NBA.com: Jerome Kersey Bio

Jerome Kersey came from obscure Longwood College to a position of prominence as a starter on Portland Trail Blazers teams that twice made it to the NBA Finals. In his prime, the solidly built forward was terrific on the fast break, a tough rebounder and defender and an effective shooter. More recently he has been a productive reserve for the Lakers, Sonics and Spurs, finally earning a championship ring with San Antonio in 1999. At Longwood he was a four-year force, setting school records for points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots while shooting .570 from the floor. As a senior in 1983-84 he averaged 19.6 points, and his rebounding mark of 14.2 boards per game led all NCAA Division II players. Still a relative unknown at the time of the 1984 NBA Draft, Kersey lasted deep into the second round before being scooped up by the Blazers with the 46th overall pick. After two seasons of adjustment, Kersey reeled off seven consecutive campaigns averaging in double figures. Statistically, his best year was 1987-88, when he averaged 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds. Kersey was well-suited to Portland's running style of play. Big, fast and athletic, Kersey halped the Blazers become an elite team for three seasons, 1989-90 through 1991-92, during which they won 59, 63 and 57 regular-season games, respectively, made two trips to the NBA Finals and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. As a starter from a small school, Kersey joined Terry Porter (from Wisconsin-Stevens Point) and Kevin Duckworth (from Eastern Illinois) on the Portland squad. In the following years the development of Clifford Robinson shifted Kersey to a reserve role, and his output steadily decreased. His playing days in Portland finally came to an end when the Blazers left him unprotected in the 1995 NBA Expansion Draft, and he was picked up by the Toronto Raptors. Though selected by Toronto, Kersey signed with the Golden State Warriors as a veteran free agent on October 18, 1995. He started 58 games and came off the bench in 18 more in 1995-96, averaging 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.3 minutes. The Warriors renounced their rights to Kersey on July 22, 1996 and he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers on August 12. He appeared in 70 games for the Lakers in 1996-97, making 44 starts, and got his most playing time in five years while averaging 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25.2 minutes. Prior to the 1997-98 season, Kersey signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics. He played in 37 games, averaging 6.3 ppg, but missed more than half the season due to foot and shoulder injuries. Kersey signed with the San Antonio Spurs as a free agent on January 21, 1999 and provided frontcourt depth and experience in the team's title run. He appeared in 45 games, all off the bench, and averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game, all career-lows.

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Posted 12 points and 9 rebounds in a 103-98 OT win over the L.A. Lakers on 4/19 Netted 14 points in a 92-80 win over Minnesota on 1/27

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Recorded 10 points (5-8 FG) and 3 rebounds in a 103-91 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 4/1 Registered 9 points (4-5 FG) and 4 rebounds in a 114-85 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 3/6

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Totaled 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists in a 110-98 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 4/14 Recorded 12 points and 7 rebounds in a 107-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on 4/2 Posted a season-high 18 points (8-10 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a 133-109 win over the Washington Wizards on 3/25 Grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds and added 5 points in a 114-80 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 3/14 On the injured list from 1/29 to 3/13, missing 18 games, due to a left shoulder separation On the injured list from 12/2 to 1/17 after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot against the San Antonio Spurs on 11/21 Registered 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in a 119-99 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on 11/16 Totaled 11 points (5-8 FG), 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a 112-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on 11/9

