I was phoning the Charlotte Hornets to reach David (Skywalker) Thompson, who now works in the teams front office, when a female secretary said: Ive only seen two players who did things that I watched and I didnt believe--David, and Michael Jordan. Watch even half of any of his highlight reels and youll understand why he made this list. Billy Cunningham Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images He was All-ACC, the ACC Player of the Year, and an All-American in college, later named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the fifty best players in Atlantic Coast Conference history. We present them here for purely educational purposes. They were trying to touch the top of the board, Nissalke said. White is a regular at Hawk games and a fan of Wilkins. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. [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. These are two very, very different kinds of feathered friends. One day he received a call from Zev Buffman, who needed a well-known basketball personality to help secure an NBA franchise for Miami. 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.. He would find a way to beat you., Billy Cunningham discovered the game after receiving a basketball for his fifth birthday. Yes, 44. The only other thing in life I couldnt comprehend was looking at the moon and knowing there were men walking on it.. It was the Human Highlight Film vs. a Selected Short. I get a rebound and Im driving up the floor, ready to go coast to coast. 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. 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. "Shue Ousted, Cunningham Named; N.B.A. 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. 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. After this historic 2015 event, Twitter lit up with the hashtag #WhiteMenCanJump (the up in lit up is so well placed, right?). Though he portrayed a large woman in "You have to Walk it like . He may be the greatest leaper of all time. He was in the gym in Mesa one afternoon, in street clothes and basketball shoes. Blonde hair. Robinson, David 1965 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. He was a consummate team player, and he used the same unifying concept and enthusiasm to become a successful head coach. Philadelphia won 62 games the next season, but the Celtics upset the 76ers in the playoffs. Do you have a blog? For his college career he averaged 24.8 points per game and set a school record with 1,062 rebounds. Youd be hard pressed to find a list of Best Dunks that didnt include his legendary knee-to-the-throat jump on Mark Jackson, where he rose like a Phoenix (how clever!) Detroits Adrian Dantley, 6-foot-4, and Clevelands Phil Hubbard, 6-8, were the only front-court starters to go through the season dunkless. Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Family (1) Overview (3) Born: June 3, 1943 in New York, USA: Birth Name: William John Cunningham: Height: 6' 7" (2.01 m) Mini Bio (1) William John "Billy" Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943. Also, his dunk on Dwight Howard during the 2008 Olympic finals was unreal. //]]>. Cunningham grew up in Brooklyn and on his fifth birthday he received a basketball. Dunk is cheap. Cunningham was part of a group that helped to secure an NBA franchise for Miami in the late 1980s. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. home/away, monthly, etc More Billy Cunningham Basketball Reference pages, Compare Billy Cunningham to other players. 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. 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. I dont know anything he has done that hasnt worked. Thats about half the height of Michael Jordan. So maybe his African American genes are a little stronger than his Caucasian ones after all? Billy Cunningham wasn't nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid because he had a pouch. Billy Cunningham weighed 210 lbs (95 kg) when playing. This guy couldshoot AND dunk. The white guys listed below are heroes of the basketball world. Dennis never was much of a leaper. Billy Cunningham tells broadcaster John Andariese about his early success with the 76ers. 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. Cunningham then went to the University of North Carolina, where he excelled. If they play the game far above the rim, it is because they are tall. Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. Earl Manigault was another fabulous flyer off the Eastern blacktop in the late 50s and early 60s. They outlawed that, but I wouldnt have done it in a game, anyway. They are enshrined in a mythical Museum of Leap. Billy can jump up to 29-31 inches (vertical leap). This guy that was also selected for the MLB draft, spent time with the Orioles, and pitched an impressive 96 mph. Boston kept Philadelphia out of The 1981 Finals, but the Sixers roared back to the 1982 before falling to the Lakers again. When they were not taking everything off, the dancing was more alluring. 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. A person who is a poor leaper is said to have white mans disease. White guys use the expression, black guys use it, mostly in a spirit of good fun. The obvious question is, why didnt more of these guys play in the NBA? Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. The man waits and waits for Jackie to start coming down, but waits too long. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! There was a guard from Harlem named Rabbit. 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. And that performance in Denver was the national coming-out party for Dr. J, the godfather of dunk. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") Geraldo Rivera is standing by. 