billy cunningham vertical jump

He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. 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. billy cunningham vertical jump - a portrait of the artist as filipino - a portrait of the artist as filipino - A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. Youd be hard pressed to find a list of Best Dunks that didnt include his legendary knee-to-the-throat jump on Mark Jackson, where he rose like a Phoenix (how clever!) It's like walking on air. Some have called the team the greatest of all time. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. 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. As a child he wa, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. All rights reserved. His teams won sixty-six play-off games and lost twenty-nine. 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. Professional basketball player For three days, Rabbit put on a show like theyve never seen before. [4], Cunningham signed a threeyear contract on August 5, 1969 to begin play with the American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars in 197172. 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.. Find out more. Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. Encyclopedia.com. Airy, Maryland. Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. Thats a mouthful. The Memphis forward sustained the injury Friday night during the 1st quarter of the Grizzlies 113-97 loss to the Nuggets. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. ." When Joey was a high school senior, Clarke took his Watts Magicians to Mesa, Ariz., for a prep tournament. CREATIVE. 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. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. So I did a 360, two handed, and he conceded.. American basketball player In his first ABA season, Cunningham averaged 24.1 points per game, 12.0 rebounds per game, and led the league in total steals. The single-game high was eight, by Drexler, against the Lakers. Free, Darryl Dawkins and Bobby Jones. Joey, standing about eight feet from the shooter, leaped and slapped the shot away. 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. He succeeded Gene Shue as head coach of the 24 76ers on November 4, 1977. Every time Gus slam-dunked at home, the recorded sound of a rifle shot would whistle through the arena. Pregame warmups were his showtime. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. married Sondra; they had two daughters. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. 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. Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. 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. Joey averaged 19.5 points at Southern Idaho and led the team to a national junior college title. Joey? He was a role player on the 1967 title team in . He was discovered. Then an All-Star. Skywalker, Helicopter, Elevator, Clyde the Glide, Air Jordan, the Hawk, Rodan, Pogo Joe, Honeycomb, Sidecar, the Big Dipper, the Human Highlight Film, Sky King, Kangaroo Kid. Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! Nobody ever played the game could rise any better than Jackie. The next season, the consistent Cunningham scored 23.3 points per game and was selected as an All-Star for the fourth time. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. Its almost like burlesque dancing. It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. We present them here for purely educational purposes. City, and a member of the Parade Magazine All-America Team. Cunningham reached 200, 300, and 400 wins faster than any previous coach in NBA history. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. He would replace the injured and aging Luke Jackson as the starting power forward of the team, and averaged 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds per game during the 196869 season while leading the 76ers to 55 wins. 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. After that season, he earned the first of what would be three straight All-NBA First Team selections. For his eleven-year career, Cunningham averaged 21.2 points per game. Effortless, absolutely effortless.. At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. American basketball player All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. 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. 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. He had a baseball cap on, and he turned the bill sideways. Judging by a still shot the DukeMBB videographer took during the testing, Williamson cleared a vertical leap mark of 40 inches. The future never came, but Dawkins broke new ground in power dunking, backboard shattering and dunknaming. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. Basketball was just a game they played for fun. billy cunningham vertical jump. Somebody done gotcha. But man, that was sweet music. And he made it to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with a career that reads like a how-to book for legends. To that end, heres this writers all-time all-leap team: Dr. J, the Big Dipper, Air Jordan, David Skywalker and Joey Johnson. Find Billy Cunningham 76ers stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Browse 310 billy_cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Julius, Gus (Johnson), Pogo Joe Caldwell. 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. Spencer Haywood, for one, claims to have been to the top. Cunningham guided the 76ers for eight years, reaching the 200- and 300-victory levels faster than any coach before him. His fame began while he was playing at St. Rose of Lima and later Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn,[1] where he was the MVP in the Brooklyn League in 1961. Send us your videotape. Dunk is cheap. However, the date of retrieval is often important. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Cunningham could not even crack the starting lineupwhich . But listen to Wilt. His masterpiece was a backboard shattering dunk over Kansas City forward Bill Robinzine. 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 were trying to touch the top of the board, Nissalke said. Pasty skin. Gus once said, When I dunked that ball and heard that shot for the first time, I said to myself, Oh, oh, Gus. Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. No discussion of legendary leapers is complete without heated debate. I got fired up and did a 360 dunk. 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. Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. Claims of sergeants in the mid- and high 40s are common. David Robinson, future NBA Hall-of-Famer and leader of the San Antonio Spurs, was born in Key We, Chamberlain, Wilt Chess Robot Grabs And Breaks Finger Of Seven-Year . We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. These are two very, very different kinds of feathered friends. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In 1966-67, the 76ers dominated the NBA. Youre entering another world up there. I could. He was a competitor, said Lewis Schaffel, one of Cunninghams partners in the Miami Heat who grew up with him in Brooklyn. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. And some colleges and pro teams were not ready to take chances on what went along with those guys. > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. Oh my God, Smith recalled thinking. The Doc won it with a long run, a leap from two inches inside the free throw line and a dramatic, powerful windmill slam. Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. There was a Philadelphia boy, Sonny Hill, about 5-10 (actually 5-9), he was the first guy that size I ever saw dunk. My mother has a bar here in southern Idaho, and shes got a nail where Joey touched, at 11-9 1/2.. In the twentieth game of the 19751976 season, Cunningham's career suddenly and inexplicably ended. My sergeant was higher than Jordans. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. "I lived there that summer," he later recalled. Although he had never coached, he was popular in Philadelphia, and his competitiveness, toughness and intelligence seemed right for the job. The University of North Carolina (UNC) coach Frank McGuire convinced Cunningham to enroll there. 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. We Have Fusion Energy! 1 in everyones heart and myths is Jumpin Jackie Jackson, also known as Sidecar Jackson. us, High School: He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. One day he received a call from Zev Buffman, who needed a well-known basketball personality to help secure an NBA franchise for Miami. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. 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. I mean, what next? Joey didnt even have his shoes laced, Clarke said. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) "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. I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. Athletic Club, has worked with most of the great L.A. prep stars of the last two decades. They were like jazz musicians in sneakers. He was all but unknown at the University of Massachusetts, then played five seasons in the semi-secret ABA. This guy couldshoot AND dunk. Brooks will serve his 1-game suspension Sunday when the Grizzlies visit the Clippers. 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. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. 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. As a rebounder and jump shooter he averaged 18.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. I asked Kareem if he ever did, and he could jump a little bit. He walked into the gym one morning and there was a TV crew set up. I was a good free throw shooter in college.. He was a tough, intense, competitive player who used his intelligence as much as his physical talents. You cant accomplish that feat unless youve got some serious springs in your heels! Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970. 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. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. They were a winning team the next two seasons but could not repeat as champions, and Cunningham retired after the 19841985 season. On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. Cunningham then went to the University of North Carolina, where he excelled. Detroits Adrian Dantley, 6-foot-4, and Clevelands Phil Hubbard, 6-8, were the only front-court starters to go through the season dunkless. 1964 UNC at Duke, tip-off.jpg 1,454 1,750; 377 KB. He was a high school superstar. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. In The Finals, however, Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes and the Lakers were too much. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. Were playing in Philadelphia, against Wilt, Hawkins relates. And the problem these days is inflation. Join our linker program. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. 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 loved it instantly.. Wed been on the bus eight hours by then, Trenkle said. You dont play with a red, white and blue ball if youre into dignity. 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. 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. Before the game, English and I went back and forth. I cant put my finger on it exactly, but there was just something about the game. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. He would get up in the air and spread those wings, hed be swoopin. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. Injuries limited Cunningham to only 32 games in 1973-74, but he still averaged 20.5 ppg.

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