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NBA FINALS: HEAT v MAVERICKS

June 7, 2006

Jason Terry

DALLAS, TEXAS: Practice Day

Q. Can you just talk about what you believe you guys have done well to get to this point in The Finals, the type of play you've had and the chemistry of this team?
JASON TERRY: I thought first and foremost we started out in training camp believing in each other and believing in our system, and that belief has definitely been a part of why we're here now.
You know, getting back to defense, our motto is defense wins championships, and we definitely played some great defense this season.
Another thing is perseverance. We persevered through a lot of injuries through this season. Whoever was inserted in the lineup came out ready and came out prepared to play and play well.
Q. Talk about how Dirk, what he's been able to do in the playoffs and how he's lead you guys?
JASON TERRY: Dirk, MVP. That's how we sum that up. Dirk is definitely the Most Valuable Player to us in our eyes, and what he's been able to do in this playoffs is elevate his game to another level. He was playing terrific in the regular season and now you can really see it in his eyes, the determination, the sheer will to want to take his team to another level. And he's been able to do that. No question about him and his leadership the last two years; he's been great. He's definitely one of our leaders on this team.
Q. Do you see him getting respect among the league's greats yet?
JASON TERRY: Oh, I think so, in time. And legends are built in the playoffs and in these championship series. You know, he's definitely working towards that status.
Q. Your mantra is defense, but what did it mean to you to get back to an offensive point guard this year and re-expand your game?
JASON TERRY: Well, my role was spelled out for me this summer, you know, after last year's playoffs, the success we had, and then spending a lot of time with Coach Avery. He let me know what my role was, and that was to be the quarterfinal of his team, be aggressive, look to score and just play my game. That's what he brought me here to do and he's given me that freedom all year long. That's helped me all year long with my confidence.
Q. Looking back at your last series, your offense came back in the last game and a half, what are you looking for this series?
JASON TERRY: Just looking to maintain that aggressiveness, that assertiveness out there on the floor. You know, shooters are going to go through spans where they might not make two or three or four in a row. But you've got to keep taking your shots. For my team to be successful, I have to be aggressive, I have to be in attack mode at all times. And I learned a lot about that in the last series.
Q. Your first year in Atlanta, you had a headless ownership, it was -- you never had anybody to deal with, you come here to Dallas, you get Mark Cuban, one of the most outspoken guys, talk about what that's been like?
JASON TERRY: It's definitely a blessing and a joy to have an owner like Mark because he's very hands-on. You see him on the plane, in practices, in the huddles with you during the game, right there with you in the fire rooting you on. That means a lot.
In Atlanta, we didn't know who was in control, who was running the show and most of the time you expect your owners to be up in the booths somewhere, up in the offices, but that's not Mark. Mark is hands-on and he's going to be right there with you and that says a lot about him and his personality. And another thing is he's a fan of the game, he really cares about the game itself and its players.
Q. Can you reflect on the play that Dirk made at the end of regulation against the Spurs, and what eventually that play could mean to his legacy?
JASON TERRY: Unbelievable. Just sheer determination and will, and that's something we've been trying to get Dirk to do all season long, the coaching staff, the players, just to make that good, strong, hard move and go in there and finish strong.
You can see it in his eyes when he caught the ball that he was not going to settle for no jumpshot on that move. That was the move that's going to be talked about for years and years and that propelled us to move on, not only to Phoenix, but to this championship series.
Q. Can you talk about the lineup with you and Devin, so productive in the San Antonio series, playing so well through the playoffs, is it going to be a little harder because of Miami's size in the backcourt to keep you together as long or do you feel the speed compensates for any lack of size that you guys have?
JASON TERRY: Not at all. It's definitely a lineup we feel comfortable playing regardless of the size issue. We counteract that with speed.
Give Coach Johnson a lot of credit. He prepares us, he puts us out there in situation where we'll be successful and our speed is definitely superior when we're out there together.
Q. Can you talk about what Avery has been able to do in just one season in his first full season and how he has brought you guys to this level?
JASON TERRY: It's obvious what he's done. You can see it out there on the floor. First of all, he's changed the face of the Mavericks. You know, we are now a defensive ballclub, but he still did that with keeping our offense out there. We're not scoring in the 60s, 70s, we play at our pace and we always talk about that. He's made us believers. He's made the city believe that we can win a championship and that says a lot. We are a direct descent of Avery out there on the court. His personality is definitely what this team is all about. They used to have a saying that the Mavericks were soft and that was their label, but I don't think that's the case anymore.
Q. You talked about Dirk's leadership. Evident on the court; what is it like off the court and in the locker room?
JASON TERRY: Dirk is funny. Dirk is a guy that keeps everybody loose, maybe kind of too loose at times and I have to kind of rein him in. I'm his locker mate, I sit next to him, we go back and forth all the time about picking your spots and when to be loose and when not to. His work ethic, it shows, we all see. I'm in late at night shooting with him, just putting in the extra work and you see it paying off when he's out there scoring 50 and when he gets the ball in Game 7 driving to the line, all that hard work and dedication has paid off and that's why he is the leader of this team.
Q. Given his background, where he comes from, what did you really think when you first got here of him?
JASON TERRY: Well, first of all, I thought he was kind of a crazy nut because he's always singing, he's dancing, he always has something to say out of the ordinary.
Then when you get to know him a little better, it's just him. That's his personality. He's a fun-loving guy. He's a 27-year-old, and he's got a 19-year-old attitude. It's all about the game for him. He just loves to play the game. That's one thing I admire about him.
Q. Is that something that you had to see for yourself being a teammate?
JASON TERRY: Yeah, you had to see that. Not knowing him, from the outside looking in, playing against him, for four or five years, he looked kind of reserved, like he didn't talk much, he was just a player that wanted to come to work, get the job done and leave. But getting to know him, he's much more than that.
Q. Slick Watts, tell me what influence he's had on your career.
JASON TERRY: Wow.
Q. Obviously the head band. Is that why you wear the head band?
JASON TERRY: Yeah, that's why I ware the head band. Went to school in third grade, first day of school, P.E. class, lo and behold it's Slick Watts in the gym dribbling a basketball, unbelievable for me as a kid growing up in the city of Seattle, obviously the Super Sonics was my team and he was on a championship team and I idolized him and that's why I'm playing basketball today. All we did in P.E. class was play basketball. There was no other sport played.
Q. Did he coach any of your teams?
JASON TERRY: He actually coached one team I played on with his son in about 7th grade. But I always see slick around in the city and we've still got a good relationship.

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