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Jones, a noted defensive terror. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. After three days, Rabbit said to Red, One of us is gonna have to go., Red said, What do you mean? Rabbit said, Either get rid of Bob Cousy or get rid of me. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. In fact, his hockey-head-ish hair might even be as famous as his dunk. Now thats something to brag about at Sunday family dinners. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. He cant even walk.. 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. Browse 310 billy_cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. I was right there and it wasnt a foot. The next season, Phily finished 47-35, but lost to the Spurs in the conference semis. In the division finals, however, Philadelphia fell to Boston. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. All the teams did that. Billy Cunningham tells broadcaster John Andariese about his early success with the 76ers. During both is college and NBA career, this guy leapt like nobodys business. 1936-1999 Dennis never was much of a leaper. Here's a number: 44 inches. Its like walking on air. Thats the outer space were dealing with today, the sky above the hoop, the rare air inhabited by only a select group of humans, the legendary leapers. billy cunningham vertical jump - a portrait of the artist as filipino - a portrait of the artist as filipino - During the post-season, the Cougars defeated the New York Nets in five games in the Eastern Division Semifinals to advance to the Eastern Division Finals. One expert, Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers assistant general manager, was asked to name the games bona fide super leapers. Yes, he married a former judge. That Feb. 8, the ABA trotted out its five best slammers. And the problem these days is inflation. This guys been compared to celebrated center-man Dwight Howard for his max vertical, and to NBA/Olympic legend Oscar Robertson for his triple-doubles. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Gus was a colorful thunder dunker and a breaker of backboards. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. Hailing from Argentina and a family chock full of ball players, Ginobili uses his signature Euro Step to fake out the defense and get him where he needs to go. The only other thing in life I couldnt comprehend was looking at the moon and knowing there were men walking on it.. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? 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,. In 1997 Cunningham became the expert commentator for the CBS television network's coverage of NBA games. In the NBA, where everyone can dunk--you wouldnt even want to rule out David Stern--there are really only a few top guns. American basketball player Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. inBrooklyn,New York After playing for Philadelphia from 1965 to 1972, he signed a free agent contract with the ABA's . 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. Cunningham, though, tore up the ABA. Or write about sports? He would perform a reverse dunk-dunk with two balls. Really, though, hed have to in order to make it look like he belonged there among all the African American bball greats. Known as "The Kangaroo Kid," Billy Cunningham was a high-flying scorer who won an NBA title as a player and coach with the 76ers. I lived there that summer, he later recalled. 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. You get it. 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 was discovered. 1964 UNC at Duke, tip-off.jpg 1,454 1,750; 377 KB. Also, his dunk on Dwight Howard during the 2008 Olympic finals was unreal. Joey didnt even have his shoes laced, Clarke said. He was finished as a player. Joey walked up to the wall, one foot planted, no rocking, jumped up and missed the nail. Cunningham scored 18.9 points per game. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. 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. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Look up. But he was over by a good six to eight inches. He came on back to Harlem. He ran out of his house and to the hoop at St. Rose of Lima grammar school, three blocks away. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. With the exception of Chamberlain, Dr. J was the first superleaper who was also a superstar NBA player, and the first big-time player to exploit the dunk as an art form at the pro level. Billy Cunningham. It was an effort, but I could do it., There is no documented proof of a man ever taking off from behind the free-throw line, 15 feet from the backboard, and dunking. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny OFFICIAL TRAILER! The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. Billy Cunningham was drafted by Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA Draft. Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall 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. Instead he went to Georgia as a white player and was a so-so power forward. If that's not impressive enough for you, he also played on two NBA championship teams and later coached the Philadelphia 76ers for eight seasons. Realizing they needed a dominant big man to contain Abdul-Jabbar, Philadelphia acquired the two-time MVP (1979 and 82) Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets (Malone would win a third MVP as a Sixer in that first season in Philadelphia) before the 1982-83 season. Youd go up, arch your back, and go up even higher. Part of Dr. Js legend is the same as the mystique of a gunfighter coming into town, Costas said. Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? Thats a mouthful. 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. Professional basketball player In our museum of hoop flight, there is a special wing for the charter members, the dinosaurs of dunk. Hes sought advice from Tim Duncan on how to be a great leader and win with his team. Cunningham became a top analyst for CBSs broadcasts of NBA games. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. These are two very, very different kinds of feathered friends. So goes the popular assumption. Encyclopedia.com. His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? He was about a foot from the top.. 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. In 1972-73, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the American Basketball Association and he scored 18 points in the ABA All-Star Game. The 6-2 product of the Harlem slums could dunk, catch the ball with his opposite hand and dunk it again, all in the same leap. