." As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. 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. In 1961, his senior year, Cunningham led his team to the city championship and was a high school All-American. 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. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. Cunningham has been on 50,000-watt radio station 700 WLW for over 30 years, beginning in 1983. [1] His first regular show on the station was at night, generally from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. So maybe his African American genes are a little stronger than his Caucasian ones after all? 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. Its a rush, a thrill, said the Elevator from Decatur. But the winning wasnt over. Cunningham also set a single-game North Carolina record with 48 points against Tulane on December 10, 1964. I got fired up and did a 360 dunk. Its a remarkable life.. Most of the players had between 29 and 33, so I dont believe any of that stuff in the 40s.. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. I dont believe anyone has ever done it. If we were to honor dunkers as we honor actors, Doc would be given a statuette for his body of work. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. So goes the popular assumption. Pasty skin. But with a leaper, everybody instantly knows they couldnt do it, that only the tiniest fraction of humans can jump that high.. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. [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. As a rebounder and jump shooter he averaged 18.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Cade Cunningham has a vertical jump of 41 inches. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. High Griffinition Blake joined the Oklahoma Sooners and became one of their most impressive players of all time. They think they could track down what the announcer calls a routine fly ball. Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. The other measurement of leap is the money exchange at the top of the backboard, which is exactly 13 feet above the floor and three feet above the rim. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. I went back a few hours later with a tape measure. During his eight seasons as the coach of the 76ers, Philadelphia won 454 regular season games and lost 196. Robinson, David 1965 Weve all heard the saying: white men cant jump. Ron Shelton even made a (fantastic) movie about it in the 90s! Lift up an arm and hop once or twice to get a feel for how far away the rim is. He had tested thousands of Navy pilots during the war, and he said Griffiths was the highest he ever measured.. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Many of the great leapers of that era inhabited the fringes of reality as we know it. He was so good, Red Auerbach saw him play in a schoolyard game and invited him to camp with the Celtics. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. 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. Cunningham hit for 18.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg. 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. As Cunningham was adjusting to the professional game, the 76ers were becoming a powerhouse. Youre just up there and nobody else can get up there., David (Skywalker) Thompson said: Sometimes Id surprise myself. Then he goes into coaching and, percentage-wise, becomes one of the best ever. Pregame warmups were his showtime. He inherited a team of underachievers led by Julius Erving. There is a tavern called the Corner Club, in Moscow, Ida. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. 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,. White started five games, but was mostly a mop-up guy, then was injured and finished his career in a pro league in Mexico. Its like walking on air. 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. Athletic Club, has worked with most of the great L.A. prep stars of the last two decades. Thats a mouthful. He ran to the nearest school, three blocks away, and started shooting baskets. [2] At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 1936-1999 Despite his Caucasian genetic setbacks, he shot up an unbelievable 41.5 inches at the NBA Draft Combine in 2014. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. Then he transferred to Arizona State, clashed with then-coach Steve Patterson and wound up quitting the team. In 1974 Cunningham returned to the 76ers. 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. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He was a consummate team player, and he used the same unifying concept and enthusiasm to become a successful head coach. Marcus Allen was born on March 26, 1960, to Harold and Gwen Allen in San Diego, CA. He had a baseball cap on, and he turned the bill sideways. You dont play with a red, white and blue ball if youre into dignity. Billy Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York and UNC. Current Grand Canyon Antelopes coach and the Phoenix Suns favourite former shooting guard/small forward is an NBA All Star, an Olympian, and World Team member. Hey, a sportswriter dunks. William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. The Philadelphia team Cunningham inherited featured Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Doug Collins, Lloyd B. 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. They were like jazz musicians in sneakers. The schools former coach, Frank McGuire, was the one who had recruited Cunningham, which left Smith with a prize recruit he had never seen. Browse 1,052 billy cunningham stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In the far-up Land of Leap, the unit of currency is the dunk. He played 80 games, primarily as a sixth man, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Wed been on the bus eight hours by then, Trenkle said. Join our linker program. Upon graduation, his 1,062 rebounds were the best in North Carolina history and he held single-season records for most rebounds (379 in 1964) and rebound average (16.1 in 1963). When Joey was a high school senior, Clarke took his Watts Magicians to Mesa, Ariz., for a prep tournament. In his second season with Carolina, Cunningham was hampered by injuries, but he still managed a 20.5 average in 32 games. Why not simply whip out a tape measure and measure the leapers leaps, take the guesswork out of whos the greatest? At Carolina, he was reunited with the coach Larry Brown, who had been a UNC teammate. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Shoots: And some colleges and pro teams were not ready to take chances on what went along with those guys. In the NBA, where everyone can dunk--you wouldnt even want to rule out David Stern--there are really only a few top guns. Encyclopedia.com. Part of Dr. Js legend is the same as the mystique of a gunfighter coming into town, Costas said. 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. In the division finals, however, Philadelphia fell to Boston. Averaging 14.3 points per game, Cunningham was named to the league's All-Rookie team. Billy Cunningham. Jackie stays in the air and the ref calls a three-second violation. Instead he went to Georgia as a white player and was a so-so power forward. Throughout his life, Cunningham excelled at all aspects of the game he loved. The obvious question is, why didnt more of these guys play in the NBA? In those days, didnt nobody dunk but Wilt Chamberlain, so Sonny was an absolute marvel.. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. The Doc won it with a long run, a leap from two inches inside the free throw line and a dramatic, powerful windmill slam. "Rubin Quits L. I. U. to Pilot 76ers,", Goldaper, Sam. Griffin has been one of the most electrifying dunkers in the NBA for the past eight years. 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. 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We should be glad he doesnt demand his own useum. He may be the greatest leaper of all time. Find out more. These guys will never forget the blur of that mullet-ed head flying past them. [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]. He was about a foot from the top.. Upon his retirement on May 28, 1985,[13] his 454 wins as a head coach were the 12th best in NBA history. 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. He was an NBA champion both as a player (1967) and as a coach (1983). Billy Cunningham found success and stardom during his ABA days. //
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