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. While he was dribbling down the court, his knee exploded. Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. There are celebrity dunk-offs. 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. But the winning wasnt over. Not a great deal is known about Jackie, which is good, because nothing dims a legend faster than facts. 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. Browse 1,052 billy cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. 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. Posted by; Date June 12, 2022; Comments . . At (one NBA tryout camp), where we had a strong cross section of draftees, the highest was 36 1/2 inches. Ill give you an example. The most frequent flyers? So I did a 360, two handed, and he conceded.. Youre entering another world up there. These are not necessarily great basketball players, understand, but their ability to jump has made them objects of something much deeper than profound respect. Can the old Elevator still ascend? 1924- They were trying to touch the top of the board, Nissalke said. He rises to the highest level of broadcasting. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Last season, there were 5,757 NBA dunks by 246 players. Cunningham hit for 18.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg. 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. This guy wasnt a leaper, but it will show you what I mean. Oh my God, Smith recalled thinking. 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.. Its a feeling of power and freedom Ive never gotten from anything else. You dont play with a red, white and blue ball if youre into dignity. He would get up in the air and spread those wings, hed be swoopin. Vertical Jump Not a Priority for NBA's All-Time Top 50 Players During both is college and NBA career, this guy leapt like nobodys business. The 6-2 product of the Harlem slums could dunk, catch the ball with his opposite hand and dunk it again, all in the same leap. Everybody dunks. He told me, Sonny, no. . If they play the game far above the rim, it is because they are tall. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. "Shue Ousted, Cunningham Named; N.B.A. Here's a number: 44 inches. Professional basketball player Legends profile: Billy Cunningham | NBA.com Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. 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.. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. 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. 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. Still, the thrill is not all gone. 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. Cunningham again led the team in scoring in 1970-71, ranking ninth in the NBA with 23.0 ppg. Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. His man takes him into the key, gives a head fake and sends Jackie skyward. 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. Why not simply whip out a tape measure and measure the leapers leaps, take the guesswork out of whos the greatest? So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. billy cunningham vertical jump - polucon.com Keith had a 32. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. A fiery coach, Cunningham stalked the sidelines with the best of them. He is still the winningest coach in Sixers history. They outlawed that, but I wouldnt have done it in a game, anyway. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Has Joey Johnson simply outleaped the game of basketball? 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. For his college career he averaged 24.8 points per game and set a school record with 1,062 rebounds. Cade Cunningham Vertical Jump - Height, Weight, Wingspan, Draft & Stats William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . His show is on the air from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. What type of shoes did Billy Cunningham wear? Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. His playing days ended on one play in the 1975-76 season. William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. The Memphis forward sustained the injury Friday night during the 1st quarter of the Grizzlies 113-97 loss to the Nuggets. And the man has pulled out some pretty crazy surprise dunks. amc gremlin for sale washington state billy cunningham vertical jump. He would find a way to beat you., Billy Cunningham discovered the game after receiving a basketball for his fifth birthday. He had wide shoulders--he was built like Orlando (Woolridge), 6-7 or 6-8. Clutch West, with his awe-inspiring 60-foot shot in the 1970 NBA Final. In the Division Finals, the Cougars lost a tight seven-game series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3. A fabulous collegian and pro player Cunningham shot to stardom when he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1966. Fiery and volatile, he would pace the sidelines, driving his team relentlessly. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. 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. 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,. Billy Cunningham College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com The Philadelphia 76ers selected Cunningham in the first round of the 1965 NBA Draft, figuring the 6-foot-6 bony and mobile player would be a guard. Very easily.. [4], Cunningham signed a threeyear contract on August 5, 1969 to begin play with the American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars in 197172. A lot of great leapers dont bother to perfect those skills, because they are treated with such awe. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. Airy, Maryland. Professional basketball player, sports administrator That said, you can see his leaping ability when he takes off. The 76ers lost to the Lakers in 1980 and 1982, but after acquiring Moses Malone, they finally got past the Lakers in 1983, winning the franchise's third (and most recent) NBA Championship as part of a 121 playoff run. . 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. Never got off the bench, but in warmups he could dunk better than anyone Ive ever seen.. 