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. Pasty skin. There. Dont send letters, leapers. I was a good free throw shooter in college.. Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Brooks suspended after receiving 16th technical foul, Grizzlies' Clarke (torn achilles) out indefinitely, Ja will be away from team for 'at least' 2 games, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs. 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. It's like walking on air. And Dirk Nowitzki who no doubt has walls plastered top to bottom with awards and achievements. Soon Greer would be alone. He recorded 14 triple doubles in the NBA and 5 in the ABA, good for 43rd all-time in the NBA and 5th in the ABA. Herb White was moved to write a poem about an eagle that had lost its ability to soar. As Cunningham was adjusting to the professional game, the 76ers were becoming a powerhouse. . Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Stanford's 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. Somebody done gotcha. But man, that was sweet music. Ill give you an example. Seniors Are Getting Freaking And A New Loofah Code Lets Everyone Know. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Find out more. Claims of sergeants in the mid- and high 40s are common. Joey averaged 19.5 points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a national junior college title. Is Billy Cunningham married? With a dad who played basketball center for Northwestern Oklahoma University, and a childhood that included playing baseball, football, AND hoops, Blake Griffin was destined for greatness. Billy Cunningham weighed 210 lbs (95 kg) when playing. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. I made a left turn at the baseline, flew under the basket to the other side, put it through his arms, and dunked it with two hands over my head. [8] For his career, he scored 16,310 points, grabbed 7,981 rebounds, and recorded 3,305 assists in both the NBA and the ABA. So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He came up with four: Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb and Clyde (the Glide) Drexler. They annihilated the opposition all season and finished with a 68-13 record. His daddy was also a professional ball player, which means his skill and confidence are ate least somewhat genetic. The ABA wasnt about dignity, it was about style. That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. . Its almost like burlesque dancing. [1] His first regular show on the station was at night, generally from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy, "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. "I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face" about when to retire. And some colleges and pro teams were not ready to take chances on what went along with those guys. Still, the thrill is not all gone. Dolph Schayes is an icon in Philadelphia 76ers lore and was one of the NBA's first stars as well. Before the game, English and I went back and forth. 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. He was in the gym in Mesa one afternoon, in street clothes and basketball shoes. Cunningham arrived in Chapel Hill just as Dean Smith was taking over as the head basketball coach of the UNC Tar Heels. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. ." Then we ask him to jump and we mark the highest point he touched. Wilt Chamberlain claims that his sergeant, during his prime, was 46 to 48 inches, easy. Of course, Wilt also claims he once averaged 50 points for an entire NBA season, so his credibility is suspect. In his first playoff appearance, he led the Sixers to a 4-game sweep against the Knicks,[12] before bowing down to the Bullets in six games. He prevailed in the end! 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. . It takes a lot more to get people excited now, said Chris Wallace, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. He would get up in the air and spread those wings, hed be swoopin. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. When they were not taking everything off, the dancing was more alluring. Many of the great leapers of that era inhabited the fringes of reality as we know it. He was a five-time All Star, 1972-73 MVP, and received recognition for numerous goals, throws, rebounds, and assist plays. Thats how much air was between Connaughton and those shiny floorboards at the NBA Combine in 2015. The legendary player and coach was named the ABA MVP for the 1972-73 season. Jackie Jacksons all-around game, by most accounts, was only fair. These are not necessarily great basketball players, understand, but their ability to jump has made them objects of something much deeper than profound respect. The future never came, but Dawkins broke new ground in power dunking, backboard shattering and dunknaming. Thompson was on a par with Erving but after five great NBA seasons, his career hit a quick decline, caused in part by cocaine problems. Hes also not 100% African American, though, which means he doesnt automatically have insane jumping genes. [14] He then returned for one last year to help cover the 1991 NCAA men's basketball tournament, partnered with Dick Stockton once again. They were trying to touch the top of the board, Nissalke said. can arthur get a girlfriend rdr2; cook county jail roster; zip code validation rule in salesforce; first coast security ehub; billy cunningham vertical jump. amc gremlin for sale washington state billy cunningham vertical jump. 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. All rights reserved. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. Cunningham joined the broadcast team for CBS in the 197677 season, often paired with Brent Musburger, leaving after the season ended to coach the 76ers. Anybodv can win the lottery.. If we were to honor dunkers as we honor actors, Doc would be given a statuette for his body of work. When you think about Billys life, it is amazing, former Philadelphia 76er executive and then-Orlando Magic senior executive vice president Pat Williams told New Miami magazine in 1992. billy cunningham vertical jump. . He says it came by accident, that in his early days they often played on dance floors, which were often slippery, so he started jumping to avoid sliding and faceplanting. In Cunninghams debut year the team went 55-27 and won the Atlantic Division before losing to eventual-champion Washington in the Eastern Conference finals. Billy Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid. Buffman and Cunningham decided to team up in the venture, and they brought in Lewis Schaffel and Ted Arison. You dont play with a red, white and blue ball if youre into dignity. Professional basketball player, sports administrator Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. In Madison Square Garden, he got a standing ovation for his warmup dunks. Joey was a good player at Banning High in Wilmington and spent two years at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college. Upload media Wikipedia. How tall is Billy Cunningham? Find out more. