Terry Dischinger obit

Former Trail Blazer and Lake Oswego orthodontist Terry Dischinger passes away

 

He was not on the list.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Former Portland Trail Blazer and Lake Oswego orthodontist Terry Dischinger has passed away, the Portland Trail Blazers announced on Tuesday morning. Dischinger played his final year in the NBA for the Blazers in the 1972-1973 season. The nine-year NBA veteran won Rookie of the Year in 1963. Dischinger was a member of the 1960 U.S. National Team that won a gold medal in Rome. That team was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

After his playing career, Dischinger went into orthodontics, earning his DDS from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry before returning to Portland where he received his orthodontic training at OHSU’s School of Dentistry.

“He was considered one of the most influential orthodontists in the last 40 years, holding numerous patents and traveling the world to teach and influence the next generation of orthodontists,” the Blazers said.

Dischinger practiced orthodontics for more than 30 years in Lake Oswego.

“Terry was a fixture in the Portland community, representing the Trail Blazers at numerous events, and always offering a helping hand to those in need,” the Blazers said.

In 2019, Dischinger was inducted to the College Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, the 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team of which Dischinger was a member, was collectively inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Dischinger practiced orthodontics after his NBA career.

Dischinger attended James A. Garfield High School in Terre Haute, Indiana. The son of the football coach, Dischinger was a 3-year letter winner in basketball and was twice being named the Purple Eagles' MVP. During his senior season (1957–58), he was selected as captain and was the MVP of the 1958 Indiana All-Star team. Dischinger was also a 1958 Parade Magazine All-American.

During his high school career, Dischinger earned all-state honors in basketball, while being coached by Willard Kehrt, and in football and track, being coached by his father, Donas Dischinger. As a high school freshman, he was a member of Terre Haute's 1955 Babe Ruth League world championship baseball team. He was also a member of Garfield High's 1955 IHSAA Sectional Championship team; this was the deepest run Garfield would make during his high school career. City rival, Terre Haute Gerstmeyer Tech, was the main opposition to Garfield during Dischinger's career.

Dischinger attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he played under Coach Ray Eddy in the Big Ten Conference.

Dischinger was selected to the USA men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics under head coach Pete Newell; at age 19, and just finishing his sophomore year of college, he was the youngest member of the team. As a starting guard/forward, he was teamed with future Basketball Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Jerry Lucas.

Dischinger was the first pick of the second round (#8 overall) by the Chicago Zephyrs in the 1962 NBA draft.

Dischinger had an immediate impact in the NBA, as won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in the 1962–63 season, averaging 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 57 games. The Zephyrs finished 25–55 under coaches Jack McMahon (12–26) and Slick Leonard (13–29).

"During my rookie year I wanted to obtain my Chemical Engineering degree from Purdue, so Chicago let me attend school and play on weekends and holidays." Dischinger recalled. "One time after class I left Purdue at 4 PM, taped my ankles in a cab and played that night in San Francisco. It wasn't that tough of a year because I received my degree, the rookie of the year award, and was paid to play the game I loved."

Dischinger was named rookie of the year over four future Hall of Famers, whom he joined on the 1962–63 NBA All-Rookie Team: Zelmo Beaty, Dave DeBusschere, John Havlicek and Chet Walker.

After his rookie season the Zephyrs moved to Baltimore, Maryland and became the Baltimore Bullets (today's Washington Wizards). In his second season, Dischinger averaged 20.8 points and 8.3 rebounds as Baltimore finished 31–49 under Hall of Fame Coach Leonard. Dischinger played alongside future Hall of Famers Walt Bellamy and Rod Thorn, as well as Kevin Loughery, Gene Shue and Sihugo Green.

In his third season in the NBA, Dischinger was traded to the Detroit Pistons. On June 18, 1964 Dischinger was traded by the Bullets with Don Kojis and Rod Thorn to the Pistons for Bob Ferry, Bailey Howell, Les Hunter, Wali Jones and Don Ohl. With Detroit, he averaged 18.2 points a game, and was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the third consecutive season.

Following his third NBA season, Dischinger left the NBA for military service.

"I was in the ROTC in college and was told I could fulfill my commission with the National Guard," said Dischinger. "But I ended up serving for two years in Hawaii. It was really bad for my basketball career but it was there that I decided to practice dentistry when my playing days ended."

Dischinger spent the next two years serving in the United States Army. There, he continued to play basketball, was named to the all-Rainbow Classic team (1965), led the Rainbow Classic in scoring (91-pts, 30.3 ppg), was named MVP for the Army all-Pacific team, served as a coach of the all-Army basketball team, and coached a State Department team on a tour of Central America in 1966.

After returning to the NBA in 1967, he returned to the Pistons, where he played for the next five seasons. During the 1971–72 season, he coached in two games as a player-coach at the age of 31. In six total seasons in Detroit, Dischinger averaged 12.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 452 games, playing alongside Hall of Famers Bob Lanier, Dave Bing and Walt Bellamy.

"When you were winning it was great, and when you weren't it wasn't so great, but that's true anywhere, said Dischinger of his Pistons tenure. "I played with a bunch of great players like Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Bob Lanier, Tom Van Arsdale and Jimmy Walker. We had a special relationship and I loved my basketball life."

July 31, 1972, Dischinger was traded by the Pistons to the Portland Trail Blazers for Fred Foster. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per game for the 21–61 Blazers under Coach Jack McCloskey during the 1972–73 season.

Dischinger was involved in an altercation in 1973, with Mike Price of the Philadelphia 76ers. "Dale Schlueter and LaRue Martin got into a fight, and I went over to help out and Price reacted," Dischinger recalled. "It was a one-punch thing, and you know how those things are in sports. I had teeth loosened, but I didn't lose any. I thought I had a tooth in my mouth, but I felt in there, and it was chewing gum. I threw it away. I decided it was time to retire after that year," Dischinger said, jokingly, "if that is the only thing you're remembered for, something is wrong."

After his one season in Portland, he retired after nine seasons in the NBA.

Overall, in his NBA career, Dischinger career averaged 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and had a .506 field goal percentage in 652 games.

Following his retirement from basketball in 1973, Dischinger completed dental school in Memphis, Tennessee. With his wife Mary, he returned to Portland, where he had ended his NBA career, to begin an orthodontic practice in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego.

Dischinger and his wife Mary were married for more than fifty years and have three children and nine grandchildren. His grandson Michael Loomis played basketball at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon.

Career history

As player:

1962–1964            Chicago Zephyrs / Baltimore Bullets

1964–1972            Detroit Pistons

1972–1973            Portland Trail Blazers

As coach:

1971    Detroit Pistons

Career highlights and awards

3× NBA All-Star (1963–1965)

NBA Rookie of the Year (1963)

NBA All-Rookie First Team (1963)

2× Consensus first-team All-American (1961, 1962)

Consensus second-team All-American (1960)

Second-team Parade All-American (1958)

Career NBA statistics

Points   9,012 (13.8 ppg)

Rebounds            3,646 (5.6 rpg)

Assists  1,151 (1.8 apg)