Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. For his college career he averaged 24.8 points per game and set a school record with 1,062 rebounds. It was so good that Cunningham, a future Hall of Famer, came off the bench. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. Now they take everything off and it takes a lot more to get people excited.. At Carolina, he was reunited with the coach Larry Brown, who had been a UNC teammate. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. Tom Nissalke, an assistant coach at Milwaukee when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came into the league, and later head coach of the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets, says he always had his players measured, and the best sergeant he ever saw was a 35, by Darrell Griffith as a rookie. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. Billy Cunningham was a standout scorer for the Philadelphia 76ers. billy cunningham vertical jump. Biography. See, for example, Jan Hubbard, ed., The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, 3d ed. Cunningham left CBS Sports the following season to join the Miami Heat expansion franchise as a minority owner; he ultimately sold his interest of the Heat on August 12, 1994. 1 draft choice. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. Some may say that getting off the ground quickly is more important than how much height you get, but its a safe bet that these same people cant match Alexanders pre-draft 38.5 inch max vertical. The Doc won it with a long run, a leap from two inches inside the free throw line and a dramatic, powerful windmill slam. When Joey was a high school senior, Clarke took his Watts Magicians to Mesa, Ariz., for a prep tournament. After Chamberlain left the team in 1968, Cunningham became the 76ers' franchise player. The Grizzlies say their star guard will be away from the team for 'at least' the next 2 games. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. White, also known as the Elevator from Decatur, made the NBA all-time all-warmup team that one season. Cunningham, though, tore up the ABA. In todays semifinals, folks, well see Gary (Up in the Airy) Coleman vs. Bea (the Flea) Arthur, and Jumpin Johnny Carson vs. Pogo Stick Peter Jennings. Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. Joey is 6-3, with average-length arms and legs, and incredibly unaverage spring. No discussion of legendary leapers is complete without heated debate. Thats a white head, remember. He was an incredible shot blocker. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. Geraldo Rivera is standing by. Find out more. Some of them were pretty damn eccentric. To think that we can thank a bunch of sweaty dancers for this fundamental basketball maneuver. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. My mother has a bar here in southern Idaho, and shes got a nail where Joey touched, at 11-9 1/2.. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. Professional basketball player It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. married Sondra; they had two daughters. 1936-1999 The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Can the old Elevator still ascend? Position: Chris Wallace, the college talent scout, said: I dont believe measurements. Jackie Jacksons all-around game, by most accounts, was only fair. Latrell Sprewell, a rising NBA star, would be known more for his off-court antics than his bas, Erving, Julius 1950 Dennis never was much of a leaper. Buffman and Cunningham decided to team up in the venture, and they brought in Lewis Schaffel and Ted Arison. Airy, Maryland. As if this wasnt impressive enough, it was during a practice with the LA Lakers about a month after the Combine that he flew up 46 inches, creating a new pre-draft record. He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. Find out more. Draft: Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA draft, More Cunningham pages at Sports Reference, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. Not too shabby at all, right? Under Cunningham, the team reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1978 and the NBA finals in 1980 and 1982. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. The Philadelphia 76ers star was a consistent scorer throughout his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. Lets add Billy Hoyle as an honourary #16 to this list, shall we? "It's a remarkable life.". > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. Media in category "Billy Cunningham" The following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total. They took about 10 jumps each. The Hawks favorite flight story, like many stories of that era, features Chamberlain as a foil. Encyclopedia.com. Jackie took off, jumped over Normans head and dunked the ball.. As a player and then a coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of two NBA championship teams. In the six years of the NBAs slam dunk contest, only one white player has been invited to compete, 6-10 Tom Chambers in 1986. He may be the greatest leaper of all time. The 1984-85 season, Cunninghams last as coach, featured the addition of rookie Charles Barkley to the team. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. This is where we get into sword-and-stone mythology. inBrooklyn,New York A fairly average 65 Sura fit in among the other players on the court, but he set himself apart with his gorgeous dunking abilities. He finished well out of the running--or jumping--when he clanged at least one attempt off the rim. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. In 1962, Johnson jumped and touched a spot high on the wall, and a nail was driven into the spot to commemorate the unbelievable leap. The difference between the two marks, in inches, is the players sergeant jump, as in, Joe Smith has a 29-inch sergeant.. Sura strutted and slammed his stuff in both the 1997 Slam Dunk Competition and the All Star Weekend, and his jumps were recorded to be about 39 inches. Cunningham returned to Philadelphia in 1977 to become the coach of the 76ers, replacing Gene Shue. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. Since his slamming days in the NBA, hes continued with the sport as a scout, director, analyst, commentator, and even vice president of player personnel. He succeeded Gene Shue as head coach of the 24 76ers on November 4, 1977. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. One dunking dinosaur who could fly and play was Gus Johnson, a 6-6 hipster-forward who had a gold star implanted in a front tooth. He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). There was a guard from Harlem named Rabbit. He averaged 24.1 ppg (fourth best in the league) and 6.3 apg (fifth best), leading the Cougars to a 57-27 record, tops in the ABAs Eastern Division. Very easily.. I won the unofficial NBA slam dunk title that season, said White, who now sells heavy equipment in Georgia. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. His colourful tattoos and hairstyles are about as famous as his skills too, with hairdos including mohawks, spikes, and shoulder-length shag. When they were not taking everything off, the dancing was more alluring. Hes set records for leading the NBA in dunks during his very first year playing pro. I also think, in Joeys case, he gets up so high it hurts his shooting technique., Clarke said: When other players were shooting jump shots in their back yards, Joey was practicing dunks.. At (one NBA tryout camp), where we had a strong cross section of draftees, the highest was 36 1/2 inches. In the 19701971 season he again was an All-Star starter and finished ninth in the NBA with 23.0 points per game. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. [1] His first regular show on the station was at night, generally from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like you talk it or You'll Lose that Beat" (1971), he is best known as an American former professional basketball player and coach. If we were to honor dunkers as we honor actors, Doc would be given a statuette for his body of work. As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. Theres not room for both of us. The next day Red let Rabbit go. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. Pregame warmups were his showtime. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. Then he enters into the [NBA] expansion pursuit and gets it. I mean, what next? Instead he went to Georgia as a white player and was a so-so power forward. Join our linker program. As a professional he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, an NBA All-Star, All-NBA First and Second Team, an ABA All-Star, All-ABA First Team, and the ABA Most Valuable Player. . [15], For other people named William Cunningham, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team, List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders, "The Rumble: AN OFF-THE-BALL LOOK AT YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS CELEBRITIES", "Philadelphia 76ers 134 - Portland Trail Blazers 132", Goldaper, Sam. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. Billy Cunningham. If youve got a good imagination, imagine yourself wearing a baseball cap, and leaping so high, arms at your side, that you flick your head sideways and dunk your cap. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. "In a way the injury made things easy for me," he said later. Among his numerous career achievements, he was named to the 1966 All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. He coached eight years with 76ers, never finishing lower than second place in the Atlantic and posted a career record of 454-196 (.698). Imagine yourself lifting off the blacktop, up and up, until you can reach into the air far above the rim. Keith Smart always reported he had a 44. Actually he was a 62% free throw shooter, which is poor except in comparison to his 51% as a pro. Billy Cunningham of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a jump shot against the Boston Celtics during a game played in 1968 at the Boston Garden in Boston,. There are two other pure measurements of leap--the dunk and the top of the money exchange. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. 1 in everyones heart and myths is Jumpin Jackie Jackson, also known as Sidecar Jackson. One explanation for the reverence accorded the big jumpers is offered by psychologist-sportscaster Bob Costas, who once did play-by-play for the Spirit of St. Louis, a team in the now-defunct American Basketball Assn., where every game was a jam-boree. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. Some are best at soaring up for a three-pointer, some rock at the jump shots, some can perform slam dunks like nobodys business, and they all work their butts off to prove that they belong in this black mans sport. He said he was tired and tight. The following is a list of the NBA's All-Time Top 50 Team: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere . the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Even so, Erving was the NBAs most dazzling aerial star until he retired in 1987 and passed the title to Michael Jordan. 3 June 1943 in Brooklyn, New York ), professional basketball player known for his vertical leap who was a top scorer and rebounder in the 1960s and 1970s, and who later became a winning coach, television commentator, and team owner. The white guys listed below are heroes of the basketball world. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? Cunningham achieved a career trifecta in law, business, and government. With Maurice Cheeks and Lionel Hollins adding vitality to the backcourt, the Sixers roared to a 59-23 record in the 1979-80 regular season and then defeated favored Boston with rookie sensation Larry Bird in the Eastern Conference finals. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Almost always the feat involves money--claims that the player could grab a dollar bill off the top of the board, or could pluck off a quarter and leave two dimes and a nickel change. [10] In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[11]. Finally he did a 360, one handed. His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? Cunningham led the league in steals with 216 and was fourth in scoring with a 24.1 points-per-game average. