Jeff Turner

Jeff Turner
Personal information
Born (1962-04-09) April 9, 1962 (age 62)
Bangor, Maine, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolBrandon (Brandon, Florida)
CollegeVanderbilt (1980–1984)
NBA draft1984: 1st round, 17th overall pick
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Playing career1984–1996
PositionPower forward
Number35, 30, 31
Career history
19841987New Jersey Nets
1986–1989Pallacanestro Cantù
19891996Orlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-SECAP, Coaches (1984)
  • Second-team All-SEC – UPI (1984)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Team competition
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1982 Colombia Team competition

Jeffrey Steven Turner (born April 9, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player and broadcasting announcer. Turner played ten NBA seasons (1984–1987; 1989–1996), spending time with the New Jersey Nets as well as the Orlando Magic. He ended his NBA career with 3,697 career points. Turner was a 6' 9" forward/center. After his career ended he spent nine years as a radio color commentator for the Magic. He then served as the head boys basketball coach at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida from to 2005 to 2013, where he compiled a 151–72 record and won the state title in 2013. From 2011 to 2013 he was also a studio analyst for Magic games. In 2013, Turner was named television color commentator for the Magic.[1]

Turner starred as a college player for Vanderbilt University. He was selected by the New Jersey Nets with the 17th pick of the 1984 NBA draft.

Turner was a member of the Gold Medal 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team coached by Bobby Knight. The team included Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Wayman Tisdale and Chris Mullin. Turner also played for the US national team in the 1982 FIBA World Championship, winning the silver medal.[2]

Imposter

On June 4, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Ronnie Craven of Somerville, Massachusetts, had been posing as Turner and using the identity to facilitate sexual encounters with women he met in online chat rooms. His ruse also included the additional falsehood that "Jeff Turner" was employed in the front office of the Seattle SuperSonics (Turner has never worked for the Sonics). Craven says he has received a cease-and-desist order from a lawyer for the Sonics. Craven said he was embarrassed and would stop lying about his identity.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Denton, John (July 1, 2013). "Denton: Jeff Turner Named New TV Analyst". Orlando Magic. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  2. ^ 1982 USA Basketball Archived June 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Man admits posing as Sonics employee