Terry Cummings

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Chicago and a graduate of Carver High School, Cummings attended DePaul University from 1979 to 1982. He averaged 16.4 points per game over 85 games and entered the 1982 NBA draft after departing from school. He was selected in the first round by the San Diego Clippers as the second overall pick. In his rookie season, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after putting up 23.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. After the 1983–84 season, Cummings was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he would continue to average above 20 points and 8 rebounds for four out of his five years on the team. As a Buck, Cummings was selected to play in the 1984–85 and 1988–89 NBA All-Star Games. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on May 28, 1989. He would remain in San Antonio for six years. In November 1995, he rejoined the Milwaukee Bucks. In January 1997 he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics as a free agent. He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in September 1997, then was dealt to the New York Knicks just before the trade deadline in February 1998. Before the lockout ending in 1999, he was traded by the Knicks to the Golden State Warriors. He played two seasons for the Warriors, closing out his career. Although selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1988 Expansion Draft, Cummings was traded to the San Antonio Spurs before ever playing a game for Charlotte.

In Their Own Story

In April 1986, Cummings led the Milwaukee Bucks past the Philadelphia 76ers in a grueling seven-game series. Despite playing through a dislocated finger, he scored 27 points in the decisive Game 7 victory over Julius Erving and his team. The narrative continues into January 1987, where Cummings produced what is described as arguably the best game of his career against the Dallas Mavericks. With teammates Sidney Moncrief and Paul Pressey out injured, Cummings recorded a triple-double with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, while adding a career-high 6 steals in a 124–122 loss. Later that season, on May 10, he scored 31 points in an overtime Game 4 of the Eastern Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, though Milwaukee ultimately lost the series in seven games.

Reader's Guide

Terry Cummings never played for the Charlotte Hornets. He was selected by the San Diego Clippers in the 1982 draft and played for the Clippers, Bucks, Spurs, Sonics, 76ers, Knicks, and Warriors. He was a two-time NBA All-Star (1985 and 1989) and in 1989 he represented the Milwaukee Bucks, not the Charlotte Hornets. His jersey number is not specified in the source.

Did You Know?

• Cummings scored a career-high 52 points in a 129–95 win over the Charlotte Hornets while playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
• In the 1985 NBA playoffs, Cummings outpointed then-rookie Michael Jordan 29.9 to 29.3 in a 3–1 series win for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Chicago Bulls.
• Cummings recorded a triple double with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, plus a career-high 6 steals, in a 124–122 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on January 16, 1987.
• Cummings has been an ordained Pentecostal minister since 1977 and performed the wedding of former teammate Sean Elliott.
• He released an album, T.C. Finally, in early 2007, of songs which he wrote, sang, and played keyboards.