He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. 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. His entire head and neck were above the rim. As Cunningham was adjusting to the professional game, the 76ers were becoming a powerhouse. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. 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. Stand underneath a basketball hoop, a regulation 10-footer. 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. Now thats something to brag about at Sunday family dinners. 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. Find Billy Cunningham 76ers stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, Draft: 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. The 1984-85 season, Cunninghams last as coach, featured the addition of rookie Charles Barkley to the team. Billy can jump up to 29-31 inches (vertical leap). When Cunningham got off the bus in Chapel Hill in the fall of 1961, he was all skin and bones, a freckle-faced redhead with a clumsy, pigeon-toed gait. [10] In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[11]. 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. 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. I mean, what next? These are professional men: Dr. J, Dr. Dunkenstein, Dr. Jam. He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). He was in the gym in Mesa one afternoon, in street clothes and basketball shoes. 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. On a good day, he said. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. In 1976-77, the season before Cunningham took the helm, the Sixers reached The Finals, only to fall to the Portland Trail Blazers. He also became an NBA broadcaster on national television and later a part-owner of the Miami Heat. Since joining the NBA in the 2002-03 season, this guy has achieved dozens of honours and awards, including three MVP award shares and a spot playing in two All-Star games. He finished well out of the running--or jumping--when he clanged at least one attempt off the rim. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . Data Provided By Theres not room for both of us. The next day Red let Rabbit go. A commitment to the basic fundamentals of any game lead to progress, growth, and success. In 1967, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title. And the man has pulled out some pretty crazy surprise dunks. 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. Jump to navigation Jump to search Billy Cunningham American basketball player and coach. Its a rush, a thrill, said the Elevator from Decatur. Why not simply whip out a tape measure and measure the leapers leaps, take the guesswork out of whos the greatest? This guy wasnt a leaper, but it will show you what I mean. 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. 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. Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. In warmups, we would always check out the other team and get into little contests with their guys. 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. Judging by a still shot the DukeMBB videographer took during the testing, Williamson cleared a vertical leap mark of 40 inches. Cunningham was a member of the powerful 1967 Sixers championship team, which also featured Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Luke Jackson. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. Billy Cunningham was a standout scorer for the Philadelphia 76ers. It was so good that Cunningham, a future Hall of Famer, came off the bench. Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. In a way the injury made things easy for me, he added. He was six or eight inches away. > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. The breakthrough occurred when Harvey Pollack, the venerable stat whiz of the Philadelphia 76ers, collected dunk data from every team for the entire 1987-88 NBA season, accounting for every last slammeroo. Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. Although he had never coached, he was popular in Philadelphia, and his competitiveness, toughness and intelligence seemed right for the job. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. 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. Joey is 6-3, with average-length arms and legs, and incredibly unaverage spring. Terrell Owens Gets Into Fight Outside CVS. And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. The ONLY white man. Then we ask him to jump and we mark the highest point he touched. And there was a dog. Nope. Gus was a colorful thunder dunker and a breaker of backboards. The only other thing in life I couldnt comprehend was looking at the moon and knowing there were men walking on it.. Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like . According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. Showing all 5 items. All rights reserved. I was right there and it wasnt a foot. When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. 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. Professional basketball player It is. Were playing in Philadelphia, against Wilt, Hawkins relates. Its not just his personality that gets attention, though; hes been an NBA Champion in 2013, participated in the Slam Dunk Contest twice, and his vertical leap measures in at a not-too-shabby 37 inches. 22 Feb. 2023 . He came on back to Harlem. Its almost like burlesque dancing. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. In 1965 Cunningham graduated from UNC and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. 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. He may be the greatest leaper of all time. And Dirk Nowitzki who no doubt has walls plastered top to bottom with awards and achievements. Uh oh! It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. He was a high school superstar. But who has seen him? . In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the 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. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. He became a three-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, three-time Three-Point Shootout Champion, and two-time member of the 50-40-90 club. Learn more and register. His show was not heard during the summer months, when WLW broadcasts Cincinnati Reds baseball games. 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. 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. He was elected to the Hall of Fame the following year. Cade Cunningham Vertical Jump Height. 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. The Cougars had finished last the previous season, but with Brown and Cunningham inspiring the team, the Cougars finished first. Ginoblili is 39 years old and recently won a jump ball against the 22-year-old Nerlens Noel, who has a good five inches on the Argentinian-Italian. I said, What the hell, Im 40. . He ran out of his house and to the hoop at St. Rose of Lima grammar school, three blocks away. 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. One boy did dunks of a monster nature, so they named him after the only monster they knew that could fly--Rodan. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. June 12, 2022 . He was so good, Red Auerbach saw him play in a schoolyard game and invited him to camp with the Celtics. 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. During a game in 1963 against Clemson University, he grabbed a record twenty-seven rebounds. I dont want anyone ripping rib-cage muscles or wrenching spinal disks. During one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. Billy Cunningham, Actor: You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat. 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 Seniors Are Getting Freaking And A New Loofah Code Lets Everyone Know. After this historic 2015 event, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #WhiteMenCanJump (the up in lit up is so well placed, right?). He got kudos for his smooth-sounding, incisive work with the play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton. He was a tough, intense, competitive player who used his intelligence as much as his physical talents. Joey walked up to the wall, one foot planted, no rocking, jumped up and missed the nail. The single-game high was eight, by Drexler, against the Lakers. 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. 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. 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 . Cunningham hit for 18.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg. Hed shoot it short and Joe and I would leap up and shake hands over the basket.. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? He is still the winningest coach in Sixers history. CREATIVE. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. . 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. We should be glad he doesnt demand his own useum. That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. Joey didnt even have his shoes laced, Clarke said. 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.