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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Cunningham could not even crack the starting lineupwhich . Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. Very tall players are seldom recognized as great leapers. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. 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. My perception is, with players that rely on their jumping ability, they reach a certain level of competition where their fundamental skills have to kick in, they have to become a basketball player, he said. Even so, Erving was the NBAs most dazzling aerial star until he retired in 1987 and passed the title to Michael Jordan. 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. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) Cunningham, her stepdaughter and her fiance all jumped into action. The Cougars had finished last the previous season, but with Brown and Cunningham inspiring the team, the Cougars finished first. Julius, Gus (Johnson), Pogo Joe Caldwell. Billy Cunningham - Popular Bio 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. This story is not that important. Jones, a noted defensive terror. Some of the guys started dunking. Ive heard stories about Jackie Jackson doing it, but Ive never seen anyone (but himself) come close., Sonny Hill, a Philadelphia leaping legend of the 60s, backs Wilt, saying, The only man thats been to the top, thats Wilt. Billy Cunningham. Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! There are two other pure measurements of leap--the dunk and the top of the money exchange. He prevailed in the end! Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. 75 Stories | Billy Cunningham - YouTube In 1974 Cunningham returned to the 76ers. //]]>. Billy Cunningham Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images ! We sure are glad he picked basketball! Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. He coached eight years with 76ers, never finishing lower than second place in the Atlantic and posted a career record of 454-196 (.698). As a freshman he went out for the track team, worked out a total of 10 hours, then high-jumped 7-3 7/8. Uh oh! Its a feeling of power and freedom Ive never gotten from anything else. Lets add Billy Hoyle as an honourary #16 to this list, shall we? "I lived there that summer," he later recalled. One expert, Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers assistant general manager, was asked to name the games bona fide super leapers. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. For three days, Rabbit put on a show like theyve never seen before. Rosters Cut,", "1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals - New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers", Goldaper, Sam. The Doc won it with a long run, a leap from two inches inside the free throw line and a dramatic, powerful windmill slam. Nobody ever played the game could rise any better than Jackie. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. Spencer Haywood, for one, claims to have been to the top. 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. Dont send letters, leapers. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Stanford's 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. Hes set records for leading the NBA in dunks during his very first year playing pro. Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. 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. This guy couldshoot AND dunk. 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. Billy Cunningham, Actor: You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat. In a way the injury made things easy for me, he added. After the 19711972 season, Cunningham left Philadelphia and the NBA for the rival American Basketball Association (ABA), signing on with the (North) Carolina Cougars. Then he went to North Carolina and was an All-American. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. Hawkins is now vice president of communications for the Dodgers. In 1967, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title. Never got off the bench, but in warmups he could dunk better than anyone Ive ever seen.. Fiery and volatile, he would pace the sidelines, driving his team relentlessly. Its almost like burlesque dancing. He rises to the highest level of broadcasting. In The Finals, however, Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes and the Lakers were too much. In 1997 Cunningham became the expert commentator for the CBS television network's coverage of NBA games. I got fired up and did a 360 dunk. They annihilated the opposition all season and finished with a 68-13 record. 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. Now they take everything off and it takes a lot more to get people excited.. It looked like the half-court line was around a mile and a half away, Cunningham said. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. Basketball was just a game they played for fun. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Sunday Nights with Bill Cunningham can be heard every Sunday on over 300 radio stations across the United States. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. No discussion of legendary leapers is complete without heated debate. If they play the game far above the rim, it is because they are tall. He was a No. Free, Darryl Dawkins and Bobby Jones. I could. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. You dont play with a red, white and blue ball if youre into dignity. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. I cant put my finger on it exactly, but there was just something about the game. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. Known as "The Kangaroo Kid," he won an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, then coached the team to another championship in 1983. us, High School: junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . All rights reserved. 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. of 6. Actually he was a 62% free throw shooter, which is poor except in comparison to his 51% as a pro. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. 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). A lot of great leapers dont bother to perfect those skills, because they are treated with such awe. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. He was about a foot from the top.. