Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. Artis (A-Train) Gilmore, George (Ice) Gervin and Larry (Big Cat) Kenon all dunked admirably. Some nights Id scare myself.. I said to him, Yes, yes, yes! Wilt said, Im gonna kill you. . Can you do that? Some have called the team the greatest of all time. They were like jazz musicians in sneakers. They think they could track down what the announcer calls a routine fly ball. The next season, Phily finished 47-35, but lost to the Spurs in the conference semis. Do you have a blog? I said, What the hell, Im 40. . Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. Eight players dunked in triple figures: Barkley of Philadelphia, 188; Jordan of Chicago, 156; Otis Thorpe of Golden State, 150; Pat Ewing of the Knicks, 146; Karl Malone of Utah, 142; Drexler of Portland, 130; Wilkins of Atlanta, 126, and Olajuwon of Houston, 118. William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Dolph Schayes is an icon in Philadelphia 76ers lore and was one of the NBA's first stars as well. When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. Robinson, David 1965 We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. As a player and then a coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of two NBA championship teams. Learn more and register. The two teams waged a court battle, each claiming the rights to Cunningham, but the new league won. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. All rights reserved. Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. Nope. While he was dribbling down the court, his knee exploded. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Joe Clarke, founder and president of the South-Central L.A. 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. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. They were a winning team the next two seasons but could not repeat as champions, and Cunningham retired after the 19841985 season. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. There are celebrity dunk-offs. But while Cunningham was reaching his peak, the 76ers were beginning to crumble. The following season Philadelphia won sixty-two games and the Eastern Division title but lost to the Celtics in the playoffs. Browse 1,052 billy cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. Philadelphia went 47-35, second in the newly formed Atlantic Division, but was ousted again in the first round of the playoffs. That's because like many players expected to be picked very high in the draft, they do not attend the Draft Combine or its measurements. He was a tough, intense, competitive player who used his intelligence as much as his physical talents. "I lived there that summer," he later recalled. 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. After acquiring the talented Moses Malone for the 19821983 season, Philadelphia won sixty-five regular season games and then the league championship, losing one of thirteen play-off games. 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. 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). (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) Cunningham, her stepdaughter and her fiance all jumped into action. Back when he played for the Phillies, they had him dribbling alongside Wilt The Stilt Chamberlain for two seasons, and when Chamberlain left in 69, the 76ers had a Kangaroo as their star. In his UNC career, he scored 1,709 points (24.8 points per game), and grabbed 1,062 rebounds (15.4 rebounds per game). [CDATA[ Dunk-off of the Network Superstars? Billy Cunningham tells broadcaster John Andariese about his early success with the 76ers. "Cunningham Quits; Loughery Dropped,", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Cunningham&oldid=1135516255, 3-year letter winner (in his day, freshmen were ineligible for, His number 32 jersey is retired by the Philadelphia 76ers; however, he allowed it to be worn by, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 03:41. In his second season with Carolina, Cunningham was hampered by injuries, but he still managed a 20.5 average in 32 games. "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. The Philadelphia 76ers star was a consistent scorer throughout his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. We Have Fusion Energy! You get it. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. A lot of them, you have to understand, werent able to get into college, Chamberlain said. Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. Cunningham returned to Philadelphia in 1977 to become the coach of the 76ers, replacing Gene Shue. If you play the game, you know how high that is. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. Before the game, English and I went back and forth. As a high school senior, he received a scholarship offer from a Midwestern college, asking him to become the schools first black player. [5] The reversal of that judgment in the United States Court of Appeals .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6+12 months later on April 5, 1972, meant that Cunningham was obligated to honor his Cougars contract until its expiration in October 1974. [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. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. He had wide shoulders--he was built like Orlando (Woolridge), 6-7 or 6-8. Youd be hard pressed to find a list of Best Dunks that didnt include his legendary knee-to-the-throat jump on Mark Jackson, where he rose like a Phoenix (how clever!) 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. Upload media Wikipedia. 22 Feb. 2023 . They asked him to show how high he could jump, so with no warmup of any kind, in his school clothes, Joey stood there, jumped up and put his chin on the rim. As a child he wa, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. His daddy was also a professional ball player, which means his skill and confidence are ate least somewhat genetic. And there was a dog. He spent several years as one of the owners of the Miami Heat and the team quickly became a contender. It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. A few of the big-time leapers did make it--Jumpin Johnny Green, Pogo Joe Caldwell and Tommy (the Hawk) Hawkins, who was a Laker rookie when the team moved to Los Angeles in 1960. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. After that season, he earned the first of what would be three straight All-NBA First Team selections. Another oft-told legend has Jackie on defense. That swagger had to come from somewhere. Watch even half of any of his highlight reels and youll understand why he made this list. Date of birth: 3 June 1943 . Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. Nobody ever played the game could rise any better than Jackie. The team finished 42-40 and was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks. It was legendary, however, and cemented young Majerle as one of the best white dunkers of all time. 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. After playing for Philadelphia from 1965 to 1972, he signed a free agent contract with the ABA's . Judging by a still shot the DukeMBB videographer took during the testing, Williamson cleared a vertical leap mark of 40 inches. Can the old Elevator still ascend? It is. Philadelphia then became a member of the leagues elite. In the 197374 season, Cunningham and the Cougars finished third in the Eastern Division and lost again to the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division semifinals. Kareem came the closest. Many of the legendary leapers of that era didnt play NBA ball because all they could do was leap. On December 20, 1970, Cunningham scored 31 points and grabbed a career-high 27 rebounds en route to a 134132 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Dunk is cheap. 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. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. His masterpiece was a backboard shattering dunk over Kansas City forward Bill Robinzine. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Why not simply whip out a tape measure and measure the leapers leaps, take the guesswork out of whos the greatest? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. He was discovered. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. About a year ago, I was in a playground game with some black guys. Very easily.. Although he had never coached, he was popular in Philadelphia, and his competitiveness, toughness and intelligence seemed right for the job. 1924- And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. His list of accolades from his time at the University of North Carolina is probably as long as his legs (hes 67, in case youre wondering), which is not surprising since anybody with the nickname Kangaroo Kid must have worked pretty hard and jumped pretty high to earn it. married Sondra; they had two daughters. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. In the exhibition season he was assigned to bring the ball up the court against Bostons K.C. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. High School and became known as the Kangaroo Kid for his impressive jumping ability. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Youd go up, arch your back, and go up even higher. Joey walked up to the wall, one foot planted, no rocking, jumped up and missed the nail. . Instead he went to Georgia as a white player and was a so-so power forward. He was a consummate team player, and he used the same unifying concept and enthusiasm to become a successful head coach. For his college career he averaged 24.8 points per game and set a school record with 1,062 rebounds. During one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. 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. All the teams did that. After this historic 2015 event, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #WhiteMenCanJump (the up in lit up is so well placed, right?). I got fired up and did a 360 dunk. I cant put my finger on it exactly, but there was just something about the game. Pregame warmups were his showtime. Encyclopedia.com. Lift up an arm and hop once or twice to get a feel for how far away the rim is. Or write about sports? Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! The next year he exploded for 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds and he was named a first-team All-Star. And some colleges and pro teams were not ready to take chances on what went along with those guys. A lot of great leapers dont bother to perfect those skills, because they are treated with such awe. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like . Geraldo Rivera is standing by. In The Finals, however, Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes and the Lakers were too much. The 76ers lost to the Lakers in 1980 and 1982, but after acquiring Moses Malone, they finally got past the Lakers in 1983, winning the franchise's third (and most recent) NBA Championship as part of a 121 playoff run. At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? If the Land of Leap had a national holiday, it would be Feb. 8, the anniversary of the legendary 1976 ABA All-Star games first--and last--slam dunk contest. Oh my God, Smith recalled thinking. Dont send letters, leapers. Julius, Gus (Johnson), Pogo Joe Caldwell. One day he received a call from Zev Buffman, who needed a well-known basketball personality to help secure an NBA franchise for Miami. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. 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. Actually he was a 62% free throw shooter, which is poor except in comparison to his 51% as a pro. In his basketball uniform and shoes, with a short, unmeasured run-up, he soared over seven feet. 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. His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? Basketball was just a game they played for fun. In the Division Finals, the Cougars lost a tight seven-game series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3. They drove a new nail in for Joey, measured it at 11-7 1/2. He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. I defy anyone to say they took change off the top of the backboard, Chamberlain said. Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. He scored 16,310 points and pulled down nearly 8,000 rebounds. He prevailed in the end! Cunningham was a member of the powerful 1967 Sixers championship team, which also featured Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Luke Jackson. The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C are nicknames for Billy Cunningham. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. His teams won sixty-six play-off games and lost twenty-nine. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. What happens when you put stilts on kangaroo? Jones, a noted defensive terror. To that end, heres this writers all-time all-leap team: Dr. J, the Big Dipper, Air Jordan, David Skywalker and Joey Johnson. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. Before his senior year, White happened to work out with some Atlanta Hawks players and they went to coach Richie Guerin with tales of this amazing leaper. His list of honors continued in 1986 when he was elected to the Hall of Fame, in 1990 when he was one of the 10 initial inductees to the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame and in 1996, he was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. That Feb. 8, the ABA trotted out its five best slammers. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. As a player, he was fiery yet consistent, pulling down rebounds and scoring points. 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 Globies listed him at 6-5, but Sonny Hill swears Jackie was 6-3, tops. 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. 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. 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. 1943 Billy Cunningham was born in Brooklyn, New York. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. Hes sought advice from Tim Duncan on how to be a great leader and win with his team. Hed shoot it short and Joe and I would leap up and shake hands over the basket.. White, also known as the Elevator from Decatur, made the NBA all-time all-warmup team that one season. We played Portland in the last game of the season. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. In the JC championship game, an opponent fired a jump shot at the buzzer. His colourful tattoos and hairstyles are about as famous as his skills too, with hairdos including mohawks, spikes, and shoulder-length shag. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. There is no full-length biography of Cunningham, but he is mentioned in most authoritative histories of basketball and in several magazine and online profiles. The only other thing in life I couldnt comprehend was looking at the moon and knowing there were men walking on it.. However, the poet laureate of leap is Darryl Dawkins. In 1997 Cunningham became the expert commentator for the CBS television network's coverage of NBA games. Cunningham achieved a career trifecta in law, business, and government. Whats unfortunate is that most people regard the great leapers as being only the short guys who could dunk, said the 7-1 1/16 Chamberlain. 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Think about Steve Nash and the beautiful game he played: flawless passes, sinking 90.4% of his free throws, point guard skills on point every time. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. Philadelphia switched Cunningham to small forward, a position that allowed him to use his tenacity and jumping ability around the boards. 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. (February 22, 2023). 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. Send us your videotape. Not a great deal is known about Jackie, which is good, because nothing dims a legend faster than facts. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Theyll all be going through and over their mountainous opponents in no time! The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. "In a way the injury made things easy for me," he said later. He was a competitor, said Lewis Schaffel, one of Cunninghams partners in the Miami Heat who grew up with him in Brooklyn. 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. But the winning wasnt over. Clutch West, with his awe-inspiring 60-foot shot in the 1970 NBA Final. Cunningham became a top analyst for CBSs broadcasts of NBA games. He may be the greatest leaper of all time.
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