Terry Fair (basketball)

Terrell DeWayne Fair[1] (June 25, 1960 – January 30, 2020) was an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Georgia before playing professionally in Israel. A two-time Israeli Basketball Premier League champion and Israeli State Cup winner. In 2013 he was inducted in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Fair died at age 59 in his hometown of Macon, Georgia.

This article is about the former basketball player. For the football coach and former player, see Terry Fair.
Terry Fair
Personal information
Born(1960-06-25)June 25, 1960
Macon, Georgia
DiedJanuary 30, 2020(2020-01-30) (aged 59)
Macon, Georgia
NationalityAmerican / Israeli
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolSouthwest Macon (Macon, Georgia)
CollegeGeorgia (1979–1983)
NBA draft1983: 4th round, 72nd overall pick
Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Playing career1983–1996
PositionPower forward / center
Career history
1985–1988Elitzur Netanya
1989–1990Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin
1990–1991Hapoel Holon
1991–1992A.S. Ramat Hasharon
1992–1993Hapoel Tel Aviv
1993–1995Maccabi Tel Aviv
1995–1996Maccabi Jerusalem
Career highlights and awards

Early life and college career

Fair attended Southwest Macon High School in Macon, Georgia, where he was named a consensus All-American as a senior after he led the Patriots to the 1979 national championship while averaging 21.1 points and 15.2 rebounds per game.[2]

Fair played four years of college basketball for the University of Georgia. Fair, alongside Dominique Wilkins, LaVon Mercer, Derrick Floyd and Lamar Heard, helped lead the Bulldogs reach numerous firsts during their careers. Georgia earned its first postseason bid ever in 1981 with an invitation to the NIT. The Bulldogs returned to the NIT in 1982 and advanced to the semifinals at the Madison Square Garden.[2] The following season, he led Georgia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance and only Final Four in school history.[3] He scored a career-high 27 points in a win against St. John's in the Sweet 16. Fair averaged 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in four seasons.[4] Fair completed his career as the Bulldogs' all-time leader in steals (194) and games played (123) and also ranked No. 2 in rebounds (923), No. 4 in points (1,492) and No. 9 in assists (177). Fair still ranks No. 2 in rebounds, No. 10 in points and No. 6 in steals.[2] In 1983, Fair was a third-team All-SEC selection.[5]

College statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1979–80 Georgia 2735.0.544–.71210.01.2––13.6
1980–81 Georgia 3135.5.553–.7357.71.41.30.512.5
1981–82 Georgia 312728.5.509–.6166.11.31.20.78.8
1982–83 Georgia 343330.6.534–.6636.61.62.11.313.6
Career 12332.3.536–.6827.51.41.50.912.1

Professional career; Israeli Basketball Premier League

Fair was selected in the fourth round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers but never played for the team.[3]

He played three seasons for Elitzur Netanya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League as a naturalized Israeli.[6] On March 27, 1986, Fair recorded a career-high 32 points in game 2 of the 1986 Israeli League Finals series, where they eventually lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv.[7] Fair finished his first season with Netanya averaging 15.9 points.

Fair later joined Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin, Hapoel Holon, A.S. Ramat Hasharon, and Hapoel Tel Aviv, with whom he won the 1993 Israeli State Cup. In the summer of 1993, Fair signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, with whom he won the Israeli League championship title for two consecutive years. Fair finished his professional career with Maccabi Jerusalem.[8]

Death

On January 30, 2020, Fair died of natural causes at age 59 in his hometown of Macon, Georgia.[3][9]

References
  1. "Terrell "Terry" DeWayne Fair 1960 - 2020". lastingmemories.com. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  2. "Bulldog Great Terry Fair Passes Away". GeorgiaDogs.com. January 31, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  3. "Terry Fair, who led Georgia's lone Final Four run, dies at 59". ESPN. Associated Press. January 31, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  4. Towers, Chip (January 31, 2020). "Georgia basketball star Terry Fair dies". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  5. 2018–19 Georgia Men's Basketball Media Guide, 2018, p. 201.
  6. "עונת 1985/6 - אליצור נתניה - נוסטלגיה". NatanyaBasketball (in Hebrew). Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  7. "סדרת הגמר משחק מספר 2 - מכבי תל אביב - אליצור נתניה". basket.co.il (in Hebrew). March 27, 1986. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  8. "מנהלת ליגת העל בכדורסל - טרי פייר". basket.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  9. Associated Press (January 31, 2020). "Former Georgia basketball star Terry Fair dies at 59". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
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