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. VIDEO: Giant Space Slingshot In Action. These guys more than held their own in a sport where they were absolutely a minority. They were a winning team the next two seasons but could not repeat as champions, and Cunningham retired after the 19841985 season. Basketball was just a game they played for fun. 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. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Other notable dunks include his shot on the Sonics seriously ticked off Robert Reid, and another on the Knicks flabbergasted Patrick Ewing. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. Joe Vanilla Sky Alexander has restless, jumpy feet that propel him way up to block shots and confound his opponents. Lets add Billy Hoyle as an honourary #16 to this list, shall we? Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. If they play the game far above the rim, it is because they are tall. In the 19691970 season he averaged a career high of 26.1 points, the fourth highest in the league, and was again selected as an All-Star. Learn more and register. Send us your videotape. The ABA folded after that season, but the slam-off was such a hit with the media that the concept was eventually ripped off by the NBA. A lot of young men soar into the NBA but are quickly weighted down by injuries and the 82-game grind, such as Darrell (Dr. Dunkenstein) Griffith of the Utah Jazz. Biography. Theyve run like the wind, ducked like a water fowl, flown like jet planes, and scored more points than Cassanova in a disco. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. I get a rebound and Im driving up the floor, ready to go coast to coast. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. I said to him, Yes, yes, yes! Wilt said, Im gonna kill you. . 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. snoop dogg zodiac chart New Lab; kaplan children's furniture; is there quicksand in georgia; His jersey number "32" was later retired by Philadelphia. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The two teams waged a court battle, each claiming the rights to Cunningham, but the new league won. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Then theres Jerry Mr. As a child he wa, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. I knew he was right there with me. ! As a freshman he went out for the track team, worked out a total of 10 hours, then high-jumped 7-3 7/8. Actually he was a 62% free throw shooter, which is poor except in comparison to his 51% as a pro. Geraldo Rivera is standing by. Can the old Elevator still ascend? One of the more recent players on this list, Chris Birdman Anderson is known for his celebratory arm flapping and his intriguing tattoos. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) Cunningham, her stepdaughter and her fiance all jumped into action. They were like jazz musicians in sneakers. Billy Cunningham was born in New York on June 3, 1943. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. Until recently, nobody ever tried to keep track of dunks on any league-wide scale. Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970. There have been--and are--very good white jumpers. Some of the guys started dunking. 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. Clutch West, with his awe-inspiring 60-foot shot in the 1970 NBA Final. I got fired up and did a 360 dunk. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He may be the greatest leaper of all time. "We just helped knock on doors and pull people out of their homes last night. David Robinson, future NBA Hall-of-Famer and leader of the San Antonio Spurs, was born in Key We, Chamberlain, Wilt Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. 1 in everyones heart and myths is Jumpin Jackie Jackson, also known as Sidecar Jackson. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. Pregame warmups were his showtime. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. Carolina lost to the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division rinals, but Cunninghams regular-season performance earned him the ABA MVP. In his second season with Carolina, Cunningham was hampered by injuries, but he still managed a 20.5 average in 32 games. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. The Philadelphia 76ers star was a consistent scorer throughout his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. Cunningham would later rejoin the CBS broadcast team starting with the 198586 season, again often paired with Musburger, covering both the NBA as well as NCAA men's college basketball for the network. Stanfords 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. But the final came down to David Thompson vs. Julius Erving--the Skywalker vs. the Doctor. Officially, his nickname originated from a 2002 summer league in Salt Lake City, where other players commented on his jumps and grabs, saying he could fly like a bird. Dont get him confused with Larry Bird though. June 12, 2022 . Most of the players had between 29 and 33, so I dont believe any of that stuff in the 40s.. We present them here for purely educational purposes. The Memphis forward sustained the injury Friday night during the 1st quarter of the Grizzlies 113-97 loss to the Nuggets. Known as 'The Kangaroo Kid,' Billy Cunningham was a high-flying scorer who won an NBA title as a player and coach with the 76ers. So much has been written and said about Julius Erving over the years that i, Allen, Marcus 1960 Cunningham began his second basketball career on Nov. 4, 1977, when he was hired to replace Gene Shue at the Sixers helm. They think they could track down what the announcer calls a routine fly ball. Said Trenkle: He can take the ball with his right hand, go up, put it between his legs and dunk it behind his head with his left hand. 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.