billy cunningham vertical jump

And despite the proliferation of dunkers, there is a very elite group of leapers. Griffin was born of half Afro-Haitian descent and half Caucasian. 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. Position: He finally got a pro tryout with the Utah Stars of the ABA at 25, but by then his fabulous springs were sprung. The schools former coach, Frank McGuire, was the one who had recruited Cunningham, which left Smith with a prize recruit he had never seen. billy cunningham vertical jump. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. 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. As Cunningham was adjusting to the professional game, the 76ers were becoming a powerhouse. Nobody ever played the game could rise any better than Jackie. In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. Bobby Jones could swoop and soar. At Carolina, he was reunited with the coach Larry Brown, who had been a UNC teammate. . The Cougars' attempt to file an injunction against him was denied in United States District Court on September 24, 1971. 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. They annihilated the opposition all season and finished with a 68-13 record. Michael Jordan has stopped just short of holding the ball in his mouth, uncoiling his tongue in mid-flight and inventing the Anteater Slam. The next season, the consistent Cunningham scored 23.3 points per game and was selected as an All-Star for the fourth time. 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. ! William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. Back when he played for the Phillies, they had him dribbling alongside Wilt The Stilt Chamberlain for two seasons, and when Chamberlain left in 69, the 76ers had a Kangaroo as their star. 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. Everybody dunks. Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. 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. Some have called the team the greatest of all time. Billy Cunningham found success as a coach in the NBA after his playing days were through. The ONLY white man. A lot of young men soar into the NBA but are quickly weighted down by injuries and the 82-game grind, such as Darrell (Dr. Dunkenstein) Griffith of the Utah Jazz. Weary of the NBA lifestyle, Cunningham retired. Herb White was moved to write a poem about an eagle that had lost its ability to soar. Is Billy Cunningham married? Latrell Sprewell, a rising NBA star, would be known more for his off-court antics than his bas, Erving, Julius 1950 Spencer Haywood, for one, claims to have been to the top. Or write about sports? Dean Smith, the new coach at the University of North Carolina, was not as impressed, at least not immediately. Jackie Jacksons all-around game, by most accounts, was only fair. No. His shooting skills may be what he is best remembered for, but his vertical leaps were nothing to sneeze at: he made 28 inches on more than one occasion. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. 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. 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. Data Provided By He would perform a reverse dunk-dunk with two balls. And the man has pulled out some pretty crazy surprise dunks. 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. 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. Jones, a noted defensive terror. Its a rush, a thrill, said the Elevator from Decatur. Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like . 44 is only four inches less than the NBAs all-time record by His Airness, Michael Jordan, and also by Darrell Griffith. Joey? In his second season with Carolina, Cunningham was hampered by injuries, but he still managed a 20.5 average in 32 games. These guys more than held their own in a sport where they were absolutely a minority. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. In a 14-year professional career studded with superla-tives, Wilt Chamberlain established the, Mikan, George When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. They were trying to touch the top of the board, Nissalke said. Dont send letters, leapers. In 1965 Cunningham graduated from UNC and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. Still, the thrill is not all gone. I dont want anyone ripping rib-cage muscles or wrenching spinal disks. 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. 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. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"ZbxZ3AJWWjyZL0HXDpABwVdW.7p3rtLrWMEsK2FPL0A-86400-0"}; Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. 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. Its almost like you were floating, like there was no such thing as gravity. That Feb. 8, the ABA trotted out its five best slammers. His fame began while he was playing at St. Rose of Lima and later Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn,[1] where he was the MVP in the Brooklyn League in 1961. His man takes him into the key, gives a head fake and sends Jackie skyward. His show was not heard during the summer months, when WLW broadcasts Cincinnati Reds baseball games. Never got off the bench, but in warmups he could dunk better than anyone Ive ever seen.. Browse 310 billy_cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Thats about the height of the average 4-year-old. Some of them were pretty damn eccentric. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. 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. He told me, Sonny, no. . And that performance in Denver was the national coming-out party for Dr. J, the godfather of dunk. Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. He was with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers for 17 years . Instant green. There was a guard from Harlem named Rabbit. It looked like the half-court line was around a mile and a half away, Cunningham said. 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. During both is college and NBA career, this guy leapt like nobodys business. In those eight seasons, the team posted a 454-196 record, reached three NBA Finals and captured a championship in 1983. Cunningham achieved a career trifecta in law, business, and government. 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. Chess Robot Grabs And Breaks Finger Of Seven-Year . Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. amc gremlin for sale washington state billy cunningham vertical jump. (2000). Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. His jump was absolutely awesome. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . When I went to Kansas, they had a 12-foot basket in the gym, because Dr. Phog Allen was advocating the 12-foot basket. 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. ." NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Brooks suspended after receiving 16th technical foul, Grizzlies' Clarke (torn achilles) out indefinitely, Ja will be away from team for 'at least' 2 games, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs. [8] During his tenure, the team featured Bobby Jones, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Moses Malone, and Julius Erving. Encyclopedia.com. Despite his Caucasian genetic setbacks, he shot up an unbelievable 41.5 inches at the NBA Draft Combine in 2014. "Shue Ousted, Cunningham Named; N.B.A. 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. His standing vertical was 37.5 inches. 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. The Philadelphia 76ers star was a consistent scorer throughout his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. He would get up in the air and spread those wings, hed be swoopin. . Very tall players are seldom recognized as great leapers. And the problem these days is inflation. He was elected to the Hall of Fame the following year. As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. Some nights Id scare myself.. 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. In 1965, Cunningham joined the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He spent several years as one of the owners of the Miami Heat and the team quickly became a contender. 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. Boston kept Philadelphia out of The 1981 Finals, but the Sixers roared back to the 1982 before falling to the Lakers again. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Ervings early obscurity helped make him famous. Gus was a colorful thunder dunker and a breaker of backboards. One of the more recent players on this list, Chris Birdman Anderson is known for his celebratory arm flapping and his intriguing tattoos. As a high school senior, he received a scholarship offer from a Midwestern college, asking him to become the schools first black player. 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. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. A commitment to the basic fundamentals of any game lead to progress, growth, and success. Robinson, David 1965 Philadelphia switched Cunningham to small forward, a position that allowed him to use his tenacity and jumping ability around the boards. In 1972-73, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the American Basketball Association and he scored 18 points in the ABA All-Star Game. There are two other pure measurements of leap--the dunk and the top of the money exchange. After this historic 2015 event, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #WhiteMenCanJump (the up in lit up is so well placed, right?). Some are best at soaring up for a three-pointer, some rock at the jump shots, some can perform slam dunks like nobodys business, and they all work their butts off to prove that they belong in this black mans sport. Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. Almost always the feat involves money--claims that the player could grab a dollar bill off the top of the board, or could pluck off a quarter and leave two dimes and a nickel change. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. The rim was two inches low. He said he was afraid he would cut himself. "Cunningham Quits; Loughery Dropped,", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Cunningham&oldid=1135516255, 3-year letter winner (in his day, freshmen were ineligible for, His number 32 jersey is retired by the Philadelphia 76ers; however, he allowed it to be worn by, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 03:41. Home Depot Is Selling A Giant 89-Pound Crab Statue For $1,500. At the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition he came in third. A sample: In Your Face Disgrace, Sexophonic Turbo Delight, Hammer of Thor, and Yo Mamma. It was so good that Cunningham, a future Hall of Famer, came off the bench. Even so, Erving was the NBAs most dazzling aerial star until he retired in 1987 and passed the title to Michael Jordan. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Buffman and Cunningham decided to team up in the venture, and they brought in Lewis Schaffel and Ted Arison. 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. Joe Clarke, founder and president of the South-Central L.A. Trenkle had heard of the Gus Johnson nail, so when the Southern Idaho team was passing through Moscow on a trip, he ordered the bus driver to stop outside the Corner Club, and he took Joey inside. Patterson, who recently resigned as Arizona States coach, said that Johnson is really an impact player, but not consistently good and solid. Ill give you an example. 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. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. 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,. He walked into the gym one morning and there was a TV crew set up. Stanford's 6-4 Todd Lichti is a big-time leaper, regardless of race, creed or color. William John Cunningham (The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) . He was about a foot from the top.. As a player and then a coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of two NBA championship teams. Ridiculous, but it has been done, by a kid youve probably never heard of, unless you started reading this story at the end. He didnt just score, he scored OVER people, including all 68 of Plastic Man Stacey Augmon. 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. billy cunningham vertical jump - a portrait of the artist as filipino - a portrait of the artist as filipino - We played Portland in the last game of the season. 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. The greatest nicknames in basketball are reserved for those who attain the greatest altitude. Many have speculated about the reasons behind this phenomenon. 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. Until recently, nobody ever tried to keep track of dunks on any league-wide scale. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. Cunningham reached 200, 300, and 400 wins faster than any previous coach in NBA history. Cunningham could not even crack the starting lineupwhich included Wilt Chamberlain, Chet Walker, Lucious Jackson, Hal Greer, and Wally Jonesbut he averaged 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game coming off the bench. In 1966 Cunningham On 6 May 1986 Cunningham was elected into the NBA Hall of Fame, as one of its ten initial inductees. Many of the great leapers of that era inhabited the fringes of reality as we know it. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. 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. 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. Why not simply whip out a tape measure and measure the leapers leaps, take the guesswork out of whos the greatest? There have been--and are--very good white jumpers. David Robinson, future NBA Hall-of-Famer and leader of the San Antonio Spurs, was born in Key We, Chamberlain, Wilt He prevailed in the end! He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Many of the legendary leapers of that era didnt play NBA ball because all they could do was leap. He scored 16,310 points and pulled down nearly 8,000 rebounds. 1924- One of basketball's all-time greats, Cunningham was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and honored by selection to both the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams as one of its legendary players, as well as to the ABA All-Time Team. In the NBA, where everyone can dunk--you wouldnt even want to rule out David Stern--there are really only a few top guns. And he made it to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with a career that reads like a how-to book for legends. Upload media Wikipedia. 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. It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. Curtis Bunn, a 6-1 reporter for Newsday, has a very decent repertoire of slams. Hes set records for leading the NBA in dunks during his very first year playing pro. That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. Rosters Cut,", "1978 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals - New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers", Goldaper, Sam. 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. In Cunninghams debut year the team went 55-27 and won the Atlantic Division before losing to eventual-champion Washington in the Eastern Conference finals. The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. Since joining the NBA in the 2002-03 season, this guy has achieved dozens of honours and awards, including three MVP award shares and a spot playing in two All-Star games. Joey didnt even have his shoes laced, Clarke said. Youre entering another world up there. My sergeant was higher than Jordans. Athletics are in this guys genes; daddy Rick Barry produced a total of four bball loving sons. Billy Cunningham was drafted by Philadelphia 76ers, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1965 NBA Draft. Finally he did a 360, one handed. Yep. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. In fact, his hockey-head-ish hair might even be as famous as his dunk. 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,. I saw him come down the floor once, in the Eastern League, on a fast break. Cunningham could not even crack the starting lineupwhich . They are enshrined in a mythical Museum of Leap. CUNNINGHAM, William John ("Billy") ( b. 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. The Hawks favorite flight story, like many stories of that era, features Chamberlain as a foil. He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). The legendary player and coach was named the ABA MVP for the 1972-73 season. Philadelphia then became a member of the leagues elite. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Theres no greater feeling than going up in a crowd, over guys a foot taller., Tommy (the Hawk) Hawkins said: If you can think about Peter Pan, thats the feeling. ." 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.. And after all, The sun even shines on a dog's a** some days. The greatest jumper today? Select from premium Billy Cunningham 76ers of the highest quality. Very easily.. of 6. Celtics legend Larry Bird might just be the most famous white guy in basketball. "I don't know anything he has done that hasn't worked," said the Orlando, Florida, executive Pat Williams. Billy Cunningham was born in New York on June 3, 1943. In the exhibition season he was assigned to bring the ball up the court against Bostons K.C. I won the unofficial NBA slam dunk title that season, said White, who now sells heavy equipment in Georgia. They were a winning team the next two seasons but could not repeat as champions, and Cunningham retired after the 19841985 season. The Grizzlies say their star guard will be away from the team for 'at least' the next 2 games. William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid for his leaping and record-setting rebounding abilities. After that season, Cunningham jumped from the NBA to the ABA with the Carolina Cougars. For his college career he averaged 24.8 points per game and set a school record with 1,062 rebounds. 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. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") In his rookie season of 19651966 Cunningham was at first assigned to be a guard, then switched positions, becoming a small forward. Airy, Maryland. Most of the players had between 29 and 33, so I dont believe any of that stuff in the 40s.. Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. No question, the mystique of the superleaper remains. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) The man waits and waits for Jackie to start coming down, but waits too long. That year, he was the First-Team All-New York 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. Cunningham played with visible enthusiasm. His entire head and neck were above the rim. 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. So I did a 360, two handed, and he conceded.. Against Tulane University on 10 December 1964, he set a UNC record by scoring forty-eight points. Cunningham would never play again. And there was a dog. They think they could track down what the announcer calls a routine fly ball. Dawkins claimed to have come from the planet Lovetron, he called himself Chocolate Thunder and Zandokan the Mad Dunker, and he named his dunks. It's like walking on air. He also became an NBA broadcaster on national television and later a part-owner of the Miami Heat. One expert, Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers assistant general manager, was asked to name the games bona fide super leapers. It was legendary, however, and cemented young Majerle as one of the best white dunkers of all time. Joey, standing about eight feet from the shooter, leaped and slapped the shot away. It doesnt take a detective to see these were obviously a foreshadowing of plays to come. 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