There. Still, the thrill is not all gone. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. Other notable dunks include his shot on the Sonics seriously ticked off Robert Reid, and another on the Knicks flabbergasted Patrick Ewing. His departure had a disastrous effect on the 76ers, who posted a 9-73 record in 1972-73, the worst mark in NBA history. Billy Cunningham - Wikipedia Those Sixers advanced to the East finals before losing in five games to the Celtics. Oh my God, Smith recalled thinking. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. The legendary player and coach was named the ABA MVP for the 1972-73 season. 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. 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. Sunday Nights with Bill Cunningham can be heard every Sunday on over 300 radio stations across the United States. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. The next season, Philly plummeted to 30-52 and missed the postseason and Cunningham (23.3 ppg, 12.2 rpg) was in the last of his four All-Star years. His departure had a disastrous effect. I said, What the hell, Im 40. . And the problem these days is inflation. His masterpiece was a backboard shattering dunk over Kansas City forward Bill Robinzine. Cunningham, though, tore up the ABA. [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 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. 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. He scored 16,310 points and pulled down nearly 8,000 rebounds. These are not necessarily great basketball players, understand, but their ability to jump has made them objects of something much deeper than profound respect. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. Then he goes into coaching and, percentage-wise, becomes one of the best ever. To think that we can thank a bunch of sweaty dancers for this fundamental basketball maneuver. Media in category "Billy Cunningham" The following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total. Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, Draft: Against Tulane University on 10 December 1964, he set a UNC record by scoring forty-eight points. He was in the gym in Mesa one afternoon, in street clothes and basketball shoes. He came on back to Harlem. Right now Johnson is red-shirting at ASU. For three days, Rabbit put on a show like theyve never seen before. In 1967, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. As a rebounder and jump shooter he averaged 18.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. 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. A fairly average 65 Sura fit in among the other players on the court, but he set himself apart with his gorgeous dunking abilities. Find Billy Cunningham 76ers stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. ! 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. Or write about sports? His daddy was also a professional ball player, which means his skill and confidence are ate least somewhat genetic. 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. Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970. 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. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Really, though, hed have to in order to make it look like he belonged there among all the African American bball greats. Were playing in Philadelphia, against Wilt, Hawkins relates. Patterson, who recently resigned as Arizona States coach, said that Johnson is really an impact player, but not consistently good and solid. In his final season, he was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Joey? Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. He was a five-time All Star, 1972-73 MVP, and received recognition for numerous goals, throws, rebounds, and assist plays. He prevailed in the end! Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Finally he did a 360, one handed. Dennis never was much of a leaper. Its almost like burlesque dancing. His show was not heard during the summer months, when WLW broadcasts Cincinnati Reds baseball games. I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. 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,. Joey was a good player at Banning High in Wilmington and spent two years at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Some nights, when your legs were really there and you had total command, you felt nobody was going to get any higher than you were. 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. The team finished 42-40 and was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks. The obvious question is, why didnt more of these guys play in the NBA? Basketball was just a game they played for fun. Do you have a sports website? Browse 1,052 billy cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Despite his Caucasian genetic setbacks, he shot up an unbelievable 41.5 inches at the NBA Draft Combine in 2014. 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. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. About a year ago, I was in a playground game with some black guys. "It's a remarkable life.". Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. Billy Cunningham was born in New York on June 3, 1943. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. As Cunningham was adjusting to the professional game, the 76ers were becoming a powerhouse. 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. Join our linker program. Joey didnt even have his shoes laced, Clarke said. [10] In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[11]. Rosters Cut,", "1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals - New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers", Goldaper, Sam. 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. 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. 