Can the old Elevator still ascend? Its almost like burlesque dancing. 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. Injuries limited Cunningham to only 32 games in 1973-74, but he still averaged 20.5 ppg. American basketball player Do you have a sports website? Stanfords 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. Joey was a good player at Banning High in Wilmington and spent two years at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college. Cunningham grew up in Brooklyn and on his fifth birthday he received a basketball. He reached both the 300 and 400-win milestones faster than any coach in NBA history. Brooks will serve his 1-game suspension Sunday when the Grizzlies visit the Clippers. Every time Gus slam-dunked at home, the recorded sound of a rifle shot would whistle through the arena. Most of these leapers were from the inner city, where they suffered from overexposure to drugs and underexposure to formal education. Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. Some nights Id scare myself.. I told him Id read he had a 44. They took about 10 jumps each. Those Sixers advanced to the East finals before losing in five games to the Celtics. 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. Chess Robot Grabs And Breaks Finger Of Seven-Year . Unlike Thompson, a huge star at North Carolina State, Dr. J kind of sneaked up on the basketball world. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. Cunningham became a top analyst for CBSs broadcasts of NBA games. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Billy Cunningham was a standout scorer for the Philadelphia 76ers. 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. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Joey averaged 19.5 points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a national junior college title. Hed shoot it short and Joe and I would leap up and shake hands over the basket.. Jump to navigation Jump to search Billy Cunningham American basketball player and coach. That swagger had to come from somewhere. The greatest jumper today? I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. The 1984-85 season, Cunninghams last as coach, featured the addition of rookie Charles Barkley to the team. The Memphis forward sustained the injury Friday night during the 1st quarter of the Grizzlies 113-97 loss to the Nuggets. He led Philadelphia to the playoffs in every year as coach, and advanced to the NBA Finals 3 times, in the 197980, 198182 and 198283 seasons. 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. Ive got the videotape to prove it., Karl Kleinkopf, who coached the Southern Idaho track team for nine years, said: Theres absolutely no doubt Joey could be an eight-foot high jumper by 1992. As a high school senior, he received a scholarship offer from a Midwestern college, asking him to become the schools first black player. My mother has a bar here in southern Idaho, and shes got a nail where Joey touched, at 11-9 1/2.. Billy Cunningham wasn't nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid because he had a pouch. for once. 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. 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. Its a remarkable life.. 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. Wed been on the bus eight hours by then, Trenkle said. of 6. Actually he was a 62% free throw shooter, which is poor except in comparison to his 51% as a pro. His standing vertical was 37.5 inches. . "I lived there that summer," he later recalled. Close to the superleaper class in Kupchaks book, but a shade short, are Charles Barkley, Larry Nance, Orlando Woolridge, Roy Hinson, Tom Chambers and Akeem Olajuwon. Cunningham led the league in steals with 216 and was fourth in scoring with a 24.1 points-per-game average. Learn more and register. Cunningham scored 18.9 points per game. He spent several years as one of the owners of the Miami Heat and the team quickly became a contender. 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. us, High School: The Philadelphia team Cunningham inherited featured Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Doug Collins, Lloyd B. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. The new generation of jumpers, ushered in by Julius Erving, has pushed the dunk to new artistic heights. Many have speculated about the reasons behind this phenomenon. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. 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. In the JC championship game, an opponent fired a jump shot at the buzzer. 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,. Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. 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. Its a feeling of power and freedom Ive never gotten from anything else. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. At halftime of one Southern Idaho game, Joey was pursuaded to give a brief high-jump demonstration. If you play the game, you know how high that is. His entire head and neck were above the rim. He is six feet seven inches tall. 1936-1999 The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. He would toss the ball off the backboard and then slam it home. One of the more recent players on this list, Chris Birdman Anderson is known for his celebratory arm flapping and his intriguing tattoos. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Hawkins is now vice president of communications for the Dodgers. It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. Cunningham reached 200, 300, and 400 wins faster than any previous coach in NBA history. William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. And the problem these days is inflation. 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. These are two very, very different kinds of feathered friends. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. 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. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. [10] In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[11]. Finally he did a 360, one handed. Weve all heard the saying: white men cant jump. Ron Shelton even made a (fantastic) movie about it in the 90s! Part of Dr. Js legend is the same as the mystique of a gunfighter coming into town, Costas said. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. This guy couldshoot AND dunk. Lets add Billy Hoyle as an honourary #16 to this list, shall we? 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. Ridiculous, but it has been done, by a kid youve probably never heard of, unless you started reading this story at the end. Chamberlain couldnt remember the players name, but Rod Thorn did. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. He may be the greatest leaper of all time. And he played it constantly. 