Terrance Jerod Ford Sr. (born March 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Having been awarded numerous top basketball accolades in high school and college, Ford entered the 2003 NBA draft and was selected eighth overall by the Bucks. Ford's recurring back injuries resulted in him missing many games in his three seasons with the Bucks, but in 2005, it was announced that he was fit to play basketball again. Ford was traded to the Raptors prior to the 2006–07 NBA season, and established himself as the starting point guard, helping the team win the Atlantic Division crown and reach the 2007 NBA Playoffs. Following an injury sustained in the 2007–08 NBA season, however, Ford had difficulties reclaiming the starting spot and was traded to the Indiana Pacers. He signed with KK Zagreb of Croatia during the 2011 NBA lockout where he appeared in three games. On December 9, 2011, Ford signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
Off the court, Ford set up the T. J. Ford Foundation in 2004 to help participants achieve their academic, personal and civil goals.
Early life
Born in Houston, Texas to Leo and Mary Ford, Terrance Jerod Ford was nicknamed "T. J." at birth by his mother.texassports.com biography , texassports.com, accessed February 23, 2010. From a young age, Ford dreamed of being a basketball player, having also witnessed his home team Houston Rockets win back-to-back championships in the 1990s. Ford first played competitive basketball at Willowridge High School, and helped Willowridge to a 75–1 win–loss record (including a 62-game winning streak) in his final two seasons, earning a pair of Texas Class 5A state titles in the process.T. J. Ford Info Page - Bio , nba.com, accessed April 29, 2007.Jay, Paul, "Ford the new engine for high-octane Raptors", cbc.ca, October 31, 2006, accessed September 4, 2007. Subsequently, Ford was diagnosed with spinal stenosis,Brady, Erik, "Ford motors toward NBA return", usatoday.com, October 30, 2005, accessed April 29, 2007. but he went on to play basketball for the Texas Longhorns for the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons.
In his first season at Texas, Ford not only led the team in steals and minutes per game, he became the first freshman player in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 per game).Prospect Profile: T. J. Ford, nba.com/draft2003, accessed September 1, 2007. Ford's play ensured that Texas made it to the Sweet Sixteen, while he recorded 15 double-digit assist games, and was named a consensus Big 12 Freshman of the Year. In 2003, the sophomore was third in the nation in assists (7.7 per game), and led the Longhorns in scoring, assists and steals. Ford was also the South Regional MVP while leading Texas to its first Final Four since 1947. At the end of the season, the consensus First Team All-America selection won the prestigious Naismith College Player of the Year and John Wooden awards, and was named Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, ESPN.com and CBS SportsLine. To honor Ford, his #11 jersey was retired by his university, making him the fourth University of Texas athlete in any sport (and the first basketball player) to have such an honor, joining Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, and Roger Clemens.Melanie Boehm, "Ford gets No. 11 jersey retired one season after Final Four berth" , dailytexanonline.com, February 9, 2004, accessed April 29, 2007. In 2017, he graduated from the University of Texas, earning a bachelor's degree from Texas in youth and community studies, with a minor in educational psychology.
NBA career
Rookie season Having felt he had nothing more to prove at college level, Ford decided to turn professional after his second year of college and enter the 2003 NBA draft, and was heralded by NBA.com as having "the prescient ability to see the play before it happens, like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird". Ford was picked eighth in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in a very strong draft class, which featured future NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. In his first season, he led the Bucks in assists with 6.5 assists per game, while tallying 7.1 points per game (ppg).T. J. Ford Info Page - Career Stats and Totals , nba.com, accessed September 8, 2007. Ford was also selected to the NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team.TJ Ford, hoopshype.com, b accessed September 3, 2007. However, he played in only 55 games that season before an injury forced him to miss the final 26 games of the regular season and the 2004 NBA Playoffs. The injury occurred on February 24, 2004, during a home game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves where he fell on his tail bone after being fouled by center Mark Madsen. He suffered a contusion of the spinal cord, a career-threatening injury.
Injury woes Ford sat out the entire 2004–05 season due to his spinal cord injury. In June 2005, a statement was released by Dr. Robert Watkins of the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute that said Ford had made a complete recovery."Ford Cleared For Full-Contact Basketball", nba.com/bucks, June 27, 2005, accessed April 29, 2007. The point guard had trained intensively for months in his hometown of Houston under the supervision of former NBA player John Lucas; together they worked on Ford's shooting, stamina, and strength. Ford rejoined the Bucks when training camp opened, and in his first game back on the court on November 1, 2005, he was one rebound shy of a triple double (with 16 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds in 34 minutes of play) in a 117–108 Milwaukee road win over the Philadelphia 76ers.Bucks 117 76ers 108, nba.com, November 1, 2005, accessed September 4, 2007. As the season progressed Ford showed almost no effects from his injury, playing with the same intensity and hustle as he did in his rookie season. He ended the regular season with 12.2 ppg and 6.6 apg, but found that the Bucks had abandoned a fast-paced style of offense. New coach Terry Stotts was beginning to rely more on the jump shooting of Michael Redd, the post play of Andrew Bogut and Jamaal Magloire, and the playmaking of developing point guard Mo Williams, so that Ford became a less important component of the team.