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. I lived there that summer, he later recalled. He was twice named an All-American during his collegiate years. Yep. A fiery coach, Cunningham stalked the sidelines with the best of them. 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. At Carolina, he was reunited with the coach Larry Brown, who had been a UNC teammate. The next year he exploded for 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds and he was named a first-team All-Star. Anybodv can win the lottery.. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. Stand underneath a basketball hoop, a regulation 10-footer. His jersey number "32" was later retired by Philadelphia. Billy Cunningham. We played Portland in the last game of the season. Do you have a blog? 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. He was a competitor, said Lewis Schaffel, one of Cunninghams partners in the Miami Heat who grew up with him in Brooklyn. billy cunningham vertical jump - a portrait of the artist as filipino - a portrait of the artist as filipino - Thats about the height of the average 4-year-old. In his basketball uniform and shoes, with a short, unmeasured run-up, he soared over seven feet. He was a role player on the 1967 title team in . As a freshman he went out for the track team, worked out a total of 10 hours, then high-jumped 7-3 7/8. Left, Born: Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. These guys will never forget the blur of that mullet-ed head flying past them. I cant put my finger on it exactly, but there was just something about the game. Professional basketball player, sports administrator In The Finals, however, Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes and the Lakers were too much. On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. Top 15 NBA Players Who Prove That White Men CAN Jump, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. The players who fly through this thin air are not simply remembered by hoop fans. That Feb. 8, the ABA trotted out its five best slammers. Kareem came the closest. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. In todays semifinals, folks, well see Gary (Up in the Airy) Coleman vs. Bea (the Flea) Arthur, and Jumpin Johnny Carson vs. Pogo Stick Peter Jennings. 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. A commitment to the basic fundamentals of any game lead to progress, growth, and success. The Globies listed him at 6-5, but Sonny Hill swears Jackie was 6-3, tops. So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. There are two other pure measurements of leap--the dunk and the top of the money exchange. These are professional men: Dr. J, Dr. Dunkenstein, Dr. Jam. Its a rush, a thrill, said the Elevator from Decatur. 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. William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . Well find out next season. It sure did make me feel good inside.. I have seen everybody, Hill said. White, also known as the Elevator from Decatur, made the NBA all-time all-warmup team that one season. 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). Joey averaged 19.5 points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a national junior college title. Griffin was born of half Afro-Haitian descent and half Caucasian. Position: Many of the legendary leapers of that era didnt play NBA ball because all they could do was leap. Clutch West, with his awe-inspiring 60-foot shot in the 1970 NBA Final. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. Lets add Billy Hoyle as an honourary #16 to this list, shall we? Cunningham grew up in Brooklyn and on his fifth birthday he received a basketball. Effortless, absolutely effortless.. inBrooklyn,New York Joey is 6-3, with average-length arms and legs, and incredibly unaverage spring. In 1966 Cunningham Philadelphia switched Cunningham to small forward, a position that allowed him to use his tenacity and jumping ability around the boards. They annihilated the opposition all season and finished with a 68-13 record. Now, as radio's "Voice of the Common Man," Bill merges all his knowledge, along with his distinguished guests to enrich the minds of his loyal and participative audience. Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. As a professional he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, an NBA All-Star, All-NBA First and Second Team, an ABA All-Star, All-ABA First Team, and the ABA Most Valuable Player. In 1997 Cunningham became the expert commentator for the CBS television network's coverage of NBA games. The color barrier and the sex barrier of slam-dunk have fallen: Many white guys and a few women can dunk. 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. Throughout his life, Cunningham excelled at all aspects of the game he loved. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Some of the guys started dunking. He was discovered. That swagger had to come from somewhere. Billy Cunningham was born in Brooklyn, New York. In the twentieth game of the 19751976 season, Cunningham's career suddenly and inexplicably ended. 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. 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. Joe Clarke, founder and president of the South-Central L.A. In 1974 Cunningham returned to the 76ers. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. Weary of the NBA lifestyle, Cunningham retired. 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.. 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. Stanford's 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. 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 played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. 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. Celtics legend Larry Bird might just be the most famous white guy in basketball. Billy Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid. Keith had a 32. