billy cunningham vertical jump

Its not just his personality that gets attention, though; hes been an NBA Champion in 2013, participated in the Slam Dunk Contest twice, and his vertical leap measures in at a not-too-shabby 37 inches. An American-Israeli boy who was actually born in Taiwan, this dude was THIS CLOSE to entering the Slam Dunk competition in 2009, but was passed over for the Portland Trail Blazers Rudy Fernandez. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cunningham-william-john-billy. us, High School: Moral of this story: dont count the white guys out of this sport just yet. As an owner and commentator, he also made a favorable impression. His daddy was also a professional ball player, which means his skill and confidence are ate least somewhat genetic. Skywalker, Helicopter, Elevator, Clyde the Glide, Air Jordan, the Hawk, Rodan, Pogo Joe, Honeycomb, Sidecar, the Big Dipper, the Human Highlight Film, Sky King, Kangaroo Kid. I won the unofficial NBA slam dunk title that season, said White, who now sells heavy equipment in Georgia. Cunningham, though, tore up the ABA. Okay, so LaVine is technically not 100% Caucasian. Jerry West could get up. 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. In the 197374 season, Cunningham and the Cougars finished third in the Eastern Division and lost again to the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division semifinals. 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. Mitch Kupchak witnessed a similar jump-off among 6-4 David Thompson, 6-9 Marvin Barnes and 7-4 Tom Burleson. Its a rush, a thrill, said the Elevator from Decatur. In 1987, the NBA Board of Governors awarded the group an expansion franchise to begin play in 1988-89 and thus the Miami Heat was born. It's a move in which a player drives past a defender by stepping one way and then quickly taking a big lateral step in the other direction, and its become pretty popular. Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, New York, Draft: His masterpiece was a backboard shattering dunk over Kansas City forward Bill Robinzine. 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. They think they could track down what the announcer calls a routine fly ball. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Airy, Maryland. That said, you can see his leaping ability when he takes off. In those eight seasons, the team posted a 454-196 record, reached three NBA Finals and captured a championship in 1983. High Griffinition Blake joined the Oklahoma Sooners and became one of their most impressive players of all time. In 1969-70, Cunningham averaged a career-best 26.1 points, fourth-highest in the league behind Jerry West, Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Elvin Hayes. 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. junio 12, 2022. abc news anchors female philadelphia . Now an NBA journeyman, Dawkins came into the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, billed as the center of the future. David came the closest, Kupchak said. 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. Many of the great leapers of that era inhabited the fringes of reality as we know it. The future never came, but Dawkins broke new ground in power dunking, backboard shattering and dunknaming. At six feet, seven inches tall and 220 pounds, Cunningham was a consistent scorer and fierce rebounder. The greatest leaper I ever saw was Jackie. Jackie stays in the air and the ref calls a three-second violation. Someone would put a quarter up and Id snatch it down. Dunk is cheap. In 1966 Cunningham Then an All-Star. 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. Against Tulane University on 10 December 1964, he set a UNC record by scoring forty-eight points. He cant quite jump out of the gym, but he has come close to jumping out of a bar or two. It was legendary, however, and cemented young Majerle as one of the best white dunkers of all time. You cant accomplish that feat unless youve got some serious springs in your heels! 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The two teams waged a court battle, each claiming the rights to Cunningham, but the new league won. 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. It didnt happen, though, and Fernandez remains playing with Real Madrid, where he feels he is a better player.This, however, is debatable. 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,. Bones Barry is pretty much Larry Bird, only with a slightly higher jump and significantly longer shorts. Upon his retirement on May 28, 1985,[13] his 454 wins as a head coach were the 12th best in NBA history. 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. This guy wasnt a leaper, but it will show you what I mean. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. It was those antsy feet that made him unstoppable, resulting in his inclusion on 10 All-Star Games, achieving the 1952 All-Star Game MVP, and nabbing 5 MVP Award shares. So he tried it again, grabbed the nail and bent it straight down. Every time Gus slam-dunked at home, the recorded sound of a rifle shot would whistle through the arena. "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. amc gremlin for sale washington state billy cunningham vertical jump. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Find Billy Cunningham 76ers stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Chamberlain was asked, werent there any great leapers of the white persuasion? Joey walked up to the wall, one foot planted, no rocking, jumped up and missed the nail. I loved it instantly.. Hes said to be the greatest white dunker in all of basketball history. 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. Dont try a big leap. Weve all heard the saying: white men cant jump. Ron Shelton even made a (fantastic) movie about it in the 90s! During one game he went THROUGH and OVER the 77 Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors to ALMOST score. The next year he exploded for 24.8 points per game and 12.8 rebounds and he was named a first-team All-Star. Joey, standing about eight feet from the shooter, leaped and slapped the shot away. Very tall players are seldom recognized as great leapers. 