These guys will never forget the blur of that mullet-ed head flying past them. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Nissalke tells of an informal leaping contest between second-year man Kareem, who then was Lew Alcindor, and Milwaukee forward Don Smith, who now is Zaid Abdul-Aziz. ." The color barrier and the sex barrier of slam-dunk have fallen: Many white guys and a few women can dunk. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. Terrell Owens Gets Into Fight Outside CVS. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. . Left, Born: And the problem these days is inflation. He and Hal Greer were the only key players from the 1967 championship team still playing vital roles. 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. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Injuries limited Cunningham to only 32 games in 1973-74, but he still averaged 20.5 ppg. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") 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. 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. I also think, in Joeys case, he gets up so high it hurts his shooting technique., Clarke said: When other players were shooting jump shots in their back yards, Joey was practicing dunks.. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. Cunningham began his second basketball career on Nov. 4, 1977, when he was hired to replace Gene Shue at the Sixers helm. Billy can jump up to 29-31 inches (vertical leap). "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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. And Dirk Nowitzki who no doubt has walls plastered top to bottom with awards and achievements. He had wide shoulders--he was built like Orlando (Woolridge), 6-7 or 6-8. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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Theyll all be going through and over their mountainous opponents in no time! In his UNC career, he scored 1,709 points (24.8 points per game), and grabbed 1,062 rebounds (15.4 rebounds per game). He had a baseball cap on, and he turned the bill sideways. Among his numerous career achievements, he was named to the 1966 All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. He was in the gym in Mesa one afternoon, in street clothes and basketball shoes. That's because like many players expected to be picked very high in the draft, they do not attend the Draft Combine or its measurements. 1 draft choice. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. 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. [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. Cunningham was a member of the powerful 1967 Sixers championship team, which also featured Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Luke Jackson. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Select from premium Billy Cunningham 76ers of the highest quality. Those Sixers advanced to the East finals before losing in five games to the Celtics. During both is college and NBA career, this guy leapt like nobodys business. He was called the Kangaroo Kid for his prodigious leaping ability. Jay Norman, an outstanding defensive player, went into his defensive stance at the foul line. He was discovered. Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. Billy Cunningham played fiercely, coached intensely, and won frequently. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. They were a winning team the next two seasons but could not repeat as champions, and Cunningham retired after the 19841985 season. American basketball player A lot of great leapers dont bother to perfect those skills, because they are treated with such awe. 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,. But with a leaper, everybody instantly knows they couldnt do it, that only the tiniest fraction of humans can jump that high.. Cunningham left CBS Sports the following season to join the Miami Heat expansion franchise as a minority owner; he ultimately sold his interest of the Heat on August 12, 1994. I get a rebound and Im driving up the floor, ready to go coast to coast. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) 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. Gus once said, When I dunked that ball and heard that shot for the first time, I said to myself, Oh, oh, Gus. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Were playing in Philadelphia, against Wilt, Hawkins relates. He came up with four: Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb and Clyde (the Glide) Drexler. At (one NBA tryout camp), where we had a strong cross section of draftees, the highest was 36 1/2 inches. 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. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. He says it came by accident, that in his early days they often played on dance floors, which were often slippery, so he started jumping to avoid sliding and faceplanting. I have seen everybody, Hill said. Jones, a noted defensive terror. Billy Cunningham was drafted by Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA Draft. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. The following season Philadelphia won sixty-two games and the Eastern Division title but lost to the Celtics in the playoffs. Home Depot Is Selling A Giant 89-Pound Crab Statue For $1,500. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. Current Grand Canyon Antelopes coach and the Phoenix Suns favourite former shooting guard/small forward is an NBA All Star, an Olympian, and World Team member. He succeeded Gene Shue as head coach of the 24 76ers on November 4, 1977. 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. Small Forward and Power Forward There. With a dad who played basketball center for Northwestern Oklahoma University, and a childhood that included playing baseball, football, AND hoops, Blake Griffin was destined for greatness. Jackie stays in the air and the ref calls a three-second violation. Cunningham reached 200, 300, and 400 wins faster than any previous coach in NBA history. 