Arizona Wildcats Jason Terry Memories: Brett Hansen

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JASON TERRY JERSEY NO. 31 RETIREMENT THURSDAY

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An introduction of Brett Hansen first. He was the behind-the-scenes media relations specialist for the Arizona basketball team that included Jason Terry when the Wildcats won the 1997 NCAA title. Hansen, now the Fox Sports Arizona Director of Communications and Marketing, was along with the Wildcats, home and away, in the airports and on the team buses. He shared many experiences with the program in the years he worked in Arizona’s media-relations department. He offers some of his best memories of Terry …

Trying to come up with a just a few memories is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He was one of all my all-time favorites. His personality and cooperation off the court matched his ability and drive to be the best on the court. I’m headed down to Tucson for it on Thursday and can’t wait to see him and have this jersey retirement finally happen.

— During his senior year, I approached him about getting serious about an All-America and Player of the Year campaign. I told him if he was on board, it would take his full cooperation with media requests and he would need to do whatever I asked to get his name out nationally. He told me “whatever it takes”. After that, I put together a one-sheet bio on his accomplishments & stats to date, Fed Ex’d it to Dick Vitale’s house and the next night, Vitale devoted most of his Sportscenter segment on J.T. After that, the campaign was on and J.T. never missed or was late to an interview we scheduled.

— After the loss to Utah in the West Regional Final in 1998, I was walking out of the locker room at The Pond with J.T. & A.J. Bramlett. J.T. walked past a ballboy who was probably 8-10 years old and gave him his bright blue Nikes Foamposites – remember those? He said he never wanted to play in those again after what happened (Arizona was eliminated 76-51 by Rick Majerus’ team). Then the two of them talked about the fact that “it’s our team now” as returning seniors the following season with Miles Simon, Michael Dickerson and Bennett Davison exhausting their eligibility.

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Jason Terry proclaims Arizona has advanced to four Final Fours in a video released by the Arizona athletic department

ALLSPORTSTUCSON.COM JASON TERRY STORY INTERVIEWS

— Bennett Davison talks about what Terry stirred up the night before the 1997 NCAA title

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— Getting onto the bus as we were headed to White House to meet President Clinton in 1998, he steps on board and proclaims to everyone “Check out my draft day outfit!” He was dressed in a nice suit, but was wearing white socks.

— In the the 1997 Australia trip a bunch of us attended the local debut of “Jurassic Park – The Lost World.” J.T. bought a white chocolate ice cream bar and while eating it said: “Man, whoever thought something this white could be so good?”

— He forgot to pack his famous “CATS” socks for the first game of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in Sacramento. He played badly against Nicholls State (shooting 0-for-9 from the field, including 0-for-4 from three-point range). He said it was because of the socks. They were brought to Sacramento for the second-round game against Illinois State and he played much better (11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc).

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— A great non-Arizona story to show you the type of person he is. After he won the NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks, I texted him to say congrats and that he had another fan in my 6-year-old son. He texted me right back (this was shortly after the game, mind you) and asked what my address was so he could send him something. A few days later, two brand new autographed Reebok high tops arrived at our front door via Fed Ex for him.