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Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? Billy Cunningham. And he played it constantly. For his eleven-year career, Cunningham averaged 21.2 points per game. Dennis never was much of a leaper. He succeeded Gene Shue as head coach of the 24 76ers on November 4, 1977. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Hes set records for leading the NBA in dunks during his very first year playing pro. Anybodv can win the lottery, 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Still, the thrill is not all gone. He also became an NBA broadcaster on national television and later a part-owner of the Miami Heat. Dawkins named it, Chocolate Thunder Flying, Robinzine Crying, Teeth Shaking, Glass Breaking, Rump Roasting, Bun Toasting, Wham, Bam, Glass Breaker, I Am Jam.. 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. His show was not heard during the summer months, when WLW broadcasts Cincinnati Reds baseball games. Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Family (1) Overview (3) Born: June 3, 1943 in New York, USA: Birth Name: William John Cunningham: Height: 6' 7" (2.01 m) Mini Bio (1) William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Jay Norman, an outstanding defensive player, went into his defensive stance at the foul line. Cunningham could not even crack the starting lineupwhich included Wilt Chamberlain, Chet Walker, Lucious Jackson, Hal Greer, and Wally Jonesbut he averaged 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game coming off the bench. He was finished as a player. Somebody done gotcha. But man, that was sweet music. Date of birth: 3 June 1943 . Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. In 1966-67, the 76ers dominated the NBA. Top 15 NBA Players Who Prove That White Men CAN Jump, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. [4], Cunningham signed a threeyear contract on August 5, 1969 to begin play with the American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars in 197172. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. Philadelphia then became a member of the leagues elite. ." That said, you can see his leaping ability when he takes off. No man, I dont believe, has been up that far., With Chamberlain over 50--years of age, not points per game--Nissalke feels safe in saying, That would be the ultimate challenge: Bet any amount of money, and you wouldnt find anyone who could come close to the top of the board.. His departure had a disastrous effect. married Sondra; they had two daughters. [CDATA[ He rises to the highest level of broadcasting. After that season, he earned the first of what would be three straight All-NBA First Team selections. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. 1 draft choice. For his college career he averaged 24.8 points per game and set a school record with 1,062 rebounds. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. The Globies listed him at 6-5, but Sonny Hill swears Jackie was 6-3, tops. [14] He then returned for one last year to help cover the 1991 NCAA men's basketball tournament, partnered with Dick Stockton once again. Then he went to North Carolina and was an All-American. His entire head and neck were above the rim. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Not too shabby at all, right? Javascript is required for the selection of a player. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. He was an NBA champion both as a player (1967) and as a coach (1983). Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. I said to him, Yes, yes, yes! Wilt said, Im gonna kill you. . star and now the leagues vice president of operations. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. Pregame warmups were his showtime. One of basketball's all-time greats, Cunningham was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and honored by selection to both the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams as one of its legendary players, as well as to the ABA All-Time Team. Joe Clarke, founder and president of the South-Central L.A. 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. As a player, he was fiery yet consistent, pulling down rebounds and scoring points. I won the unofficial NBA slam dunk title that season, said White, who now sells heavy equipment in Georgia. Claims of sergeants in the mid- and high 40s are common. 44 is only four inches less than the NBAs all-time record by His Airness, Michael Jordan, and also by Darrell Griffith. Very easily.. 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. His jersey number "32" was later retired by Philadelphia. 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. 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. Now imagine yourself crouching a bit, like Superman, and springing high into the air. He once grabbed a record 27 rebounds in a game vs. Clemson on February 16, 1963. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. [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. Can you do that? Uh oh! He came on back to Harlem. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") Then we ask him to jump and we mark the highest point he touched. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. Pitchin Paul is credited as being one of the first basketball players to ever use the jump shot. If you play the game, you know how high that is. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Instead he went to Georgia as a white player and was a so-so power forward. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. Cunningham again led the team in scoring in 1970-71, ranking ninth in the NBA with 23.0 ppg. An American-Israeli boy who was actually born in Taiwan, this dude was THIS CLOSE to entering the Slam Dunk competition in 2009, but was passed over for the Portland Trail Blazers Rudy Fernandez. They are enshrined in a mythical Museum of Leap. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. "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. The greatest jumper today? Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall The Hawks favorite flight story, like many stories of that era, features Chamberlain as a foil. Now they take everything off and it takes a lot more to get people excited.. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. And the man has pulled out some pretty crazy surprise dunks. How in the world can this kid play ball? for once. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. Yep. But listen to Wilt. I used to dunk on that basket. 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. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. So goes the popular assumption. Then theres Jerry Mr. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy, "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") The mystery leaper was--and is--Herb White, 6-foot-2, eyes of blue, from Decatur, Ga. As with most leaping legends, Herbs aerial reputation often preceded him. The Cougars' attempt to file an injunction against him was denied in United States District Court on September 24, 1971. The ONLY white man. Against Tulane University on 10 December 1964, he set a UNC record by scoring forty-eight points. Chris Wallace, the college talent scout, said: I dont believe measurements. Jack Gardner, a former college coach, did our testing, Nissalke said. 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. 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. Home Depot Is Selling A Giant 89-Pound Crab Statue For $1,500. As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. The next season, Phily finished 47-35, but lost to the Spurs in the conference semis. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. . Jump to navigation Jump to search Billy Cunningham American basketball player and coach. CREATIVE. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. 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. Brooks will serve his 1-game suspension Sunday when the Grizzlies visit the Clippers. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Basketball was just a game they played for fun. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. He was elected to the Hall of Fame the following year. I told him Id read he had a 44. Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. He also had stellar 3-pointer abilities, but after that 1996 air show, most of his other accomplishments were left in the dust. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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,. Athletic Club, has worked with most of the great L.A. prep stars of the last two decades. inBrooklyn,New York There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. I have seen everybody, Hill said. In the Museum of Leap, Wilt (the Big Dipper) Chamberlain has his own wing. 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. Kareem came the closest. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. He was so good, Red Auerbach saw him play in a schoolyard game and invited him to camp with the Celtics. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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 freshman he went out for the track team, worked out a total of 10 hours, then high-jumped 7-3 7/8. 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. 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. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. Ill give you an example. In a way the injury made things easy for me, he added. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. During his playing career, he was a 4-time All-Star and 3-time All-NBA First Team selection. Most of these leapers are black, and in the late 50s and early 60s, the NBA still had unofficial quotas, and only eight or nine teams. He said he was tired and tight. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. Billy Cunningham was a standout scorer for the Philadelphia 76ers. We should be glad he doesnt demand his own useum. With an average height of 64, Arizin had fantastic ball handling skills, played a mean defense, and had some seriously bouncy feet. 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. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. 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. . It didnt make no difference to him.. Herb was not drafted, but was invited to Hawks camp after his senior year and made the 1970-71 team as a point-guard backup and road roommate of another rookie, Pete Maravich. Spencer Haywood, for one, claims to have been to the top. . In his basketball uniform and shoes, with a short, unmeasured run-up, he soared over seven feet. Joe Vanilla Sky Alexander has restless, jumpy feet that propel him way up to block shots and confound his opponents. Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. Wed been on the bus eight hours by then, Trenkle said. Until recently, nobody ever tried to keep track of dunks on any league-wide scale. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. After this historic 2015 event, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #WhiteMenCanJump (the up in lit up is so well placed, right?). In 1987, the NBA Board of Governors awarded the group an expansion franchise to begin play in 1988-89 and thus the Miami Heat was born. Or write about sports? Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like . As a player and then a coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of two NBA championship teams. In 1987, Cunningham replaced Tom Heinsohn as the lead color commentator (alongside play-by-play man Dick Stockton) for CBS' NBA telecasts. Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. We know he was born in New Bern, N.C., grew up (and flew up) in Brooklyn, attended Virginia Union, then played several years for the Harlem Globetrotters and in the old Eastern League. Everybody dunks. Its even been called hellicious.. In fact, his hockey-head-ish hair might even be as famous as his dunk. Some have called the team the greatest of all time. CUNNINGHAM, William John ("Billy") ( b. During one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. There was a Philadelphia boy, Sonny Hill, about 5-10 (actually 5-9), he was the first guy that size I ever saw dunk. 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. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. In The Finals, however, Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes and the Lakers were too much. He stood below the basket, no run, just jumped straight up with his arms at his sides, flipped his head sideways and dunked his cap.. Curtis Bunn, a 6-1 reporter for Newsday, has a very decent repertoire of slams. The 1984-85 season, Cunninghams last as coach, featured the addition of rookie Charles Barkley to the team. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. The next season, the consistent Cunningham scored 23.3 points per game and was selected as an All-Star for the fourth time. It was like, Legend has it that 20 men are buried in Boot Hill because of this guy. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. Throughout his life, Cunningham excelled at all aspects of the game he loved. 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. I get a rebound and Im driving up the floor, ready to go coast to coast. Among his numerous career achievements, he was named to the 1966 All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. However, the poet laureate of leap is Darryl Dawkins. 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. 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. [9] In 1996, Cunningham was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as part of the NBA's 50th Anniversary. Really, though, hed have to in order to make it look like he belonged there among all the African American bball greats. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. I dont believe anyone has ever done it. Effortless, absolutely effortless.. And the problem these days is inflation. Hes one of only a handful of white guys to even make it to the Slam Dunk Competition, and hes rumoured to have reached a vertical jump of 39 inches. It sure did make me feel good inside.. In the far-up Land of Leap, the unit of currency is the dunk. Technicalities, you know. Joey averaged 19.5 points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a national junior college title. In the NBA, where everyone can dunk--you wouldnt even want to rule out David Stern--there are really only a few top guns. The obvious question is, why didnt more of these guys play in the NBA? He may be the greatest leaper of all time. 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 . "I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face" about when to retire. Left, Born: why did michael jackson wrote heal the world; lionel richie las vegas 2022 "It's a remarkable life.". Note that this is not the official NBA measurement. These are not necessarily great basketball players, understand, but their ability to jump has made them objects of something much deeper than profound respect. Then an All-Star. Cunningham hit for 18.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg. So maybe his African American genes are a little stronger than his Caucasian ones after all? There are two other pure measurements of leap--the dunk and the top of the money exchange. To think that we can thank a bunch of sweaty dancers for this fundamental basketball maneuver. Showing all 5 items. These guys more than held their own in a sport where they were absolutely a minority. Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. 1943 Another oft-told legend has Jackie on defense. In the twentieth game of the 19751976 season, Cunningham's career suddenly and inexplicably ended. Geraldo Rivera is standing by. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. He coached eight years with 76ers, never finishing lower than second place in the Atlantic and posted a career record of 454-196 (.698). I defy anyone to say they took change off the top of the backboard, Chamberlain said. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Cunningham had just snared a defensive rebound and was dribbling to the Sixers free-throw line when, as he later recounted, his knee just exploded. No one had touched him, although Alfred Butch Beard was given a foul on the play. Philadelphia went 47-35, second in the newly formed Atlantic Division, but was ousted again in the first round of the playoffs. Cunningham played with visible enthusiasm. Join our linker program. 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.