See, for example, Jan Hubbard, ed., The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, 3d ed. 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. He was so good, Red Auerbach saw him play in a schoolyard game and invited him to camp with the Celtics. He was six or eight inches away. 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. 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. 1 draft choice. Throughout his life, Cunningham excelled at all aspects of the game he loved. The following season, with the ABAs future in jeopardy, Cunningham returned to the 76ers. 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. 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. His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. 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. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. us, High School: He was a No. 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. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. 22 Feb. 2023 . It was like, Legend has it that 20 men are buried in Boot Hill because of this guy. It was legendary, however, and cemented young Majerle as one of the best white dunkers of all time. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. In the twentieth game of the 19751976 season, Cunningham's career suddenly and inexplicably ended. He also had stellar 3-pointer abilities, but after that 1996 air show, most of his other accomplishments were left in the dust. Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. 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. I loved it instantly.. I mean, what next? Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. 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. At halftime of one Southern Idaho game, Joey was pursuaded to give a brief high-jump demonstration. In his basketball uniform and shoes, with a short, unmeasured run-up, he soared over seven feet. It is. The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. June 12, 2022 . Another oft-told legend has Jackie on defense. Jerry West could get up. Pretty darn safe. Theyve run like the wind, ducked like a water fowl, flown like jet planes, and scored more points than Cassanova in a disco. 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 . "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. He was named Most Valuable Player in the ABA. I lived there that summer, he later recalled. 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,. Thats about the height of the average 4-year-old. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. I dont want anyone ripping rib-cage muscles or wrenching spinal disks. Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. The man waits and waits for Jackie to start coming down, but waits too long. On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. Youre just up there and nobody else can get up there., David (Skywalker) Thompson said: Sometimes Id surprise myself. 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. Billy Cunningham was born in Brooklyn, New York. For three days, Rabbit put on a show like theyve never seen before. In his first playoff appearance, he led the Sixers to a 4-game sweep against the Knicks,[12] before bowing down to the Bullets in six games. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. A commitment to the basic fundamentals of any game lead to progress, growth, and success. Nope. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. It's 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, and its become pretty popular. During a game in 1963 against Clemson University, he grabbed a record twenty-seven rebounds. I said, What the hell, Im 40. . The Hawks favorite flight story, like many stories of that era, features Chamberlain as a foil. 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. Then an All-Star. 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. I dont believe anyone has ever done it. Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. . Billy Cunningham was a standout scorer for the Philadelphia 76ers. So much has been written and said about Julius Erving over the years that i, Allen, Marcus 1960 Then he enters into the [NBA] expansion pursuit and gets it. Hes sought advice from Tim Duncan on how to be a great leader and win with his team. The Philadelphia team Cunningham inherited featured Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Doug Collins, Lloyd B. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. Or write about sports? I cant put my finger on it exactly, but there was just something about the game. In the far-up Land of Leap, the unit of currency is the dunk. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. Cunningham played with visible enthusiasm. Professional football player [9] In 1996, Cunningham was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as part of the NBA's 50th Anniversary. Dunk-off of the Network Superstars? Youd go up, arch your back, and go up even higher. If we were to honor dunkers as we honor actors, Doc would be given a statuette for his body of work. Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. Is Billy Cunningham married? His departure had a disastrous effect. No discussion of legendary leapers is complete without heated debate. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. He rises to the highest level of broadcasting. Its almost like burlesque dancing. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Billy Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Effortless, absolutely effortless.. What time is Billy Cunningham's Sunday night show on? I have seen everybody, Hill said. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Very tall players are seldom recognized as great leapers. When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. It was so good that Cunningham, a future Hall of Famer, came off the bench. married Sondra; they had two daughters. Here's a number: 44 inches. Cunningham grew up in Brooklyn and on his fifth birthday he received a basketball. Then we ask him to jump and we mark the highest point he touched. William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . Stanfords 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. Its almost like you were floating, like there was no such thing as gravity. . Patterson, who recently resigned as Arizona States coach, said that Johnson is really an impact player, but not consistently good and solid. 