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. He was never even charged with wrongdoing, but the NBA ban stuck until Connies lawyers broke it down in 1969, when the Hawk was 27 and well past his swooping prime. Billy Cunningham (Billy; The Kangaroo Kid) Position: Forward 6-6 , 210lb (198cm, 95kg) School: North Carolina (Men) Draft: Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA draft SUMMARY Career G 69 PTS 24.8 TRB 15.4 AST - FG% 47.3 FT% 62.8 Cunningham Overview More Cunningham Pages More Cunningham pages at Sports Reference He was with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers for 17 years . Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. I knew he was right there with me. Also, his dunk on Dwight Howard during the 2008 Olympic finals was unreal. Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. One boy did dunks of a monster nature, so they named him after the only monster they knew that could fly--Rodan. Uh oh! They swept the Knicks in the conference semis and topped the Bucks in five games to reach another Finals, where they swept longtime nemesis L.A. for the championship. During both is college and NBA career, this guy leapt like nobodys business. And he made it to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with a career that reads like a how-to book for legends. We ask the player to stand next to a wall, flat-footed, one arm stretched to its maximum, and mark the apex of his fingers. Some of them were pretty damn eccentric. By the time Dr. J got to the NBA, in 1976 at the age of 26, more than 25% of his leg spring--by his estimate--was shot. Herb White was moved to write a poem about an eagle that had lost its ability to soar. Somebody done gotcha. But man, that was sweet music. Celtics legend Larry Bird might just be the most famous white guy in basketball. For three days, Rabbit put on a show like theyve never seen before. (February 22, 2023). As a rookie in 1965-66, he pulled down 7.5 rpg, scored 14.3 ppg and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Mike Conley, who is 6-2 and a triple jumper, won the Foot Locker Slam Dunk Contest last weekend, with 6-2 Raider receiver Tim Brown finishing third and swimmer Matt Biondi in the top five. He ran to the nearest school, three blocks away, and started shooting baskets. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. That year, he was the First-Team All-New York He was about a foot from the top.. The University of North Carolina (UNC) coach Frank McGuire convinced Cunningham to enroll there. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Well find out next season. Fiery and volatile, he would pace the sidelines, driving his team relentlessly. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. Then he goes into coaching and, percentage-wise, becomes one of the best ever. 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. 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. Ill give you an example. And Dirk Nowitzki who no doubt has walls plastered top to bottom with awards and achievements. 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. 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. Pitchin Paul is credited as being one of the first basketball players to ever use the jump shot. I was a good free throw shooter in college.. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers (nine as player, eight as coach), and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers (nine as player, eight as coach), and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. Encyclopedia.com. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. 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. Jackie took off, jumped over Normans head and dunked the ball.. Very easily.. There was a Philadelphia boy, Sonny Hill, about 5-10 (actually 5-9), he was the first guy that size I ever saw dunk. 1924- I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. 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. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. Dunk-off of the Network Superstars? He was discovered. He led the Cougars to the best record in the league and was selected to the All-ABA First Team and was named the ABA MVP. 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. He said he was tired and tight. Thats a white head, remember. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? In the Museum of Leap, Wilt (the Big Dipper) Chamberlain has his own wing. 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. The rim was two inches low. Now they take everything off and it takes a lot more to get people excited.. In the Division Finals, the Cougars lost a tight seven-game series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3. 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. Oh my God, Smith recalled thinking. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. I won the unofficial NBA slam dunk title that season, said White, who now sells heavy equipment in Georgia. Billy Cunningham was born in Brooklyn, New York. Joey? Yes, 44. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. Other notable dunks include his shot on the Sonics seriously ticked off Robert Reid, and another on the Knicks flabbergasted Patrick Ewing. "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. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. In 1967, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title. Latrell Sprewell, a rising NBA star, would be known more for his off-court antics than his bas, Erving, Julius 1950 I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. Pasty skin. 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. It takes a lot more to get people excited now, said Chris Wallace, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. Upon graduation, his 1,062 rebounds were the best in North Carolina history and he held single-season records for most rebounds (379 in 1964) and rebound average (16.1 in 1963). Soon Greer would be alone. 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. Cunningham arrived in Chapel Hill just as Dean Smith was taking over as the head basketball coach of the UNC Tar Heels. 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 inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. //]]>. Cunningham was part of a group that helped to secure an NBA franchise for Miami in the late 1980s. Cunningham would never play again. 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. Joey is 6-3, with average-length arms and legs, and incredibly unaverage spring. ." Do you have a blog? > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. He did prefer ball to hockey, after all. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. In 1965, Cunningham joined the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. I said, What the hell, Im 40. . 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.