Jay Norman, an outstanding defensive player, went into his defensive stance at the foul line. As a rookie in 1965-66, he pulled down 7.5 rpg, scored 14.3 ppg and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. After playing for Philadelphia from 1965 to 1972, he signed a free agent contract with the ABA's . Clutch West, with his awe-inspiring 60-foot shot in the 1970 NBA Final. These are true royalty: Sir Jamalot, Sir Slam, the Prince of Midair. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. And despite the proliferation of dunkers, there is a very elite group of leapers. Contending that the Cougars had reneged on paying the remaining $80,000 of a $125,000 signing bonus due on May 15, 1970, he reversed himself and signed a fouryear, $950,000 contract extension to stay with the 76ers through 197475 on July 15, 1970. Billy Cunningham wasn't nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid because he had a pouch. 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. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. "I lived there that summer," he later recalled. Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. After that season, he earned the first of what would be three straight All-NBA First Team selections. And he made it to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with a career that reads like a how-to book for legends. His performance in the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest was nothing less than stellar, and some say he was robbed of the chance to move to the next round. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. for once. During a game in 1963 against Clemson University, he grabbed a record twenty-seven rebounds. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Pretty darn safe. In his first ABA season, Cunningham averaged 24.1 points per game, 12.0 rebounds per game, and led the league in total steals. I said to myself, Ive got to try. I angled to the right. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. 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. [6] He announced on June 15, 1972, that he was going to play with the Cougars beginning with the upcoming season at press conferences in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina which occurred almost simultaneous to the Sixers' introduction of Roy Rubin as its new head coach.[7]. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Lift up an arm and hop once or twice to get a feel for how far away the rim is. 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. Cunningham hit for 18.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg. Realizing they needed a dominant big man to contain Abdul-Jabbar, Philadelphia acquired the two-time MVP (1979 and 82) Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets (Malone would win a third MVP as a Sixer in that first season in Philadelphia) before the 1982-83 season. All the teams did that. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. Now they take everything off and it takes a lot more to get people excited.. He also had stellar 3-pointer abilities, but after that 1996 air show, most of his other accomplishments were left in the dust. However, the poet laureate of leap is Darryl Dawkins. Cade Cunningham Vertical Jump Height. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. . Thats how much air was between Connaughton and those shiny floorboards at the NBA Combine in 2015. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. 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. Gus was a colorful thunder dunker and a breaker of backboards. The Doc won it with a long run, a leap from two inches inside the free throw line and a dramatic, powerful windmill slam. My mother has a bar here in southern Idaho, and shes got a nail where Joey touched, at 11-9 1/2.. Do you have a blog? Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, Draft: 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. His colourful tattoos and hairstyles are about as famous as his skills too, with hairdos including mohawks, spikes, and shoulder-length shag. Professional basketball player It was so good that Cunningham, a future Hall of Famer, came off the bench. Wilt meets me at mid-court and says, Na, na, na, not this time.. 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.. Send us your videotape. Athletics are in this guys genes; daddy Rick Barry produced a total of four bball loving sons. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. If thats not impressive enough for you, he also played on two NBA championship teams and later coached the Philadelphia 76ers for eight seasons. Celtics legend Larry Bird might just be the most famous white guy in basketball. Marcus Allen was born on March 26, 1960, to Harold and Gwen Allen in San Diego, CA. He was a five-time All Star, 1972-73 MVP, and received recognition for numerous goals, throws, rebounds, and assist plays. Billy Cunningham was born in the Parkville section of Brooklyn, New York. In fact, his hockey-head-ish hair might even be as famous as his dunk. 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. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. ." Artis (A-Train) Gilmore, George (Ice) Gervin and Larry (Big Cat) Kenon all dunked admirably. He reached both the 300 and 400-win milestones faster than any coach in NBA history. Now thats something to brag about at Sunday family dinners. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Geraldo Rivera is standing by. [8] For his career, he scored 16,310 points, grabbed 7,981 rebounds, and recorded 3,305 assists in both the NBA and the ABA. It takes a lot more to get people excited now, said Chris Wallace, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Could this be Gods way of telling us its time to raise the hoop? Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. In the exhibition season he was assigned to bring the ball up the court against Bostons K.C. He scored 16,310 points and pulled down nearly 8,000 rebounds. . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. Why isnt this guy in the hall of fame yet? Joey? There was a Philadelphia boy, Sonny Hill, about 5-10 (actually 5-9), he was the first guy that size I ever saw dunk. The ABA wasnt about dignity, it was about style. So goes the popular assumption. Cunningham was a member of the powerful 1967 Sixers championship team, which also featured Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Luke Jackson. I said to him, Yes, yes, yes! Wilt said, Im gonna kill you. . In the 2005 NBA pre-draft camp he gained 34.5 inches of air. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. As a rebounder and jump shooter he averaged 18.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Really, though, hed have to in order to make it look like he belonged there among all the African American bball greats. Hailing from Argentina and a family chock full of ball players, Ginobili uses his signature Euro Step to fake out the defense and get him where he needs to go. In a 14-year professional career studded with superla-tives, Wilt Chamberlain established the, Mikan, George 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. Imagine yourself lifting off the blacktop, up and up, until you can reach into the air far above the rim. He was discovered. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") Most of the players had between 29 and 33, so I dont believe any of that stuff in the 40s.. Billy Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid. The difference between the two marks, in inches, is the players sergeant jump, as in, Joe Smith has a 29-inch sergeant.. 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. No. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) Cunningham, her stepdaughter and her fiance all jumped into action. Injuries limited Cunningham to only 32 games in 1973-74, but he still averaged 20.5 ppg. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. 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. Professional basketball player, sports administrator Upon his retirement on May 28, 1985,[13] his 454 wins as a head coach were the 12th best in NBA history. He was twice named an All-American during his collegiate years. Destined to become one of the first of basketball's most talented big men, as a young man George Mikan, Sprewell, Latrell 1970 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.