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. He played circles around a guy named Robert Cousy. Injuries limited Cunningham to only 32 games in 1973-74, but he still averaged 20.5 ppg. 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 was discovered. The 1984-85 season, Cunninghams last as coach, featured the addition of rookie Charles Barkley to the team. Its like walking on air. About a year ago, I was in a playground game with some black guys. He and Hal Greer were the only key players from the 1967 championship team still playing vital roles. One of the more recent players on this list, Chris Birdman Anderson is known for his celebratory arm flapping and his intriguing tattoos. The players who fly through this thin air are not simply remembered by hoop fans. 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. 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. The University of North Carolina (UNC) coach Frank McGuire convinced Cunningham to enroll there. 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. Data Provided By 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. The greatest nicknames in basketball are reserved for those who attain the greatest altitude. Jump to navigation Jump to search Billy Cunningham American basketball player and coach. Billy Cunningham. He was a consummate team player, and he used the same unifying concept and enthusiasm to become a successful head coach. 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. Every time Gus slam-dunked at home, the recorded sound of a rifle shot would whistle through the arena. In warmups, we would always check out the other team and get into little contests with their guys. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. All the teams did that. However, you can take all the sergeant numbers of all the jumping jacks, put the numbers in a manure spreader and sprinkle them on your lawn or garden. "I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face" about when to retire. Encyclopedia.com. That Feb. 8, the ABA trotted out its five best slammers. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. The single-game high was eight, by Drexler, against the Lakers. Technicalities, you know. Keith Smart always reported he had a 44. It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. Jack Gardner, a former college coach, did our testing, Nissalke said. Other notable dunks include his shot on the Sonics seriously ticked off Robert Reid, and another on the Knicks flabbergasted Patrick Ewing. //]]>. CREATIVE. [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. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. Wed been on the bus eight hours by then, Trenkle said. Find Billy Cunningham 76ers stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. 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. He did prefer ball to hockey, after all. 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 It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Who would he share a wing with? Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. Cunningham arrived in Chapel Hill just as Dean Smith was taking over as the head basketball coach of the UNC Tar Heels. He was a tough, intense, competitive player who used his intelligence as much as his physical talents. In the 19701971 season he again was an All-Star starter and finished ninth in the NBA with 23.0 points per game. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? Biography. Billy Cunningham was born in the Parkville section of Brooklyn, New York. . At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. In fact, he made so much of an impact that his NBA departure in 2012 made heads spin, and rumours that he might return to the US last year were eagerly believed. Dont try a big leap. In our museum of hoop flight, there is a special wing for the charter members, the dinosaurs of dunk. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 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. In the Division Finals, the Cougars lost a tight seven-game series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3. Under Cunningham, the team reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1978 and the NBA finals in 1980 and 1982. 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. In those eight seasons, the team posted a 454-196 record, reached three NBA Finals and captured a championship in 1983. Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. At six feet, seven inches tall and 220 pounds, Cunningham was a consistent scorer and fierce rebounder. Until recently, nobody ever tried to keep track of dunks on any league-wide scale. William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. They were like jazz musicians in sneakers. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. 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. Showing all 5 items. After the 19711972 season, Cunningham left Philadelphia and the NBA for the rival American Basketball Association (ABA), signing on with the (North) Carolina Cougars. Nobody ever played the game could rise any better than Jackie. Do you have a blog? His jersey number "32" was later retired by Philadelphia. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. Buffman and Cunningham decided to team up in the venture, and they brought in Lewis Schaffel and Ted Arison. I said to him, Yes, yes, yes! Wilt said, Im gonna kill you. . David Robinson, future NBA Hall-of-Famer and leader of the San Antonio Spurs, was born in Key We, Chamberlain, Wilt People swear he cleared it by a foot, said Fred Trenkle, Southern Idahos basketball coach. He finished well out of the running--or jumping--when he clanged at least one attempt off the rim. I went back a few hours later with a tape measure. 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. Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? Boston kept Philadelphia out of The 1981 Finals, but the Sixers roared back to the 1982 before falling to the Lakers again. These are true royalty: Sir Jamalot, Sir Slam, the Prince of Midair. Destined to become one of the first of basketball's most talented big men, as a young man George Mikan, Sprewell, Latrell 1970
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