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 Game 2 of the 1967 NBA Finals, Cunningham scored 28 points during a 126-95 win over the San Francisco Warriors.[3]. At Southern Idaho, the legend grew. Cunningham left CBS Sports the following season to join the Miami Heat expansion franchise as a minority owner; he ultimately sold his interest of the Heat on August 12, 1994. It is near the University of Idaho campus, where the legendary Gus Johnson once played. The mystery leaper was--and is--Herb White, 6-foot-2, eyes of blue, from Decatur, Ga. As with most leaping legends, Herbs aerial reputation often preceded him. By the time Dr. J got to the NBA, in 1976 at the age of 26, more than 25% of his leg spring--by his estimate--was shot. He would toss the ball off the backboard and then slam it home. 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). Join our linker program. 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. That Sixers team has since been hailed as the greatest ever assembled. "I never had to agonize over that decision all athletes face" about when to retire. One of the more recent players on this list, Chris Birdman Anderson is known for his celebratory arm flapping and his intriguing tattoos. I loved it instantly." 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. Cunningham returned to Philadelphia in 1977 to become the coach of the 76ers, replacing Gene Shue. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Billy Cunningham, Actor: You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat. 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. To that end, heres this writers all-time all-leap team: Dr. J, the Big Dipper, Air Jordan, David Skywalker and Joey Johnson. Gus once said, When I dunked that ball and heard that shot for the first time, I said to myself, Oh, oh, Gus. Thats about the height of the average 4-year-old. He was a tough, intense, competitive player who used his intelligence as much as his physical talents. Find out more. In 1996 he was voted one of the top fifty players at the NBA's fiftieth anniversary. In 1976-77, the season before Cunningham took the helm, the Sixers reached The Finals, only to fall to the Portland Trail Blazers. Ginoblili is 39 years old and recently won a jump ball against the 22-year-old Nerlens Noel, who has a good five inches on the Argentinian-Italian. 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. He also had stellar 3-pointer abilities, but after that 1996 air show, most of his other accomplishments were left in the dust. Thunder Dan has more than made friends with the rim and earned his name! 1 draft choice. At halftime of one Southern Idaho game, Joey was pursuaded to give a brief high-jump demonstration. By word of mouth, you would get to know who the best dunkers were, and by the end of the season it was pretty much agreed the best two were a Portland guy named Claude English and me. 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!) The greatest jumper today? Hawkins is now vice president of communications for the Dodgers. The new generation of jumpers, ushered in by Julius Erving, has pushed the dunk to new artistic heights. Joey? I asked Kareem if he ever did, and he could jump a little bit. [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. He did prefer ball to hockey, after all. and inspired headlines everywhere to scream White Men CAN Jump! Seriously, though. And he played it constantly. Curtis Bunn, a 6-1 reporter for Newsday, has a very decent repertoire of slams. Cunningham led the league in steals with 216 and was fourth in scoring with a 24.1 points-per-game average. He became a three-time NBA champion, three-time MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, three-time Three-Point Shootout Champion, and two-time member of the 50-40-90 club. There. Billy can jump up to 29-31 inches (vertical leap). Professional basketball player, sports administrator The most frequent flyers? 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. American basketball player This guy that was also selected for the MLB draft, spent time with the Orioles, and pitched an impressive 96 mph. The following season, the Sixers finished behind Boston in the standings and were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round. 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. So much has been written and said about Julius Erving over the years that i, Allen, Marcus 1960 Not only could he dunk, but he had a serious white boy swagger. It looked like the half-court line was around a mile and a half away, Cunningham said. He was a role player on the 1967 title team in . "The beauty part of playing basketball," he once said, "is that your mind is occupied with playing basketball and nothing else, and you're having fun.". 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. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Then they took out Boston in the Eastern Division finals San Francisco in the NBA Finals. Gus was a colorful thunder dunker and a breaker of backboards. He was discovered. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. [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]. 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. billy cunningham vertical jump. They took about 10 jumps each. Philadelphia fans showed surprisingly little bitterness toward Cunningham, who rewarded them with 19.5 ppg in 1974-75. He was a No. Throughout his life, Cunningham excelled at all aspects of the game he loved. However, the date of retrieval is often important. 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. He spent several years as one of the owners of the Miami Heat and the team quickly became a contender. Fiery and volatile, he would pace the sidelines, driving his team relentlessly. If youre looking for scale, thats taller than most baby elephants. [15], For other people named William Cunningham, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team, List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders, "The Rumble: AN OFF-THE-BALL LOOK AT YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS CELEBRITIES", "Philadelphia 76ers 134 - Portland Trail Blazers 132", Goldaper, Sam. 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.

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