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. In his basketball uniform and shoes, with a short, unmeasured run-up, he soared over seven feet. 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 Date of birth: 3 June 1943 . The most frequent flyers? . The greatest jumper today? His entire head and neck were above the rim. Wed been on the bus eight hours by then, Trenkle said. "In a way the injury made things easy for me," he said later. In 1965, Cunningham joined the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. Every time Gus slam-dunked at home, the recorded sound of a rifle shot would whistle through the arena. The man waits and waits for Jackie to start coming down, but waits too long. There are celebrity dunk-offs. 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. And that performance in Denver was the national coming-out party for Dr. J, the godfather of dunk. Blonde hair. About a year ago, I was in a playground game with some black guys. [10] In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[11]. No question, the mystique of the superleaper remains. However, none of the other basketball-playing Barry brothers Scooter, Jon, and Drew - can claim to be the only white man in history to win the Slam Dunk contest, though. Everybody dunks. I won the unofficial NBA slam dunk title that season, said White, who now sells heavy equipment in Georgia. Dunk is cheap. City, and a member of the Parade Magazine All-America Team. Some of them were pretty damn eccentric. Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. 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. Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. [1] His first regular show on the station was at night, generally from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. As a player, he was fiery yet consistent, pulling down rebounds and scoring points. "The beauty part of playing basketball," he once said, "is that your mind is occupied with playing basketball and nothing else, and you're having fun.". 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. us, High School: I was a good free throw shooter in college.. He would get up in the air and spread those wings, hed be swoopin. A lot of them, you have to understand, werent able to get into college, Chamberlain said. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. He also had stellar 3-pointer abilities, but after that 1996 air show, most of his other accomplishments were left in the dust. In 1966-67, the 76ers dominated the NBA. 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. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Athletics are in this guys genes; daddy Rick Barry produced a total of four bball loving sons. 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. Unlike Thompson, a huge star at North Carolina State, Dr. J kind of sneaked up on the basketball world. If youre looking for scale, thats taller than most baby elephants. Upon his retirement on May 28, 1985,[13] his 454 wins as a head coach were the 12th best in NBA history. Although he had never coached, he was popular in Philadelphia, and his competitiveness, toughness and intelligence seemed right for the job. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. There was a Philadelphia boy, Sonny Hill, about 5-10 (actually 5-9), he was the first guy that size I ever saw dunk. Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! No. American basketball player If thats not impressive enough for you, he also played on two NBA championship teams and later coached the Philadelphia 76ers for eight seasons. 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. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. In the far-up Land of Leap, the unit of currency is the dunk. It was like, Legend has it that 20 men are buried in Boot Hill because of this guy. The Cougars had finished last the previous season, but with Brown and Cunningham inspiring the team, the Cougars finished first. billy cunningham vertical jump. The new generation of jumpers, ushered in by Julius Erving, has pushed the dunk to new artistic heights. Do you have a sports website? 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. [14] He then returned for one last year to help cover the 1991 NCAA men's basketball tournament, partnered with Dick Stockton once again. Joey was a good player at Banning High in Wilmington and spent two years at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college. It was so much air that it tied young Pat for the spot of second-highest vertical leap recorded up to that point. Watch even half of any of his highlight reels and youll understand why he made this list. In the division finals, however, Philadelphia fell to Boston. > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. Youd go up, arch your back, and go up even higher. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. Or write about sports? Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Spencer Haywood, for one, claims to have been to the top. The white guys listed below are heroes of the basketball world. I was right there and it wasnt a foot. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. After the 197374 season, Cunningham returned to the 76ers, where he played until torn knee cartilage and ligaments ended his career as an active player early in the 197576 season. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. of 6. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. . On December 20, 1970, Cunningham scored 31 points and grabbed a career-high 27 rebounds en route to a 134132 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Who would he share a wing with? The legendary player and coach was named the ABA MVP for the 1972-73 season. What time is Billy Cunningham's Sunday night show on? 