Terdema Ussery II

Terdema Ussery II is an attorney, business executive, educator, and theologian whose career has spanned professional sports, law, corporate leadership, public service, and ministry. Raised in Los Angeles, Ussery went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School.

Ussery began his career practicing law before entering professional sports, where he served as commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association and later as president of Nike Sports Management. In 1997, he became president and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, a position he held for nearly two decades. During his tenure, he helped guide the franchise’s business operations and played a significant role in the development of the American Airlines Center.

Throughout his career, Ussery has also served numerous civic, educational, corporate, and nonprofit organizations, including as a trustee of Princeton University and chairman of the Dallas Housing Authority. His theological studies at Yale and lifelong Christian faith inform The Counterintuitive Gospel, an exploration of the paradoxical teachings of Jesus and what it means to live as a citizen of God’s kingdom.