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. [CDATA[ 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. In 1976-77, the season before Cunningham took the helm, the Sixers reached The Finals, only to fall to the Portland Trail Blazers. The legendary player and coach was named the ABA MVP for the 1972-73 season. It didnt make no difference to him.. why did michael jackson wrote heal the world; lionel richie las vegas 2022 Hes also not 100% African American, though, which means he doesnt automatically have insane jumping genes. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. The University of North Carolina (UNC) coach Frank McGuire convinced Cunningham to enroll there. It takes a lot more to get people excited now, said Chris Wallace, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. billy cunningham vertical jump. The greatest nicknames in basketball are reserved for those who attain the greatest altitude. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) High Griffinition Blake joined the Oklahoma Sooners and became one of their most impressive players of all time. 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. Lets add Billy Hoyle as an honourary #16 to this list, shall we? Joey made the trip but was nursing a hip pointer, so he couldnt suit up. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. He did prefer ball to hockey, after all. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. The college boys are no doubt wide eyed and gape-mouthed when they meet this coach for the first time. In those eight seasons, the team posted a 454-196 record, reached three NBA Finals and captured a championship in 1983. And that performance in Denver was the national coming-out party for Dr. J, the godfather of dunk. 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. 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. Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? Philadelphia switched Cunningham to small forward, a position that allowed him to use his tenacity and jumping ability around the boards. Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. Data Provided By When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. Uh oh! 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. 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. "We just helped knock on doors and pull people out of their homes last night. Billy Cunningham wasnt nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid because he had a pouch. 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. After Chamberlain left the team in 1968, Cunningham became the 76ers' franchise player. Chamberlain played for the Globetrotters in the 58-59 season and said: Jumpin Joe Buckhalter and I would line up on opposite sides of the free throw lane when Meadowlark Lemon was shooting a free throw. > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. Then theres Jerry Mr. He and Hal Greer were the only key players from the 1967 championship team still playing vital roles. Billy can jump up to 29-31 inches (vertical leap). The Globies listed him at 6-5, but Sonny Hill swears Jackie was 6-3, tops. Cunningham guided the 76ers for eight years, reaching the 200- and 300-victory levels faster than any coach before him. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) Cunningham, her stepdaughter and her fiance all jumped into action. Its unbelievable. [14] He then returned for one last year to help cover the 1991 NCAA men's basketball tournament, partnered with Dick Stockton once again. billy cunningham vertical jump - a portrait of the artist as filipino - a portrait of the artist as filipino - All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. As a freshman he went out for the track team, worked out a total of 10 hours, then high-jumped 7-3 7/8. At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. So maybe his African American genes are a little stronger than his Caucasian ones after all? He ran out of his house and to the hoop at St. Rose of Lima grammar school, three blocks away. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Pregame warmups were his showtime. 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. 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 . Even so, Erving was the NBAs most dazzling aerial star until he retired in 1987 and passed the title to Michael Jordan. During his eight seasons as the coach of the 76ers, Philadelphia won 454 regular season games and lost 196. 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. Billy Cunningham - IMDb The obvious question is, why didnt more of these guys play in the NBA? 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. It looked like the half-court line was around a mile and a half away, Cunningham said. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. The new generation of jumpers, ushered in by Julius Erving, has pushed the dunk to new artistic heights. VIDEO: Giant Space Slingshot In Action. Instant green. He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. Stanfords 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. In his final season, he was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. But he was over by a good six to eight inches. 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. The color barrier and the sex barrier of slam-dunk have fallen: Many white guys and a few women can dunk. The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. How does Zion "only" have a vertical jump of 40.5 inches when - reddit Philadelphia then became a member of the leagues elite. 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. In 1967, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title. His departure had a disastrous effect. In the 197374 season, Cunningham and the Cougars finished third in the Eastern Division and lost again to the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division semifinals. This story is not that important. Technicalities, you know. Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. Herb was not drafted, but was invited to Hawks camp after his senior year and made the 1970-71 team as a point-guard backup and road roommate of another rookie, Pete Maravich. He also had a famously difficult childhood and came from very humble beginnings; it was his hometown of French Lick, Indiana, that inspired the nickname The Hick from French Lick. He was determined not to let his tiny hometown or his troubled family life hold him back though, and instead remained hardworking and classy until the end of his career. Julius, Gus (Johnson), Pogo Joe Caldwell. Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970. He coached eight years with 76ers, never finishing lower than second place in the Atlantic and posted a career record of 454-196 (.698). Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Then we ask him to jump and we mark the highest point he touched. Send us your videotape. One boy did dunks of a monster nature, so they named him after the only monster they knew that could fly--Rodan. Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. Claims of sergeants in the mid- and high 40s are common. Cunningham joined the broadcast team for CBS in the 197677 season, often paired with Brent Musburger, leaving after the season ended to coach the 76ers. 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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy, "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") Philadelphia went 47-35, second in the newly formed Atlantic Division, but was ousted again in the first round of the playoffs. [10] In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[11]. Also, his dunk on Dwight Howard during the 2008 Olympic finals was unreal. 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. But while Cunningham was reaching his peak, the 76ers were beginning to crumble. There are two other pure measurements of leap--the dunk and the top of the money exchange. Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Family (1) Overview (3) Born: June 3, 1943 in New York, USA: Birth Name: William John Cunningham: Height: 6' 7" (2.01 m) Mini Bio (1) William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Basketball Player Billy Cunningham's Net Worth, Wife, and Bio 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. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. billy cunningham vertical jump - oumi-castle.net 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. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. His entire head and neck were above the rim. 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. I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face.. Joey was a good player at Banning High in Wilmington and spent two years at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college. He prevailed in the end! Youre just up there and nobody else can get up there., David (Skywalker) Thompson said: Sometimes Id surprise myself. Billy Cunningham 76ers Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Griffin was born of half Afro-Haitian descent and half Caucasian. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. 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 played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Could this be Gods way of telling us its time to raise the hoop? The schools former coach, Frank McGuire, was the one who had recruited Cunningham, which left Smith with a prize recruit he had never seen. It was like, Legend has it that 20 men are buried in Boot Hill because of this guy. Some of the guys started dunking. Cunningham became a playground regular, a gym rat, and a high school star, leading Erasmus Hall to the New York City Championship in 1961. Billy Cunningham played fiercely, coached intensely, and won frequently. for once. ! And the problem these days is inflation. They took about 10 jumps each. Then an All-Star. Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! And some colleges and pro teams were not ready to take chances on what went along with those guys. We should be glad he doesnt demand his own useum. In fact, his hockey-head-ish hair might even be as famous as his dunk. In his first ABA season, Cunningham averaged 24.1 points per game, 12.0 rebounds per game, and led the league in total steals. 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.. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Most of the players had between 29 and 33, so I dont believe any of that stuff in the 40s.. We played Portland in the last game of the season. Then he enters into the [NBA] expansion pursuit and gets it. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. Its like walking on air. us, High School: These are two very, very different kinds of feathered friends. In Madison Square Garden, he got a standing ovation for his warmup dunks. Do you have a blog? billy cunningham vertical jump The Cougars' attempt to file an injunction against him was denied in United States District Court on September 24, 1971. In the Museum of Leap, Wilt (the Big Dipper) Chamberlain has his own wing. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. 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, William John ("Billy") 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. inBrooklyn,New York He was all but unknown at the University of Massachusetts, then played five seasons in the semi-secret ABA. Wilt meets me at mid-court and says, Na, na, na, not this time.. 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. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. He said he was afraid he would cut himself. 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. Robinson, David 1965 Bill Cunningham | Premiere Networks Joe Vanilla Sky Alexander has restless, jumpy feet that propel him way up to block shots and confound his opponents. Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. 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. I told him Id read he had a 44. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. Even back in his Florida State days, where he was ACC Rookie of the year for the 1991-92 season, it was obvious that he loved to run, jump, and make friends with the rim. And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. He would toss the ball off the backboard and then slam it home.
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