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3 June 1943 in Brooklyn, New York), professional basketball player known for his vertical leap who was a top scorer and rebounder in the 1960s and 1970s, and who later became a winning coach, television commentator, and team owner. 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. Billy Cunningham averaged 21.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. 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. 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. During a game in 1963 against Clemson University, he grabbed a record twenty-seven rebounds. At (one NBA tryout camp), where we had a strong cross section of draftees, the highest was 36 1/2 inches. snoop dogg zodiac chart New Lab; kaplan children's furniture; is there quicksand in georgia; Send us your videotape. Look up. billy cunningham vertical jump. 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. And the problem these days is inflation. Fiery and volatile, he would pace the sidelines, driving his team relentlessly. Theyve run like the wind, ducked like a water fowl, flown like jet planes, and scored more points than Cassanova in a disco. He scored 16,310 points and pulled down nearly 8,000 rebounds. His show was not heard during the summer months, when WLW broadcasts Cincinnati Reds baseball games. The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C are nicknames for Billy Cunningham. He walked into the gym one morning and there was a TV crew set up. One dunking dinosaur who could fly and play was Gus Johnson, a 6-6 hipster-forward who had a gold star implanted in a front tooth. We present them here for purely educational purposes. June 12, 2022 . They couldnt, of course, because those things are so much harder than they look. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. 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. And he played it constantly. In warmups, we would always check out the other team and get into little contests with their guys. Cunningham could not even crack the starting lineupwhich . 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. June 3, The following season, with the ABAs future in jeopardy, Cunningham returned to the 76ers. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. It sure did make me feel good inside.. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) 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. He was an NBA champion both as a player (1967) and as a coach (1983). Despite his Caucasian genetic setbacks, he shot up an unbelievable 41.5 inches at the NBA Draft Combine in 2014. Ill give you an example. That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. Encyclopedia.com. Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. 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. What happens when you put stilts on kangaroo? 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. Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. He is still the winningest coach in Sixers history. Griffin was born of half Afro-Haitian descent and half Caucasian. 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. 44 is only four inches less than the NBAs all-time record by His Airness, Michael Jordan, and also by Darrell Griffith. Celtics legend Larry Bird might just be the most famous white guy in basketball. His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? 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. Philadelphia went 47-35, second in the newly formed Atlantic Division, but was ousted again in the first round of the playoffs. There have been--and are--very good white jumpers. This guy wasnt a leaper, but it will show you what I mean. Cade Cunningham Vertical Jump Height. Dunk is cheap. Against Tulane University on 10 December 1964, he set a UNC record by scoring forty-eight points. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. As a rebounder and jump shooter he averaged 18.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Billy Cunningham was born in the Parkville section of Brooklyn, New York. 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. Under Cunningham, the team reached the Eastern Conference finals in 1978 and the NBA finals in 1980 and 1982. 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. Athletics are in this guys genes; daddy Rick Barry produced a total of four bball loving sons. We present them here for purely educational purposes. And the man has pulled out some pretty crazy surprise dunks. Another oft-told legend has Jackie on defense. In the 19661967 season the 76ers were a powerhouse, winning sixty-eight against only thirteen losses and beating the Boston Celtics and San Francisco in the playoffs to win the championship. As if this wasnt impressive enough, it was during a practice with the LA Lakers about a month after the Combine that he flew up 46 inches, creating a new pre-draft record. But who has seen him? . In the twentieth game of the 19751976 season, Cunningham's career suddenly and inexplicably ended. Effortless, absolutely effortless.. Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. He came on back to Harlem. Billy Cunningham played fiercely, coached intensely, and won frequently. About a year ago, I was in a playground game with some black guys. Instant green. 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. He played circles around a guy named Robert Cousy. 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. Dolph Schayes is an icon in Philadelphia 76ers lore and was one of the NBA's first stars as well. Billy Cunningham wasn't nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid because he had a pouch. The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. Keith had a 32. Then an All-Star. There. They drove a new nail in for Joey, measured it at 11-7 1/2. Herb White was moved to write a poem about an eagle that had lost its ability to soar. 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. In 1987, the NBA Board of Governors awarded the group an expansion franchise to begin play in 1988-89 and thus the Miami Heat was born. At Carolina, he was reunited with the coach Larry Brown, who had been a UNC teammate. 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. ." At halftime of one Southern Idaho game, Joey was pursuaded to give a brief high-jump demonstration. Billy Cunningham. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He ran to the nearest school, three blocks away, and started shooting baskets. White, also known as the Elevator from Decatur, made the NBA all-time all-warmup team that one season. Billy Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. He was a consummate team player, and he used the same unifying concept and enthusiasm to become a successful head coach. When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. 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. City, and a member of the Parade Magazine All-America Team. 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.. Do you have a blog? He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. Encyclopedia.com. No. Pretty darn safe. He also had stellar 3-pointer abilities, but after that 1996 air show, most of his other accomplishments were left in the dust. He was six or eight inches away. His entire head and neck were above the rim. Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. of 6. He got kudos for his smooth-sounding, incisive work with the play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton. Joey walked up to the wall, one foot planted, no rocking, jumped up and missed the nail. My mother has a bar here in southern Idaho, and shes got a nail where Joey touched, at 11-9 1/2.. He was a tough, intense, competitive player who used his intelligence as much as his physical talents. billy cunningham vertical jump. To that end, heres this writers all-time all-leap team: Dr. J, the Big Dipper, Air Jordan, David Skywalker and Joey Johnson. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. . Thompson, as a consolation prize, won the MVP award in the All-Star game itself. During his playing career, he was a 4-time All-Star and 3-time All-NBA First Team selection. This guy couldshoot AND dunk. They annihilated the opposition all season and finished with a 68-13 record. The single-game high was eight, by Drexler, against the Lakers. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. In the Division Finals, the Cougars lost a tight seven-game series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3. Hes earned a list of nicknames, including LaVine The Machine as well as being part of the Bounce Brothers duo with Minnesota Timerwolves teammate Andrew Wiggins. Thats the outer space were dealing with today, the sky above the hoop, the rare air inhabited by only a select group of humans, the legendary leapers. He was named Most Valuable Player in the ABA. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. 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. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. Its a feeling of power and freedom Ive never gotten from anything else. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The most frequent flyers? 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 He was an incredible shot blocker. I mean, what next? 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. star and now the leagues vice president of operations. Detroits Adrian Dantley, 6-foot-4, and Clevelands Phil Hubbard, 6-8, were the only front-court starters to go through the season dunkless. In the exhibition season he was assigned to bring the ball up the court against Bostons K.C. Brooks will serve his 1-game suspension Sunday when the Grizzlies visit the Clippers. Cunningham reached 200, 300, and 400 wins faster than any previous coach in NBA history. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Nobody ever played the game could rise any better than Jackie. 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. He once grabbed a record 27 rebounds in a game vs. Clemson on February 16, 1963. 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. Still, the thrill is not all gone. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. 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. Has Joey Johnson simply outleaped the game of basketball? The Philadelphia 76ers star was a consistent scorer throughout his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. 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.