Fresh start with the Raptors
Following the 2005–06 season, newly appointed Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo overhauled Toronto's roster in preparation for the 2006–07 season. He was looking for a true point guard, and acquired Ford in exchange for promising Raptors forward Charlie Villanueva."Raptors Acquire T. J. Ford and Cash from Milwaukee in Exchange for Villanueva", nba.com/raptors, June 30, 2006, accessed May 5, 2007. This trade was initially criticised by basketball observers as "lopsided" due to Ford's injury history, but Ford was installed as the starting point guard for the Raptors, and together with Chris Bosh, the duo formed the centerpiece of the Raptors' offense.Smalls, Anthony, "The Rebirth of the Raptors", nba.com, April 12, 2007, accessed September 8, 2007.Raptors Post Up, nba.com/raptors, March 21, 2007, accessed September 8, 2007. Ford also forged a solid partnership with sophomore and fellow point guard José Calderón, the latter backing him up when Ford was injured for several games in the middle of the season. Apart from his quick speed (Ford was voted the fastest player in the NBA in a 2007 Sports Illustrated survey of 271 NBA players),SI Players Poll, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, February 20, 2007, accessed April 29, 2007. Ford's clutch play was instrumental for the Raptors throughout his inaugural season. On December 20, 2006, he scored the winning basket against the Los Angeles ClippersRaptors 98 Clippers 96, nba.com, December 20, 2006, accessed September 4, 2007. and two days later, converted almost every shot in overtime and provided the vital assist in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers.Raptors 101 Trailblazers 100, nba.com, December 22, 2006, accessed September 4, 2007. Ford's clutch play was again evident in a 120–119 overtime win against the Seattle SuperSonics on March 11, 2007, when he scored almost all of the team's overtime points.Sonics 119 Raptors 120, nba.com, March 11, 2007, accessed September 4, 2007. His form continued when he equaled his career-high of 18 assists in a game against the New York Knicks on March 14, 2007 — one short of the Raptors franchise record set by Damon Stoudamire.Raptors Post Up, nba.com/raptors, March 14, 2007, accessed April 29, 2007. Ford ended the 2006–07 regular season with 14.0 ppg and 7.9 apg, both career highs, and was also credited with bringing the Raptors to their first playoff berth in five years, as well as helping them clinch their first ever Division title.Smith, Doug, "Ford has rough ride to playoffs", thestar.com, April 20, 2007, accessed April 29, 2007. In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, he averaged 16.0 ppg and 4.0 apg, but Toronto lost four games to two to the New Jersey Nets in the first round.Jefferson, Nets Eliminate Raptors, nba.com/playoffs2007, May 5, 2007, accessed September 4, 2007.
Prior to the 2007–08 season, Ford focused on improving his turnover-to-assist ratio.Smith, Doug, "Being a better leader Ford's focus", thestar.com, October 19, 2007, accessed October 21, 2007. When the season began, coach Sam Mitchell continued to rotate between Ford and Calderón to good effect. On December 11, 2007, following a flagrant foul committed by Al Horford, Ford suffered what appeared to be a serious injury in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. He was conscious but did not appear to move before he was strapped to a stretcher and wheeled off the court.Odum, Charles, "Ford Seriously Injured as Raptors Finish Off Hawks", nba.com, December 11, 2007, accessed December 12, 2007. In his absence, Calderón earned rave reviews for his performances and surpassed Ford as the starting point guard for the Raptors. However, after spending several weeks with his old trainer John Lucas in Houston, Ford made his return on February 4, 2008, to the bench.Millson, Larry, "Raptors romp in Ford's return", globesports.com, February 5, 2008, accessed February 5, 2008. By the end of the season, there was much speculation that the Raptors would try to trade Ford, originally a central piece of the Raptors' long-term plans, and rebuild their team around the more efficient Calderón. In the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Toronto was pitted against the Orlando Magic in the first round and the perception was that Toronto's depth at the point guard position could prove to be key. While Ford played poorly in the first two games which the Raptors lost, he was pivotal in the third, bringing the series score to 2–1.Raptors Cut Magic's Lead to 2-1, nba.com, April 25, 2008, accessed May 1, 2008. The Raptors, however, were eliminated in five games, and the coaches' decision not to deploy Ford to close out games during the playoffs—coupled with Ford's subsequent alleged refusal to play backup on the team—led to further speculation about his future.Smith, Doug, "Colangelo: Sam's safe 'for now'", thestar.com, April 30, 2008, accessed May 1, 2008.Perkins, Dave, "Point guard protocol top Raps issue next season", thestar.com, April 30, 2008, accessed May 1, 2008.
Moving to Indiana