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") 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. Thats about the height of the average 4-year-old. 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. Detroits Adrian Dantley, 6-foot-4, and Clevelands Phil Hubbard, 6-8, were the only front-court starters to go through the season dunkless. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. 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. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. Top 15 NBA Players Who Prove That White Men CAN Jump, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Nope. 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. ." 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. Cunningham would never play again. Celtics legend Larry Bird might just be the most famous white guy in basketball. Under Cunningham, the team reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1978 and the NBA finals in 1980 and 1982. Chamberlain couldnt remember the players name, but Rod Thorn did. In 1987, Cunningham replaced Tom Heinsohn as the lead color commentator (alongside play-by-play man Dick Stockton) for CBS' NBA telecasts. So much has been written and said about Julius Erving over the years that i, Allen, Marcus 1960 The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Billy Cunningham But while Cunningham was reaching his peak, the 76ers were beginning to crumble. This is where we get into sword-and-stone mythology. Hes also not 100% African American, though, which means he doesnt automatically have insane jumping genes. Among his numerous career achievements, he was named to the 1966 All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. One boy did dunks of a monster nature, so they named him after the only monster they knew that could fly--Rodan. Cunningham scored 18.9 points per game. At six feet, seven inches tall and 220 pounds, Cunningham was a consistent scorer and fierce rebounder. 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. Claims of sergeants in the mid- and high 40s are common. Finally he did a 360, one handed. But the final came down to David Thompson vs. Julius Erving--the Skywalker vs. the Doctor. "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. Artis (A-Train) Gilmore, George (Ice) Gervin and Larry (Big Cat) Kenon all dunked admirably. 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. I told him Id read he had a 44. 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. We Have Fusion Energy! Part of Dr. Js legend is the same as the mystique of a gunfighter coming into town, Costas said. He finished well out of the running--or jumping--when he clanged at least one attempt off the rim. I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. High Griffinition Blake joined the Oklahoma Sooners and became one of their most impressive players of all time. Ill give you an example. He ran to the nearest school, three blocks away, and started shooting baskets. David came the closest, Kupchak said. Yep. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. [9] In 1996, Cunningham was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as part of the NBA's 50th Anniversary. It was like, Legend has it that 20 men are buried in Boot Hill because of this guy. Billy Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York and UNC. It didnt make no difference to him.. Cade Cunningham Vertical Jump Height. He played circles around a guy named Robert Cousy. The Cougars' attempt to file an injunction against him was denied in United States District Court on September 24, 1971. Showing all 5 items. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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 So maybe his African American genes are a little stronger than his Caucasian ones after all? His jersey number "32" was later retired by Philadelphia. An influential figure on the game at large, Julius Erving won a 1983 NBA title in Philadelphia and was the face of the ABA as well. Instant green. Billy Cunningham was born in the Parkville section of Brooklyn, New York. Theres not room for both of us. The next day Red let Rabbit go. A fabulous collegian and pro player Cunningham shot to stardom when he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1966. (2000). His departure had a disastrous effect on the 76ers, who posted a 9-73 record in 1972-73, the worst mark in NBA history. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 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. Billy Cunningham - IMDb Soon Greer would be alone. 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. That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. He may be the greatest leaper of all time. Do you have a sports website? The schools former coach, Frank McGuire, was the one who had recruited Cunningham, which left Smith with a prize recruit he had never seen. Yes, he married a former judge. billy cunningham vertical jump. They couldnt, of course, because those things are so much harder than they look. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. Thompson, as a consolation prize, won the MVP award in the All-Star game itself. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. How tall is Billy Cunningham? William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . All the teams did that. During his eight seasons as the coach of the 76ers, Philadelphia won 454 regular season games and lost 196. Weve all heard the saying: white men cant jump. Ron Shelton even made a (fantastic) movie about it in the 90s! As a high school senior, he received a scholarship offer from a Midwestern college, asking him to become the schools first black player. snoop dogg zodiac chart New Lab; kaplan children's furniture; is there quicksand in georgia; Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. If you play the game, you know how high that is. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. His list of accolades from his time at the University of North Carolina is probably as long as his legs (hes 67, in case youre wondering), which is not surprising since anybody with the nickname Kangaroo Kid must have worked pretty hard and jumped pretty high to earn it. No man, I dont believe, has been up that far., With Chamberlain over 50--years of age, not points per game--Nissalke feels safe in saying, That would be the ultimate challenge: Bet any amount of money, and you wouldnt find anyone who could come close to the top of the board.. Wilt meets me at mid-court and says, Na, na, na, not this time.. billy cunningham vertical jump - polucon.com Youd go up, arch your back, and go up even higher. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, Draft: A lot of young men soar into the NBA but are quickly weighted down by injuries and the 82-game grind, such as Darrell (Dr. Dunkenstein) Griffith of the Utah Jazz. Billy Cunningham - Wikipedia When Joey was a high school senior, Clarke took his Watts Magicians to Mesa, Ariz., for a prep tournament. Jackie Jacksons all-around game, by most accounts, was only fair. Weary of the NBA lifestyle, Cunningham retired. "It's a remarkable life.". I made a left turn at the baseline, flew under the basket to the other side, put it through his arms, and dunked it with two hands over my head. His shooting skills may be what he is best remembered for, but his vertical leaps were nothing to sneeze at: he made 28 inches on more than one occasion. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. If youve got a good imagination, imagine yourself wearing a baseball cap, and leaping so high, arms at your side, that you flick your head sideways and dunk your cap. 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. 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. So I did a 360, two handed, and he conceded.. Small Forward and Power Forward 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. 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. During one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. Basketball Player Billy Cunningham's Net Worth, Wife, and Bio Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Cunningham became a top analyst for CBSs broadcasts of NBA games. Thats a white head, remember. Kareem came the closest. In the NBA, where everyone can dunk--you wouldnt even want to rule out David Stern--there are really only a few top guns. On a good day, he said. ." With the exception of Chamberlain, Dr. J was the first superleaper who was also a superstar NBA player, and the first big-time player to exploit the dunk as an art form at the pro level. He would find a way to beat you., Billy Cunningham discovered the game after receiving a basketball for his fifth birthday. With Malone in the middle, and Erving, Bobby Jones, Cheeks and Andrew Toney all playing key roles, the 76ers went 65-17 and blew through the Atlantic Division. They outlawed that, but I wouldnt have done it in a game, anyway. Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. 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. To think that we can thank a bunch of sweaty dancers for this fundamental basketball maneuver. Joey averaged 19.5 points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a national junior college title. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. ." 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,. The next year he exploded for 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds and he was named a first-team All-Star. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ZbxZ3AJWWjyZL0HXDpABwVdW.7p3rtLrWMEsK2FPL0A-86400-0"}; 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. It was so good that Cunningham, a future Hall of Famer, came off the bench. 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. The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. 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. Other notable dunks include his shot on the Sonics seriously ticked off Robert Reid, and another on the Knicks flabbergasted Patrick Ewing. billy cunningham vertical jump - quraneducator.com He was six or eight inches away. Bill Cunningham (talk show host) - Wikipedia Look up. The Globies listed him at 6-5, but Sonny Hill swears Jackie was 6-3, tops. Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall 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. All rights reserved. I used to dunk on that basket. William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Trenkle had heard of the Gus Johnson nail, so when the Southern Idaho team was passing through Moscow on a trip, he ordered the bus driver to stop outside the Corner Club, and he took Joey inside. 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. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. Imagine yourself lifting off the blacktop, up and up, until you can reach into the air far above the rim. What time is Billy Cunningham's Sunday night show on? Dunk is cheap. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny OFFICIAL TRAILER! 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. In the division finals, however, Philadelphia fell to Boston. Its a remarkable life.. Every time Gus slam-dunked at home, the recorded sound of a rifle shot would whistle through the arena. Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. Professional basketball player, sports administrator They took about 10 jumps each. Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA Draft, NBA Debut: October 16, 1965▪ABA Debut: October 12, 1972, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1986 (Full List), More Billy Cunningham pages at Sports Reference. I get a rebound and Im driving up the floor, ready to go coast to coast. 1943 billy cunningham vertical jump - mail.edtna-erca.org Boston kept Philadelphia out of The 1981 Finals, but the Sixers roared back to the 1982 before falling to the Lakers again. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Billy Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Bill Cunningham | Premiere Networks So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. They drove a new nail in for Joey, measured it at 11-7 1/2. 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. Geraldo Rivera is standing by. Browse 1,052 billy cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. But the winning wasnt over. White is a regular at Hawk games and a fan of Wilkins. Were playing in Philadelphia, against Wilt, Hawkins relates. Cunningham was part of a group that helped to secure an NBA franchise for Miami in the late 1980s. 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. His playing days ended on one play in the 1975-76 season. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. In the six years of the NBAs slam dunk contest, only one white player has been invited to compete, 6-10 Tom Chambers in 1986. He was all but unknown at the University of Massachusetts, then played five seasons in the semi-secret ABA. And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. //

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