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? As a child he wa, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. I got fired up and did a 360 dunk. He was an incredible shot blocker. Home Depot Is Selling A Giant 89-Pound Crab Statue For $1,500. 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. 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 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. During his eight seasons as the coach of the 76ers, Philadelphia won 454 regular season games and lost 196. 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. It is. Knowing he was inexperienced, Cunningham assembled a group of veteran ex-coaches as assistants, including Chuck Daly, who later to become head coach of the Detroit Pistons. 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. Many have speculated about the reasons behind this phenomenon. Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. He walked into the gym one morning and there was a TV crew set up. He had tested thousands of Navy pilots during the war, and he said Griffiths was the highest he ever measured.. At (one NBA tryout camp), where we had a strong cross section of draftees, the highest was 36 1/2 inches. 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. billy cunningham vertical jump - quraneducator.com The schools former coach, Frank McGuire, was the one who had recruited Cunningham, which left Smith with a prize recruit he had never seen. Hes set records for leading the NBA in dunks during his very first year playing pro. 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. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. Data Provided By Judging by a still shot the DukeMBB videographer took during the testing, Williamson cleared a vertical leap mark of 40 inches. Cunningham played with visible enthusiasm. Sure, Casper and friends tend to dominate less vertically challenging sports like golf, hockey, and tennis, but they have also held their own on the floorboards. It takes a lot more to get people excited now, said Chris Wallace, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. The single-game high was eight, by Drexler, against the Lakers. So much has been written and said about Julius Erving over the years that i, Allen, Marcus 1960 If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. The white guys listed below are heroes of the basketball world. That year, he was the First-Team All-New York Billy Cunningham, Actor: You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat. 1924- In the Museum of Leap, Wilt (the Big Dipper) Chamberlain has his own wing. Sura strutted and slammed his stuff in both the 1997 Slam Dunk Competition and the All Star Weekend, and his jumps were recorded to be about 39 inches. He ran to the nearest school, three blocks away, and started shooting baskets. My sergeant was higher than Jordans. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He rises to the highest level of broadcasting. If you play the game, you know how high that is. There are celebrity dunk-offs. 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. 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Part of Dr. Js legend is the same as the mystique of a gunfighter coming into town, Costas said. Cunningham achieved a career trifecta in law, business, and government. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") Posted by; Date June 12, 2022; Comments . It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. 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. Hes also not 100% African American, though, which means he doesnt automatically have insane jumping genes. Another oft-told legend has Jackie on defense. Stanfords 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. 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. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. billy cunningham vertical jump - mail.edtna-erca.org 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. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny OFFICIAL TRAILER! A fabulous collegian and pro player Cunningham shot to stardom when he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1966. In 1965 Cunningham graduated from UNC and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. He was a five-time All Star, 1972-73 MVP, and received recognition for numerous goals, throws, rebounds, and assist plays. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. Before the game, English and I went back and forth. Since his slamming days in the NBA, hes continued with the sport as a scout, director, analyst, commentator, and even vice president of player personnel. Bill Cunningham | Premiere Networks 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. They took about 10 jumps each. I loved it instantly.. Billy Cunningham - Popular Bio Cade Cunningham Vertical Jump Height. Theres not room for both of us. The next day Red let Rabbit go. Do you have a blog? Its unbelievable. Geraldo Rivera is standing by. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Unlike Thompson, a huge star at North Carolina State, Dr. J kind of sneaked up on the basketball world. Herb White was moved to write a poem about an eagle that had lost its ability to soar. Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. 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. CUNNINGHAM, William John ("Billy") ( b. They were like jazz musicians in sneakers. Very easily.. At six feet, seven inches tall and 220 pounds, Cunningham was a consistent scorer and fierce rebounder. Cunningham became a playground regular, a gym rat, and a high school star, leading Erasmus Hall to the New York City Championship in 1961. He coached eight years with 76ers, never finishing lower than second place in the Atlantic and posted a career record of 454-196 (.698). Youd go up, arch your back, and go up even higher. In 1969-70, Cunningham averaged a career-best 26.1 points, fourth-highest in the league behind Jerry West, Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Elvin Hayes.