded in 1847 and incorporated as Oswego in...
.