2 days ago
‘Still here, still grinding, still chasing the dream'
Meet Terry Roberts: Ankle-breaker. Bucket getter. Walking miracle.
At least that's what doctors called the Winnipeg Sea Bears' point guard as he lay in a hospital bed, hooked up to a ventilator, 18 months ago.
That followed a night that began as one of the most memorable of his young basketball career and ended as the most horrifying of his life.
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Sea Bears' Terry Roberts (left) drives up the court against Calgary Surge guard Karim Mané back in May. The Sea Bears host the Surge in the Western Conference final on Friday at Canada Life Centre.
'It was a great night, actually, but it was a bad night,' Roberts recounted with the Free Press on Monday. 'Had a game. Had my first (professional) double-double. Had a good game, and then something very tragic happened.'
The then-23-year-old, playing in his first professional season with his hometown Long Island Nets of the NBA G League, was out on the town, celebrating a road victory but staying out of trouble otherwise, when he found himself in the middle of a gun fight.
Roberts was struck in the chest by a stray bullet outside of a lounge in Philadelphia after midnight on Feb. 25, 2024.
It happened quickly.
'The first gunshot I heard, I was shot,' said Roberts, who hit the ground upon being struck. 'I never really had no time to do anything, I was kind of just stuck there.'
Roberts grew up on the outdoor courts of North Amityville, N.Y., where he was a renowned park player and given the nickname 'Mr. 40.' Between his hometown and New York City, where he spent a lot of time, he's seen a lot of violent crimes and knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations.
However, there was no amount of experience that could help him dodge a bullet.
He remembers being conscious when an ambulance arrived and as he was rushed to Einstein Medical Center in critical condition.
'It was scary, but it wasn't scary scary,' said Roberts. 'It was scary in the moment because you don't know what was going to happen.'
Roberts was released from the hospital later that week and made a full recovery in the ensuing months, returning to play with the Nets for the 2024-25 season.
Roberts has mostly moved on, saying he often forgets about that winter night, but there are times when he's brought back to that moment.
He was at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game recently, standing on the concourse, when the loud bang of the team's signature cannon shot following a touchdown startled him.
'Hearing noises that loud and things of that nature — Fourth of July in America, they do a lot of fireworks and stuff — I had to get readjusted to that,' he said.
Still, thinking back to that moment, where the game he loved was nearly taken from him, adds to the gratitude he feels on a week like this. Roberts is expected to be leaned upon to help direct the Sea Bears on both ends of the floor when they clash with the Calgary Surge in the Canadian Elite Basketball League Western Conference final at Canada Life Centre on Friday (7:30 p.m.).
A win would punch the Sea Bears' ticket to the CEBL Championship for the first time in franchise history.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Terry Roberts had just recorded his first professional double-double with his hometown Long Island Nets back in February 2024 when he was shot. Roberts has long-since recovered and is thriving on the court with the Sea Bears.
'Just grateful. I'm here for a reason,' Roberts said. 'Could've been different, but God didn't let it be different. We're still here, still grinding, still chasing the dream, so I can't be anything but grateful.
'For me to be able to get past a situation like that, a lot of people wouldn't even know I was in a situation like that. If you just look at me and just watch me play or something, you wouldn't even know. Even just being grateful for that: I can still walk, and I'm healthy, can breathe, can see things. It made me just more grateful for things like making it back home every day, making it to my destination every day.'
Roberts's status for Friday's contest is murkier than it was before. He left Monday's practice after sustaining an injury to his left ankle, which was wrapped, and watched the rest of the session from the trainers' table.
Head coach Mike Taylor did not have an update on his injury after practice, but expressed hope that he will have one of his most reliable two-way players on the floor come this weekend.
'Terry is a gamer,' said Taylor.
'The one thing that we've known the last few years is that the point guard position is really important, and guys have to enjoy playing with that player, and the guys really love to play with Terry. He's got the natural ability and talent to get wherever he wants with the dribble, he's difficult to keep out of the paint, and he's a really good on-the-ball defender. He's emerged as a really good player in this league.'
So, too, think the Brooklyn Nets, who invited the 6-3 guard to play for their NBA Summer League team last month. Roberts was away from Winnipeg for a total of nine games, but returned for the home stretch of the regular season.
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'It was a great experience, especially after I just got shot last year,' said Roberts. 'Getting shot, to going to summer league the year after, it's a big thing. Just grateful for that, happy for the opportunity. I appreciate Brooklyn for giving me an opportunity to come play and just be out there.'
Roberts has averaged 12.1 points, 5.7 assists, four rebounds and 1.7 steals across 19 games with the Sea Bears this season.
His play on the court resembles the fighting nature he displayed away from it. His playing on Friday is not only important to the Sea Bears' story this season, but the story Roberts is authoring about a remarkable comeback.
'Terry is one of my brothers,' said Sea Bears' star centre Simi Shittu. 'We became really close as soon as I got here. It's definitely tough; he's a big part of the team. Hopefully, he can get better in time for the game.'
Joshua Frey-SamReporter
Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
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