billy cunningham vertical jumphow old is eric forrester in real life

Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. They were trying to touch the top of the board, Nissalke said. During the post-season, the Cougars defeated the New York Nets in five games in the Eastern Division Semifinals to advance to the Eastern Division Finals. 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. 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. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. This guy wasnt a leaper, but it will show you what I mean. Billy Cunningham, Actor: You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat. Cunningham scored 18.9 points per game. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ZbxZ3AJWWjyZL0HXDpABwVdW.7p3rtLrWMEsK2FPL0A-86400-0"}; An influential figure on the game at large, Julius Erving won a 1983 NBA title in Philadelphia and was the face of the ABA as well. No discussion of legendary leapers is complete without heated debate. And that performance in Denver was the national coming-out party for Dr. J, the godfather of dunk. Browse 1,052 billy cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In the exhibition season he was assigned to bring the ball up the court against Bostons K.C. Find Billy Cunningham 76ers stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Can you do that? 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. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. Dunk-off of the Network Superstars? The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. Cunningham was subsequently replaced on CBS by Hubie Brown, but would return to CBS to help fill in during the 1990 NBA Playoffs, partnered with Verne Lundquist. Then we ask him to jump and we mark the highest point he touched. In 1976-77, the season before Cunningham took the helm, the Sixers reached The Finals, only to fall to the Portland Trail Blazers. "I lived there that summer," he later recalled. Philadelphia went 47-35, second in the newly formed Atlantic Division, but was ousted again in the first round of the playoffs. There are celebrity dunk-offs. Legends abound of the truly great leapers who could touch the top of the board. The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. He was all but unknown at the University of Massachusetts, then played five seasons in the semi-secret ABA. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. Herb White was moved to write a poem about an eagle that had lost its ability to soar. My sergeant was higher than Jordans. 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. for once. During his eight seasons as the coach of the 76ers, Philadelphia won 454 regular season games and lost 196. Join our linker program. 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. Pitchin Paul is credited as being one of the first basketball players to ever use the jump shot. 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. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") He had a baseball cap on, and he turned the bill sideways. In Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. People think, mistakenly in most cases, that they could hit a baseball, Costas says. People swear he cleared it by a foot, said Fred Trenkle, Southern Idahos basketball coach. While he was dribbling down the court, his knee exploded. The greatest nicknames in basketball are reserved for those who attain the greatest altitude. Claims of sergeants in the mid- and high 40s are common. 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. Griffin has been one of the most electrifying dunkers in the NBA for the past eight years. Judging by a still shot the DukeMBB videographer took during the testing, Williamson cleared a vertical leap mark of 40 inches. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. Its almost like you were floating, like there was no such thing as gravity. 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. His colourful tattoos and hairstyles are about as famous as his skills too, with hairdos including mohawks, spikes, and shoulder-length shag. Watch even half of any of his highlight reels and youll understand why he made this list. Among his numerous career achievements, he was named to the 1966 All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. The next season, Phily finished 47-35, but lost to the Spurs in the conference semis. His playing days ended on one play in the 1975-76 season. 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. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Right now Johnson is red-shirting at ASU. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. 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. 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. Everybody dunks. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. These guys will never forget the blur of that mullet-ed head flying past them. And he made it to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with a career that reads like a how-to book for legends. He was a competitor, said Lewis Schaffel, one of Cunninghams partners in the Miami Heat who grew up with him in Brooklyn. 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 . I asked Kareem if he ever did, and he could jump a little bit. Ill give you an example. 1964 UNC at Duke, tip-off.jpg 1,454 1,750; 377 KB. Many of the great leapers of that era inhabited the fringes of reality as we know it. Chamberlain remembers other playground legends: Boy named Helicopter (real name: Herman Knowings) had incredible wingspan. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. Cunningham began his second basketball career on Nov. 4, 1977, when he was hired to replace Gene Shue at the Sixers helm. 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. Throughout his life, Cunningham excelled at all aspects of the game he loved. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? That swagger had to come from somewhere. Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. We should be glad he doesnt demand his own useum. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. Finally he did a 360, one handed. The NBA had no such contest at the time, considering such frivolity to be beneath the senior leagues dignity. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. 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. 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.. He said he was tired and tight. 