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. In 1974 Cunningham returned to the 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers star was a consistent scorer throughout his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. (February 22, 2023). Herb was not drafted, but was invited to Hawks camp after his senior year and made the 1970-71 team as a point-guard backup and road roommate of another rookie, Pete Maravich. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. There have been--and are--very good white jumpers. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. In the Division Finals, the Cougars lost a tight seven-game series to the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3. Ill give you an example. Hes sought advice from Tim Duncan on how to be a great leader and win with his team. Billy Cunningham was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1986 (Full List) Manigault, for instance, developed an addiction to heroin, stole to get it, did time in two prisons. Wilt meets me at mid-court and says, Na, na, na, not this time.. Biography. In 1967, he teamed with fellow Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title. The future never came, but Dawkins broke new ground in power dunking, backboard shattering and dunknaming. Terrell Owens Gets Into Fight Outside CVS. Griffin was born of half Afro-Haitian descent and half Caucasian. Judging by a still shot the DukeMBB videographer took during the testing, Williamson cleared a vertical leap mark of 40 inches. Until recently, nobody ever tried to keep track of dunks on any league-wide scale. Pitchin Paul is credited as being one of the first basketball players to ever use the jump shot. Cunningham attended Erasmus Hall Category:Billy Cunningham - Wikimedia Commons I went back a few hours later with a tape measure. 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. If you give bonus points for obscurity and mystery, it would be Joey Johnson, younger brother of Celtic guard Dennis. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. However, the poet laureate of leap is Darryl Dawkins. 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. Pretty darn safe. The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, Billy C are nicknames for Billy Cunningham. 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. The team finished 42-40 and was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks. David Robinson, future NBA Hall-of-Famer and leader of the San Antonio Spurs, was born in Key We, Chamberlain, Wilt Billy Cunningham. Ridiculous, but it has been done, by a kid youve probably never heard of, unless you started reading this story at the end. As a sophomore, with as little work, he improved to 7-5 7/8. Cunningham scored 18.9 points per game. In 1962, Johnson jumped and touched a spot high on the wall, and a nail was driven into the spot to commemorate the unbelievable leap. Another oft-told legend has Jackie on defense. All rights reserved. "Cunningham, William John ("Billy") During his playing career, he was a 4-time All-Star and 3-time All-NBA First Team selection. 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. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. But listen to Wilt. Now, as radio's "Voice of the Common Man," Bill merges all his knowledge, along with his distinguished guests to enrich the minds of his loyal and participative audience. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. [1] His first regular show on the station was at night, generally from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. It was legendary, however, and cemented young Majerle as one of the best white dunkers of all time. Showing all 5 items. [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. Close to the superleaper class in Kupchaks book, but a shade short, are Charles Barkley, Larry Nance, Orlando Woolridge, Roy Hinson, Tom Chambers and Akeem Olajuwon. He was a five-time All Star, 1972-73 MVP, and received recognition for numerous goals, throws, rebounds, and assist plays. It didnt make no difference to him.. Cunningham hit for 18.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg. 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). If thats not impressive enough for you, he also played on two NBA championship teams and later coached the Philadelphia 76ers for eight seasons. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. Many of the great leapers of that era inhabited the fringes of reality as we know it. 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In his first playoff appearance, he led the Sixers to a 4-game sweep against the Knicks,[12] before bowing down to the Bullets in six games. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. 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. Nissalke tells of an informal leaping contest between second-year man Kareem, who then was Lew Alcindor, and Milwaukee forward Don Smith, who now is Zaid Abdul-Aziz. Bill Cunningham | Premiere Networks Joey didnt even have his shoes laced, Clarke said. In the division finals, however, Philadelphia fell to Boston. He holds the second-best regular-season winning percentage in league history of .698 (only Phil Jackson is ahead of him). Not a great deal is known about Jackie, which is good, because nothing dims a legend faster than facts. 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 was discovered. Keith had a 32. With an average height of 64, Arizin had fantastic ball handling skills, played a mean defense, and had some seriously bouncy feet. Its a feeling of power and freedom Ive never gotten from anything else. We sure are glad he picked basketball! The soaring flight of the great leaper is amazing, even to himself. Wilt mentioned a few names, then said, You know, there was a white boy who played for Atlanta around 1970.
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