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. For his eleven-year career, Cunningham averaged 21.2 points per game. The ONLY white man. And he played it constantly. Then he goes into coaching and, percentage-wise, becomes one of the best ever. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Skywalker, Helicopter, Elevator, Clyde the Glide, Air Jordan, the Hawk, Rodan, Pogo Joe, Honeycomb, Sidecar, the Big Dipper, the Human Highlight Film, Sky King, Kangaroo Kid. CUNNINGHAM, William John ("Billy") ( b. In fact, his hockey-head-ish hair might even be as famous as his dunk. Then an All-Star. Hes earned a list of nicknames, including LaVine The Machine as well as being part of the Bounce Brothers duo with Minnesota Timerwolves teammate Andrew Wiggins. Look up. There have been--and are--very good white jumpers. During both is college and NBA career, this guy leapt like nobodys business. He scored 16,310 points and pulled down nearly 8,000 rebounds. In 1997 Cunningham became the expert commentator for the CBS television network's coverage of NBA games. So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. By word of mouth, you would get to know who the best dunkers were, and by the end of the season it was pretty much agreed the best two were a Portland guy named Claude English and me. Joey? This guy wasnt a leaper, but it will show you what I mean. "The beauty part of playing basketball," he once said, "is that your mind is occupied with playing basketball and nothing else, and you're having fun.". He was a competitor, said Lewis Schaffel, one of Cunninghams partners in the Miami Heat who grew up with him in Brooklyn. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny OFFICIAL TRAILER! Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. In the NBA, where everyone can dunk--you wouldnt even want to rule out David Stern--there are really only a few top guns. Really, though, hed have to in order to make it look like he belonged there among all the African American bball greats. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") The 1996 dunk competition boasted great ballers like the 76ers Jerry Stackhouse and the Suns Michael Finley, and nobody really expected the Lakers guard to triumph. I was a good free throw shooter in college.. White is a regular at Hawk games and a fan of Wilkins. There was a Philadelphia boy, Sonny Hill, about 5-10 (actually 5-9), he was the first guy that size I ever saw dunk. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. After that season, he earned the first of what would be three straight All-NBA First Team selections. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Joe Clarke, founder and president of the South-Central L.A. In 1968-69, Cunningham broke loose, scoring 24.8 ppg and recording 12.8 rpg while earning his first of four consecutive All-Star appearances and the first of three successive berths on the All-NBA First Team. A person who is a poor leaper is said to have white mans disease. White guys use the expression, black guys use it, mostly in a spirit of good fun. I was phoning the Charlotte Hornets to reach David (Skywalker) Thompson, who now works in the teams front office, when a female secretary said: Ive only seen two players who did things that I watched and I didnt believe--David, and Michael Jordan. As a freshman he went out for the track team, worked out a total of 10 hours, then high-jumped 7-3 7/8. Basketball was just a game they played for fun. I get a rebound and Im driving up the floor, ready to go coast to coast. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Cunningham in the first round of the 1965 NBA Draft, figuring the 6-foot-6 bony and mobile player would be a guard. Somebody done gotcha. But man, that was sweet music. The other measurement of leap is the money exchange at the top of the backboard, which is exactly 13 feet above the floor and three feet above the rim. With Malone in the middle, and Erving, Bobby Jones, Cheeks and Andrew Toney all playing key roles, the 76ers went 65-17 and blew through the Atlantic Division. Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like . Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA Draft, NBA Debut: October 16, 1965▪ABA Debut: October 12, 1972, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1986 (Full List), More Billy Cunningham pages at Sports Reference. Billy Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Other notable dunks include his shot on the Sonics seriously ticked off Robert Reid, and another on the Knicks flabbergasted Patrick Ewing. Theres no greater feeling than going up in a crowd, over guys a foot taller., Tommy (the Hawk) Hawkins said: If you can think about Peter Pan, thats the feeling. The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. Jack Gardner, a former college coach, did our testing, Nissalke said. The only other thing in life I couldnt comprehend was looking at the moon and knowing there were men walking on it.. All rights reserved. He was a consummate team player, and he used the same unifying concept and enthusiasm to become a successful head coach. ." His daddy was also a professional ball player, which means his skill and confidence are ate least somewhat genetic. If accurate, that would have put him as the 10th-highest max vertical leaper (not standing, but with a short running start) in the NBA Draft, just behind Grayson Allen's number of 40.5 inches. 1943 He would perform a reverse dunk-dunk with two balls. why did michael jackson wrote heal the world; lionel richie las vegas 2022 Youre just up there and nobody else can get up there., David (Skywalker) Thompson said: Sometimes Id surprise myself. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Ill give you an example. The Smooth Criminal, as he was called when he played for Spain, didnt stick with the NBA for too long, but sure made an impact. William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. He also had a famously difficult childhood and came from very humble beginnings; it was his hometown of French Lick, Indiana, that inspired the nickname The Hick from French Lick. He was determined not to let his tiny hometown or his troubled family life hold him back though, and instead remained hardworking and classy until the end of his career. He was a No. When I was a freshman, I fooled around with shooting free throws this way: For some reason, I thought you had to stay within the top half of that free-throw circle, so I would step back to just inside the top of the circle, take off from behind the line and dunk. amc gremlin for sale washington state billy cunningham vertical jump. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. Billy Cunningham weighed 210 lbs (95 kg) when playing. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. The greatest jumper today? David came the closest, Kupchak said. "I don't know anything he has done that hasn't worked," said the Orlando, Florida, executive Pat Williams. Its a remarkable life.. Known as "The Kangaroo Kid," he won an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, then coached the team to another championship in 1983. I asked Kareem if he ever did, and he could jump a little bit. His departure had a disastrous effect. My sergeant was higher than Jordans. of 6. Cunningham began his second basketball career on Nov. 4, 1977, when he was hired to replace Gene Shue at the Sixers helm. Billy Cunningham, Actor: You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat. Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. Its unbelievable. Cunningham again led the team in scoring in 1970-71, ranking ninth in the NBA with 23.0 ppg. Anybodv can win the lottery.. Billy Cunningham was born in the Parkville section of Brooklyn, New York. He was elected to the Hall of Fame the following year. It was those antsy feet that made him unstoppable, resulting in his inclusion on 10 All-Star Games, achieving the 1952 All-Star Game MVP, and nabbing 5 MVP Award shares. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. Sure, Casper and friends tend to dominate less vertically challenging sports like golf, hockey, and tennis, but they have also held their own on the floorboards. However, none of the other basketball-playing Barry brothers Scooter, Jon, and Drew - can claim to be the only white man in history to win the Slam Dunk contest, though. He was finished as a player. Professional basketball player, sports administrator Midway through the previous season the club had acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the San Francisco Warriors, and in his first full campaign with the Sixers, he helped them to the Eastern Division title. Chamberlain played for the Globetrotters in the 58-59 season and said: Jumpin Joe Buckhalter and I would line up on opposite sides of the free throw lane when Meadowlark Lemon was shooting a free throw. billy cunningham vertical jump. Now imagine yourself crouching a bit, like Superman, and springing high into the air. Not a great deal is known about Jackie, which is good, because nothing dims a legend faster than facts. ." Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. This story is not that important. Yep. At halftime of one Southern Idaho game, Joey was pursuaded to give a brief high-jump demonstration. I dont want anyone ripping rib-cage muscles or wrenching spinal disks. These men have their own ancient orders, such as Phi Slama Jama, the mythical fraternity created during the 1982-83 college season by Houston scribe Thomas Bonk, now a Times writer, to honor the dunk-happy University of Houston Cougars. Do you have a blog? I defy anyone to say they took change off the top of the backboard, Chamberlain said. Billy Cunningham was born in Brooklyn, New York. Upon his retirement on May 28, 1985,[13] his 454 wins as a head coach were the 12th best in NBA history. Cunningham played with visible enthusiasm. Part of Dr. Js legend is the same as the mystique of a gunfighter coming into town, Costas said. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Joe Vanilla Sky Alexander has restless, jumpy feet that propel him way up to block shots and confound his opponents. No. Granted, the majority of the NBAs highest flying players have been African Americans, but some of the white guys get their share of air time. He was a role player on the 1967 title team in . [CDATA[ It's a move in which a player drives past a defender by stepping one way and then quickly taking a big lateral step in the other direction, and its become pretty popular. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. That year, he was the First-Team All-New York So I did a 360, two handed, and he conceded.. Some nights Id scare myself.. He got kudos for his smooth-sounding, incisive work with the play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton. He would toss the ball off the backboard and then slam it home. Cunningham was subsequently replaced on CBS by Hubie Brown, but would return to CBS to help fill in during the 1990 NBA Playoffs, partnered with Verne Lundquist. The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. In the 19661967 season the 76ers were a powerhouse, winning sixty-eight against only thirteen losses and beating the Boston Celtics and San Francisco in the playoffs to win the championship. Technicalities, you know. At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. June 3, While he was dribbling down the court, his knee exploded. Connie Hawkins, another of the elite leapers of that era, was blackballed from the NBA because of involvement with gamblers when he was in college. Ive heard stories about Jackie Jackson doing it, but Ive never seen anyone (but himself) come close., Sonny Hill, a Philadelphia leaping legend of the 60s, backs Wilt, saying, The only man thats been to the top, thats Wilt. As a high school senior, he received a scholarship offer from a Midwestern college, asking him to become the schools first black player.
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