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. The white guys listed below are heroes of the basketball world. Somebody done gotcha. But man, that was sweet music. He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). However, the date of retrieval is often important. Anybodv can win the lottery.. Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. star and now the leagues vice president of operations. amc gremlin for sale washington state billy cunningham vertical jump. Do you have a blog? In todays semifinals, folks, well see Gary (Up in the Airy) Coleman vs. Bea (the Flea) Arthur, and Jumpin Johnny Carson vs. Pogo Stick Peter Jennings. In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. He was discovered. I knew he was right there with me. Nope. In 1968-69, Cunningham broke loose, scoring 24.8 ppg and recording 12.8 rpg while earning his first of four consecutive All-Star appearances and the first of three successive berths on the All-NBA First Team. The college boys are no doubt wide eyed and gape-mouthed when they meet this coach for the first time. Joey? I went back a few hours later with a tape measure. Most of the players had between 29 and 33, so I dont believe any of that stuff in the 40s.. Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Jackie Jacksons all-around game, by most accounts, was only fair. However, the poet laureate of leap is Darryl Dawkins. Most of these leapers were from the inner city, where they suffered from overexposure to drugs and underexposure to formal education. Still, the Sixers finished 34-48, only the second losing season of Cunninghams career. So goes the popular assumption. Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970. 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.. The Cougars had finished last the previous season, but with Brown and Cunningham inspiring the team, the Cougars finished first. You get it. The following season Philadelphia won sixty-two games and the Eastern Division title but lost to the Celtics in the playoffs. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. 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. Upload media Wikipedia. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. In 1965, Cunningham joined the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. Dont send letters, leapers. The 1984-85 season, Cunninghams last as coach, featured the addition of rookie Charles Barkley to the team. The next year he exploded for 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds and he was named a first-team All-Star. How in the world can this kid play ball? Athletic Club, has worked with most of the great L.A. prep stars of the last two decades. When I was a freshman, I fooled around with shooting free throws this way: For some reason, I thought you had to stay within the top half of that free-throw circle, so I would step back to just inside the top of the circle, take off from behind the line and dunk. I used to dunk on that basket. Patterson, who recently resigned as Arizona States coach, said that Johnson is really an impact player, but not consistently good and solid. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers (nine as player, eight as coach), and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Hawkins is now vice president of communications for the Dodgers. Billy Cunningham played fiercely, coached intensely, and won frequently. It is. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Thats a white head, remember. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Kareem came the closest. Cunningham became a playground regular, a gym rat, and a high school star, leading Erasmus Hall to the New York City Championship in 1961. Then he went to North Carolina and was an All-American. In fact, he set the record for most blocks and field goal percentage in a season at his high school, Linganore High in Mt. Billy Cunningham was born in New York on June 3, 1943. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. Hes one of only a handful of white guys to even make it to the Slam Dunk Competition, and hes rumoured to have reached a vertical jump of 39 inches. Pregame warmups were his showtime. A fiery coach, Cunningham stalked the sidelines with the best of them. And there was a dog. (b. But the winning wasnt over. billy cunningham vertical jump. Jack Gardner, a former college coach, did our testing, Nissalke said. Weary of the NBA lifestyle, Cunningham retired. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. Yes, 44. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. The 1996 dunk competition boasted great ballers like the 76ers Jerry Stackhouse and the Suns Michael Finley, and nobody really expected the Lakers guard to triumph. And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. 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. I cant put my finger on it exactly, but there was just something about the game. As a professional he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, an NBA All-Star, All-NBA First and Second Team, an ABA All-Star, All-ABA First Team, and the ABA Most Valuable Player. Athletics are in this guys genes; daddy Rick Barry produced a total of four bball loving sons. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Join our linker program. Then he enters into the [NBA] expansion pursuit and gets it. You dont play with a red, white and blue ball if youre into dignity. In 1965 Cunningham graduated from UNC and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. CUNNINGHAM, William John ("Billy") ( b. 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. 1 in everyones heart and myths is Jumpin Jackie Jackson, also known as Sidecar Jackson. . Can the old Elevator still ascend? Youre just up there and nobody else can get up there., David (Skywalker) Thompson said: Sometimes Id surprise myself. billy cunningham vertical jump. Learn more and register. Instead he went to Georgia as a white player and was a so-so power forward. Unlike Thompson, a huge star at North Carolina State, Dr. J kind of sneaked up on the basketball world. Joey is 6-3, with average-length arms and legs, and incredibly unaverage spring. Ive heard stories about Jackie Jackson doing it, but Ive never seen anyone (but himself) come close., Sonny Hill, a Philadelphia leaping legend of the 60s, backs Wilt, saying, The only man thats been to the top, thats Wilt. 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

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