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
Joining his third team in three seasons, Kersey played a surprisingly important role for the Lakers in 1996-97, playing in 70 games and making 44 starts. Because injuries and trades kept the Lakers' roster in flux, he logged his most playing time in five seasons and averaged 6.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.70 steals in 25.2 minutes. He ranked third on the team in rebounding and steals and was 20th in the NBA in the latter category. It marked the seventh time in his career that Kersey has compiled at least 100 steals (119), and his steals-to-turnover ratio of 1.61-to-1 was the second-best in the NBA, behind only Chicago's Ron Harper, who had a mark of 1.72-to-1. He matched his career-high of six steals in a game on four separate occasions. Kersey scored a season-high 16 points in a 115-102 victory over Philadelphia on Dec. 29. He twice grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds and had a total of four double-doubles. Kersey appeared as a reserve in all nine of the Lakers' playoff games, averaging 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.00 steals in 23.3 minutes.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
Kersey started 58 games for the Warriors and made 76 appearances overall. He averaged 6.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.20 steals in 21.3 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 16 points in 24 minutes against Vancouver on March 5 and grabbed 14 rebounds in 43 minutes, both season highs, at Houston on March 19. In the final 16 games of the season he averaged 9.8 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 31.1 mpg. Kersey scored in double figures 19 times, including 11 of the last 16 games. However, after the season the Warriors renounced their rights to Kersey and he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
In his 11th season in the league, Kersey was a substitute on a Portland Trail Blazers team that had an abundance of talented forwards. He appeared in 63 games, averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. His total of 1,143 minutes was the lowest since his rookie campaign. The latter part of the season was the most productive for Kersey. He averaged more than 9 points in his last 49 games (including the playoffs), compared with an average of 3.4 points in his first 17 contests. The playoff-tested Kersey was the team s fourth-leading scorer (12.7 ppg) in the postseason, although the Blazers were swept by the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Kersey reached the 10,000-career points mark during the season, becoming only the fourth Portland player to do so. He also grabbed his 5,000th career rebound and finished the year ranked near the top in many of Portland s career categories, including games played (second), minutes (third), scoring (third), rebounding (second), assists (sixth), steals (third), field goals made (fourth), and blocked shots (second).

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
Not since his second NBA season in 1985-86 were Kersey s numbers as low as they were in 1993-94. The arrival of Harvey Grant, along with Clifford Robinson s move into the starting lineup, combined to limit Kersey s playing time to only 16.4 minutes per game. He responded with averages of 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per contest. Still, the 10-year veteran moved into the top five on Portland s all-time scoring list with 9,559 points; only teammates Clyde Drexler (17,136) and Terry Porter (11,018) and former Blazers Jim Paxson (10,003) and Geoff Petrie (9,732) have tallied more points. Kersey s diminished role on the club seemed to mirror Portland s diminished stature in the NBA. Only two years removed from their most recent NBA Finals appearance, the Blazers slowed to a 47-35 record and a first-round exit from the 1994 playoffs. Kersey, previously one of Portland s best postseason performers, managed only 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Kersey logged his lowest scoring average (10.6 ppg) in seven years, as well as the fewest number of games played (65) in his NBA career. This will not be the season Kersey recalls when asked to rank his career highlights. There s nothing enjoyable about sitting on the bench, and that s what Kersey did from December 4 to January 2. Tendinitis in his left knee shelved him for all of that stretch, and pleurisy sidelined him for two games late in the season. Perhaps because he was willing to grin through the injuries, Kersey again was voted Most Inspirational by his teammates. Of course, there s nothing more inspirational than good basketball, and Kersey still played plenty of that. He scored in double figures in 38 games and hit at least 20 points four times. Portland was 34-16 (.680) in games Kersey started. The 6-foot-7 forward was the Blazers leader in field-goal percentage (.524) in their four-game playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in that series.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
If Kersey could have performed any better in the postseason, it s not exactly clear what he would have done. Indeed, he missed the final three games of the regular season with a contusion to his left shoulder and a sore right ankle, but there was a job to be done 21 playoff games lay ahead. Kersey shrugged off both injuries, and over the next month he averaged 16.2 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting .510 from the field. Even though Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls bumped the Blazers, four games to two, in the NBA Finals, Kersey averaged 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds and clearly showed that when the spotlight was turned on, so was his game. During the regular season, he averaged 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds over 77 games. He collected 10 or more rebounds 26 times and registered 22 double-doubles. He also fouled out of only one game despite averaging 33.2 minutes per contest.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
Durability had been a byword of Kersey s career. He was working on a string of 150 consecutive games played when a strained left calf muscle ended the skein on February 3. He missed a total of nine games because of injury this season. Kersey had another fine regular season, although his scoring average (14.8 ppg) dipped below 16 points for the first time in three campaigns. Nonetheless, he played his usual sterling game when money time rolled around. His season-high 35 points in a game against the Warriors at Golden State on March 19 was 1 shy of his career best. In his final 17 appearances he averaged 16.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting .511 from the floor. The Blazers were knocked out of the Western Conference Finals in six games by the Los Angeles Lakers, but in 16 playoff games Kersey averaged 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in 36.8 minutes per contest. He charted a playoff career-high 34 points against the Utah Jazz on May 9.

