For three days, Rabbit put on a show like theyve never seen before. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. > Archive 75: Billy Cunningham| 75 Stories: Billy Cunningham. They outlawed that, but I wouldnt have done it in a game, anyway. Not only could he walk, but he was also an All-ACC selection three times and a two-time All-American. He would perform a reverse dunk-dunk with two balls. Pregame warmups were his showtime. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. In his first ABA season, Cunningham averaged 24.1 points per game, 12.0 rebounds per game, and led the league in total steals. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Most of these leapers were from the inner city, where they suffered from overexposure to drugs and underexposure to formal education. Actually he was a 62% free throw shooter, which is poor except in comparison to his 51% as a pro. On a good day, he said. One of the more recent players on this list, Chris Birdman Anderson is known for his celebratory arm flapping and his intriguing tattoos. Professional football player The next year he exploded for 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds and he was named a first-team All-Star. The following season Philadelphia won sixty-two games and the Eastern Division title but lost to the Celtics in the playoffs. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. 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. Said Trenkle: He can take the ball with his right hand, go up, put it between his legs and dunk it behind his head with his left hand. See, for example, Jan Hubbard, ed., The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, 3d ed. In warmups, we would always check out the other team and get into little contests with their guys. I have seen everybody, Hill said. Ive never felt another feeling like it, being able to go up in the air, over someone much bigger, and stay up there. Chris Wallace, the college talent scout, said: I dont believe measurements. Some of the guys started dunking. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy, "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. Dennis never was much of a leaper. 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. 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. In 1976-77, the season before Cunningham took the helm, the Sixers reached The Finals, only to fall to the Portland Trail Blazers. Jackie took off, jumped over Normans head and dunked the ball.. Dolph Schayes is an icon in Philadelphia 76ers lore and was one of the NBA's first stars as well. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. [5] The reversal of that judgment in the United States Court of Appeals .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6+12 months later on April 5, 1972, meant that Cunningham was obligated to honor his Cougars contract until its expiration in October 1974. Everybody dunks. 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. Philadelphia switched Cunningham to small forward, a position that allowed him to use his tenacity and jumping ability around the boards. Biography. Uh oh! Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. 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. On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. He was so good, Red Auerbach saw him play in a schoolyard game and invited him to camp with the Celtics. 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. Encyclopedia.com. Hes sought advice from Tim Duncan on how to be a great leader and win with his team. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. One day he received a call from Zev Buffman, who needed a well-known basketball personality to help secure an NBA franchise for Miami. Pitchin Paul is credited as being one of the first basketball players to ever use the jump shot. And there was a dog. Joe Clarke, founder and president of the South-Central L.A. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. Its unbelievable. He was named Most Valuable Player in the ABA. He was all but unknown at the University of Massachusetts, then played five seasons in the semi-secret ABA. //]]>. Sure, Casper and friends tend to dominate less vertically challenging sports like golf, hockey, and tennis, but they have also held their own on the floorboards. Finally he did a 360, one handed. He played nine seasons for the Baltimore Bullets, beginning in 63, and he died last year. Its a rush, a thrill, said the Elevator from Decatur. The Grizzlies say their star guard will be away from the team for 'at least' the next 2 games. 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. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. Upon his retirement on May 28, 1985,[13] his 454 wins as a head coach were the 12th best in NBA history. If the Land of Leap had a national holiday, it would be Feb. 8, the anniversary of the legendary 1976 ABA All-Star games first--and last--slam dunk contest. That year, he was the First-Team All-New York But with a leaper, everybody instantly knows they couldnt do it, that only the tiniest fraction of humans can jump that high.. Joey? Yep. 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. 1936-1999 During one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. why did michael jackson wrote heal the world; lionel richie las vegas 2022 The ABA folded after that season, but the slam-off was such a hit with the media that the concept was eventually ripped off by the NBA. It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. Its almost like you were floating, like there was no such thing as gravity. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. After acquiring the talented Moses Malone for the 19821983 season, Philadelphia won sixty-five regular season games and then the league championship, losing one of thirteen play-off games. 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. Billy Cunningham. Yes, he married a former judge. Not a great deal is known about Jackie, which is good, because nothing dims a legend faster than facts. "We just helped knock on doors and pull people out of their homes last night. The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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Mike Conley, who is 6-2 and a triple jumper, won the Foot Locker Slam Dunk Contest last weekend, with 6-2 Raider receiver Tim Brown finishing third and swimmer Matt Biondi in the top five. 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. He was twice named an All-American during his collegiate years. In 1966-67, the 76ers dominated the NBA. In the JC championship game, an opponent fired a jump shot at the buzzer. The only other thing in life I couldnt comprehend was looking at the moon and knowing there were men walking on it.. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Cunningham played with visible enthusiasm. 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. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. Marcus Allen was born on March 26, 1960, to Harold and Gwen Allen in San Diego, CA. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970. Technicalities, you know. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. It didnt make no difference to him.. All rights reserved. ! The Smooth Criminal, as he was called when he played for Spain, didnt stick with the NBA for too long, but sure made an impact. Many of the legendary leapers of that era didnt play NBA ball because all they could do was leap. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. [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]. 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. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. //
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