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 one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. Encyclopedia.com. Billy Cunningham weighed 210 lbs (95 kg) when playing. 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 Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C are nicknames for Billy Cunningham. The players who fly through this thin air are not simply remembered by hoop fans. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? The Cougars' attempt to file an injunction against him was denied in United States District Court on September 24, 1971. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. The ABA wasnt about dignity, it was about style. Stand underneath a basketball hoop, a regulation 10-footer. The obvious question is, why didnt more of these guys play in the NBA? Upload media Wikipedia. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? CUNNINGHAM, William John ("Billy") ( b. When Dominique (the Human Highlight Film) Wilkins was in college, a 5-9 laundry man named Leroy Nowells would saunter into the Georgia gym and match slams with Wilkins. 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. His departure had a disastrous effect on the 76ers, who posted a 9-73 record in 1972-73, the worst mark in NBA history. Thats a white head, remember. 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. 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. Technicalities, you know. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? After Chamberlain left the team in 1968, Cunningham became the 76ers' franchise player. Despite his Caucasian genetic setbacks, he shot up an unbelievable 41.5 inches at the NBA Draft Combine in 2014. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. Its a remarkable life.. Nope. They couldnt, of course, because those things are so much harder than they look. He reached both the 300 and 400-win milestones faster than any coach in NBA history. The schools former coach, Frank McGuire, was the one who had recruited Cunningham, which left Smith with a prize recruit he had never seen. Cunningham was part of a group that helped to secure an NBA franchise for Miami in the late 1980s. 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. If we were to honor dunkers as we honor actors, Doc would be given a statuette for his body of work. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Still, the Sixers finished 34-48, only the second losing season of Cunninghams career. After the 19711972 season, Cunningham left Philadelphia and the NBA for the rival American Basketball Association (ABA), signing on with the (North) Carolina Cougars. Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, Draft: After this historic 2015 event, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #WhiteMenCanJump (the up in lit up is so well placed, right?). 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. Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. Has Joey Johnson simply outleaped the game of basketball? Whats unfortunate is that most people regard the great leapers as being only the short guys who could dunk, said the 7-1 1/16 Chamberlain. Can the old Elevator still ascend? 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. Basketball was just a game they played for fun. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. High School and became known as the Kangaroo Kid for his impressive jumping ability. When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. Billy Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York and UNC. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. Join our linker program. Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall Not too shabby at all, right? You cant accomplish that feat unless youve got some serious springs in your heels! June 3, How in the world can this kid play ball? 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. . billy cunningham vertical jump. Yes, he married a former judge. Even so, Erving was the NBAs most dazzling aerial star until he retired in 1987 and passed the title to Michael Jordan. CREATIVE. why did michael jackson wrote heal the world; lionel richie las vegas 2022 Then he enters into the [NBA] expansion pursuit and gets it. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. As a player and then a coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of two NBA championship teams. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. In the Museum of Leap, Wilt (the Big Dipper) Chamberlain has his own wing. Cunningham achieved a career trifecta in law, business, and government. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Chess Robot Grabs And Breaks Finger Of Seven-Year . In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. The Hawks favorite flight story, like many stories of that era, features Chamberlain as a foil. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. Dawkins named it, Chocolate Thunder Flying, Robinzine Crying, Teeth Shaking, Glass Breaking, Rump Roasting, Bun Toasting, Wham, Bam, Glass Breaker, I Am Jam.. 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. 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. If they play the game far above the rim, it is because they are tall. 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. It is. To that end, heres this writers all-time all-leap team: Dr. J, the Big Dipper, Air Jordan, David Skywalker and Joey Johnson. A fiery coach, Cunningham stalked the sidelines with the best of them. Sunday Nights with Bill Cunningham can be heard every Sunday on over 300 radio stations across the United States. The team finished 42-40 and was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks. In a way the injury made things easy for me, he added. Rosters Cut,", "1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals - New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers", Goldaper, Sam. I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. 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.