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
This season Kersey was uncharacteristically slow out of the gate at least by his standards. He averaged 14.4 points and shot .455 from the floor in the first 41 games of the campaign. That s apparently when he decided to shift into overdrive, as he finished the next 41 games with a 17.5 scoring average on .499 shooting. A starter in all 82 contests, Kersey reached double figures in scoring 73 times. He posted 17 double-doubles in the final 42 games and finished with 25 overall. The Blazers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1977, and Kersey came up big, even if the Detroit Pistons did cop their second of two consecutive NBA Championships. Against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals, Kersey snared a career playoff-high 16 rebounds. Then, in the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, he led the Blazers with averages of 21.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and a .505 field-goal percentage. He didn t let down against the Pistons, either, punching home 33 points in Game 4. All told, Kersey averaged 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in Portland s 21 postseason contests.

1988-1989 REGULAR SEASON
Kersey and Sam Bowie shared the club s Most Inspirational award after Kersey turned in another outstanding season. He was a workhorse in 76 games, averaging 17.5 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds before a sprained ankle and a broken nose sidelined him for the final six games. Kersey notched his first career triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the San Antonio Spurs on February 4. On March 3 he tied a career high with 20 rebounds against Philadelphia. He led Portland in rebounding 26 times. Despite Portland s first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kersey asserted himself as a clutch postseason performer, averaging 20.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.3 steals over the three games.

1987-1988 REGULAR SEASON
The honors began to pour in after Kersey led Portland in rebounding with the highest average (8.3 rpg) since Sam Bowie s 8.6 mark in 1984-85. Kersey came in fifth in the balloting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award and confirmed predictions that he would become a regular in the Blazers lineup. He started the final 73 games and finished the season with a career-best average of 19.2 points per game. Kersey set a career high for points when he knocked down 36 against the Philadelphia 76ers on New Year s Day. He also established a career high for rebounds with 20 against the Denver Nuggets on February 12.

1986-1987 REGULAR SEASON
By now it was beginning to dawn on folks who the Blazers one-two punch might be for some years to come, as Kersey and Clyde Drexler were the only Portland players to see minutes in all 82 regular-season games. While Kersey had chosen the Celtics to beat up on in 1985-86, this year he saved his best for the San Antonio Spurs, scorching them for 28 points on both March 29 and April 19. In eight starts, Kersey averaged 17.4 points and 10.5 rebounds in 37.9 minutes per game. But as fine as he played as a starter, the lion s share of his minutes were still from off the bench. Portland fans voted Kersey Best off the Bench for the season. NBA fans may recall that a young man named Michael Jordan took his high-wire act to the NBA Slam-Dunk Championship this season and won. Kersey was the runner-up.

1985-1986 REGULAR SEASON
In 10 seasons with the Blazers, Kersey would never duplicate the shooting percentage he recorded in his sophomore season in the NBA. He clicked at a team-leading .549 (258-of-470) clip and began to elbow his way toward the starting lineup. He drew the admiration of the Blazers brass with season highs of 22 points against both the Boston Celtics on December 6 and the Los Angeles Clippers on February 1. He was especially tough in Portland s two games against the Celtics, pounding them for a total of 43 points in 58 minutes while shooting .618 (21-of-34) from the floor. Kersey averaged 8.5 points in his 79 regular-season appearances and 5.5 points in four postseason games.

1984-1985 REGULAR SEASON
Jerome Kersey appeared in 77 games for the Portland Trail Blazers after starring at a small NCAA Division II school in Virginia. At Longwood College, Kersey set a host of school records and as a senior averaged 19.6 points and 14.7 rebounds the latter mark ranking him No. 1 in the nation in Division II. Despite his lofty numbers, the professional scouts still wanted to see what he could do against blue-ribbon talent at the Portsmouth Invitational, a showcase for potential NBA talent. He didn t disappoint, finishing as the leading rebounder and a member of the Invitational s All-Star Team. With the Blazers, Kersey posted modest numbers (6.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg) but proved a durable backup for starter Kiki Vandeweghe. He appeared in 77 games, with best efforts of 21 points against the Seattle SuperSonics and 9 rebounds versus the Utah Jazz.