Jerome Kersey

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Lore & Background

Kersey's professional journey began unusually high for a Division II player, selected 46th overall by Portland. By his third year, he had become a starter and even placed second behind Michael Jordan in the Slam Dunk Contest. The 1987–88 season marked his statistical apex as a starter, averaging 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds. He was integral to a nucleus that reached the NBA Finals twice within three years (1990 and 1992). However, the emergence of Clifford Robinson at small forward eventually shifted Kersey back to a bench role in subsequent years. His time with Portland ended when he was left unprotected in the 1995 expansion draft, briefly claimed by Toronto before waiving him.

In Their Own Story

In 1995, after being selected by the Toronto Raptors and waived, Kersey signed with the Golden State Warriors. There, he started 58 games but faced a volatile moment when an altercation with teammate Latrell Sprewell escalated to Sprewell threatening to bring a gun to practice. Kersey moved on to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1996–97 season, logging his most playing time in five years on an injury-depleted squad. He then joined the Seattle SuperSonics for the 1997–98 campaign, though injuries limited his availability for most of the year. His career reached a new pinnacle with the San Antonio Spurs during the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, where he provided frontcourt depth and experience off the bench as the team secured the NBA championship over the New York Knicks.

Reader's Guide

Kersey's final NBA stop was the Milwaukee Bucks (2000–2001), who fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals before his retirement. Post-playing, he worked briefly in home mortgages and later returned to basketball as a director of player programs for the Trail Blazers during the 2003–04 season. In 2005, he served one year as an assistant coach under former teammate Terry Porter with the Bucks until both were let go on May 6, 2005. He later transitioned to the automotive industry as a wholesaler. His accolades include being named to Longwood's first Hall of Fame class in November 2005 and posthumously having the court at Willett Hall named in his honor on December 3, 2016. Jerome Kersey passed away from a pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot at age 52.

Did You Know?

• Kersey set school records at Longwood College for points, rebounds, steals, and blocked shots while shooting 57% from the field.
• He finished second behind Michael Jordan in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during his third year with Portland.
• Kersey was waived by the Toronto Raptors before playing a game after being selected in the 1995 expansion draft.
• He won an NBA championship as a reserve with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, scoring and rebounding at career lows during that title run.
• The basketball court at Longwood's Willett Hall was named 'Jerome Kersey Court' posthumously on December 3, 2016.