Terry Rozier

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Rozier was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on March 17, 1994. His father, Terry Rozier Sr., was sent to prison for eight years when Rozier Jr. was two months old. In 2005, shortly after Rozier Sr. was released from prison, Rozier Jr. spent a few months with his father before his father was arrested again on charges of involuntary manslaughter for his involvement in a robbery and kidnapping from 2003 that had led to the accidental death of an accomplice. Rozier Sr. was then sentenced to 13 years in prison. As a result, Rozier was raised primarily by his mother, Gina Tucker, and his grandmother, Amanda Tucker, alongside his brother and half-sister. Rozier starred at Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, graduating in 2012. In his senior year, Rozier averaged 25.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.7 steals per game while leading Shaker to a 21–3 record and taking them to the regional semifinals as a senior for the first time since 2002. He was named an All-Lake Erie League selection for three years and was 74th in recruiting ranking on ESPNU's Top 100 Players list in 2012. As Rozier had to improve his grades, Rozier initially played at Hargrave Military Academy before joining Louisville. In his 2012–13 campaign at Hargrave, Rozier averaged 29.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists while the team went 38–8; he also earned the 2012 Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic MVP and placed second in the dunk and three-point contest that season. As a freshman at Louisville in 2013–14, Rozier averaged 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 37 games and made the AAC All-Rookie Team. As a sophomore in 2014–15, Rozier led the Cardinals in scoring with 17.1 points per game and was named second-team All-ACC. On March 30, 2015, Rozier and Louisville teammate Montrezl Harrell declared for the 2015 NBA draft.

In Their Own Story

On December 7, 2017, while still with Boston, Rozier logged his first career triple-double in his first NBA start against the New York Knicks, recording 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He became just the second player in NBA history to achieve this feat on debut, joining Tony Wroten. Two days later, in his second career start, he scored a then-career-high 31 points against the Atlanta Hawks. His clutch performance continued into the playoffs; in Game 7 of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Rozier scored 26 points to secure a victory. In the Eastern Conference Finals Game 6, he added 28 points despite a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. These moments defined his early career before moving to Charlotte, where he continued to lead the team in scoring and play-in appearances until his trade to Miami.

Reader's Guide

On June 25, 2015, Rozier was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. On July 27, 2015, he signed his rookie-scale contract with the Celtics. During his rookie season, Rozier received multiple assignments to the Maine Red Claws, Boston's D-League affiliate. He appeared in 39 regular season games for the Celtics in 2015–16, scoring a season-high seven points twice. In his first playoff game, Rozier scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting against the Atlanta Hawks. On November 12, 2016, Rozier scored a career-high 11 points in a 105–99 victory over the Indiana Pacers. He topped that mark nine days later, scoring 12 points in a 99–93 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On December 7, Rozier scored a career-high 16 points in a 117–87 victory over the Orlando Magic. On March 19, 2017, he recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 105–99 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On November 24, 2017, Rozier scored a career-high 23 points in a 118–103 victory over the Orlando Magic. On December 18, he made a steal and go-ahead dunk with 1.5 seconds remaining that gave the Celtics a narrow 112–111 victory over the Indiana Pacers. On January 31, Rozier logged his first career triple-double in his first NBA start to help the Celtics to a 103–73 victory over the New York Knicks, recording 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists while becoming just the second player in NBA history with a triple-double in his first start, joining Tony Wroten, who set the initial record on November 13, 2013, with the Philadelphia 76ers. Two days later, in his second career start, Rozier scored a career-high 31 points in a 119–110 win over the Hawks. On March 25, in his sixth start in place of the injured Kyrie Irving, Rozier scored a career-high 33 points in a 104–93 victory over the Sacramento Kings. He also had five rebounds and three assists. In Game 2 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Rozier scored 23 points in helping Boston take a 2–0 series lead with a 120–106 victory. In Game 7, Rozier scored 26 points in a 112–96 victory over the Bucks. In Game 1 of their second-round series against the 76ers, Rozier recorded 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 117–101 victory. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Rozier scored 28 points in a 109–99 loss to the Cleveland Cavalier

Did You Know?

• Rozier became only the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first start, joining Tony Wroten.
• Rozier scored a career-high 43 points for the Hornets on May 9, 2021, in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
• Rozier was arrested by the FBI in October 2025 for alleged involvement in an illegal gambling scheme.