SUPERSTITIOUS?

Jason Terry has never been the most popular opponent.  

And his mouthy style has never endeared him to many opponents, either. 

But the superstitious Terry claims the Spurs tried to trick him in one of his best known beliefs. 

Terry prepares for an opponent by wearing the shorts of the next day’s opposing team. This compulsion has left “The Jet” desperately tracking down the right trunks after a bad night. But a network of rival equipment managers and fellow NBA players usually take care of Terry. 

But after Terry’s groin shot to Michael Finley during the 2006 playoffs, he doesn’t have many friends with the Spurs. And the team tried to trick him by giving him a pair of practice shorts rather than a game-worn pair several years ago. 

“It’s gotta be the real thing,” Terry told ESPN.com. “Now, San Antonio tricked me about three years ago when they gave me some practice shorts, and I tried them. And they ended up beating us. So that doesn’t work.” 

Terry told ESPN that his worst shorts he has worn were a pair once worn by former Utah point guard John Stockton. 

“Stockton didn’t give them to me, but I got them from the actual ball kid in the arena,” Terry said. ” When I looked at them, I knew they were his, because they were the shortest thing out there, and then they had his No. 12 on the inside.” 

Terry’s wife, Johnyika, isn’t a fan of this compulsive practice. But her husband doesn’t care. 

“Nah, she doesn’t like it,” Terry said. “But hey, it works for me. Got a lot of wins.”

(Thanks Tim Griffin & LM Otero)