Twyman-Stokes Award Honors the Enduring Importance of Friendship and Character
Maurice Stokes passed away before I was born and I never had the opportunity to interview Jack Twyman (who passed away on May 30, 2012), so I do not have firsthand knowledge about either of them--but I know that both men are historically significant not just for their achievements on the court but also because of the way that their interconnected lives embody a tremendous triumph of the human spirit. Twyman, who was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983, was one of the NBA's greatest scorers in the 1950s and 1960s, averaging 19.2 ppg in his 11 year career and pouring in a career-high 31.2 ppg (second in the league to a rookie named Wilt Chamberlain) in 1959-60. Stokes, who was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, was one of the
most overlooked and underrated players of all-time but the significance of his life story extends far beyond his considerable abilities as a basketball player: he made the All-Star team in each of the first three seasons of his NBA career as Twyman's teammate with the Rochester Royals (the franchise now known as the Sacramento Kings) but in the final game of his third season he suffered a head injury that soon led to permanent paralysis. Stokes, who was on course to become one of the greatest players in NBA history, was struck down before he even reached his prime; he faced massive medical bills and the daunting prospect of life as a physically disabled person but Twyman--then a newly married 23 year old with young children--stepped in, became Stokes' legal guardian and not only raised the money to provide for Stokes' medical care but also regularly visited Stokes and often had Stokes over for dinner. The part of the story that should not matter--but does matter considering our country's history of racism/racial discrimination--is that Twyman was white and Stokes was black. Twyman and Stokes remained close friends until Stokes passed away in 1970, 12 years after suffering that life-changing injury.
The NBA has just created the annual Twyman-Stokes Award to recognize the NBA's teammate of the year, as voted on by NBA players from a pool of finalists selected by NBA legends. NBA Commissioner David Stern says, "The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award recognizes friendship and selflessness among teammates and celebrates the legacy of Jack and Maurice." This is a great initiative by the NBA to not only honor and preserve the memory of the wonderful Twyman-Stokes friendship but also to commend players who demonstrate strong character. Chauncey Billups is the inaugural winner of the award, finishing ahead of Shane Battier and Jason Kidd. Twyman's son Jay spoke at the award ceremony:
Dad truly felt that he was the one who benefited most from the relationship. He would visit Maurice nearly every day over that period. Also, Maurice would come to our house most Sundays for dinner, which was not a small undertaking for transporting a 6'8" 250‑pound man in and out of the hospital. Dad felt and we all feel that we gained so much from helping to care for Maurice. And here is Maurice Stokes, he was at the top of the NBA, a world‑class athlete one day, paralyzed and bed‑ridden the next, reduced to communicating through blinking his eyes. None of us can ever remember Maurice ever being down, and he always approached each day upbeat ready to fight for his recovery. I remember a poster growing up that Maurice prominently had hung above his bed. It read "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world." And that was his attitude. He was never down. And I think Maurice truly did feel blessed with all the support he received from so many, especially from our father.
Neither Twyman nor Stokes won an NBA championship but they are two of the greatest champions in NBA history and it is very appropriate that the NBA has named this prestigious award for them.
Labels: Chauncey Billups, Jack Twyman, Maurice Stokes
posted by David Friedman @ 2:25 AM
Overlooked and Underrated: Four Fabulous Forwards
This article was originally published in the February 2004 issue of Basketball Digest.Some forwards have instant name recognition: Elgin, Doc, Bird. This article is not about that kind of player; it is about players whose accomplishments are not as widely known and appreciated as they should be.
Maurice Stokes made a smashing debut with the Rochester Royals: 32 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists. Later that season he set a franchise record with 38 rebounds in one game. He won the 1955-56 Rookie of the Year award and also made the All-NBA Second Team, finishing in the top 15 in the league in scoring (11th), rebounding (second) and assists (ninth).
Stokes posted outstanding numbers in the next two seasons, ranking third in assists twice and earning a rebounding title in 1956-57. Bob Cousy describes the 6-7, 240 pound Stokes as "Karl Malone with more finesse." Stokes seemed to be a certain future Hall of Famer*, but his career came to a sudden, tragic end after only three years; he became paralyzed due to post-traumatic encephalopathy, the aftermath of hitting his head after falling to the court in his last regular season game (he played in one playoff game before the full effects of the injury set in). He never completely recovered, dying of a heart attack in 1970 at age 36.
Bob Pettit says that Stokes "easily would have been one of the Top 50 players" if he had been able to finish his career. Bobby Wanzer, a three-time All-NBA guard who served as Rochester's player-coach during Stokes' rookie season, goes even further, declaring, "If things had worked out differently, Maurice would have become one of the top 10 players of all time."
Roger Brown also had an abbreviated career, playing eight years for the ABA's Indiana Pacers. Brown was blackballed from the NBA due to alleged improper associations with gamblers. He eventually received a cash settlement from the NBA, but Brown remained in the ABA due to his strong feelings of loyalty to the Pacers; the 25 year old Brown had been working for GM in 1967 before becoming the first player signed by the team.
Brown was a remarkable shooter, making an ABA record 21 straight field goals over a three game stretch in the 1968-69 season. He averaged 32.7 ppg and 10 rpg to earn the 1970 ABA Finals MVP in the Pacers' six game win over the Utah Stars. Brown scored 53, 39 and 45 points in the last three games. Bill Sharman, Hall of Fame Boston Celtics' guard and then coach of the Stars, raved, "Roger Brown is the closest thing to Elgin Baylor, when Baylor was at his peak--the way he handles the ball and shoots, his great ability changing direction and speed. One-on-one, he’s as good as there is."
Brown outscored Hall of Famer Rick Barry, then of the New York Nets, 32-23 in the deciding sixth game of the 1972 Finals as the Pacers became the first ABA team to win multiple titles. Sadly, Brown's body began to break down by the next season. Brown spent part of the 1973 ABA Finals in traction because of a back injury. Two years later he retired. He died of liver cancer in 1997.
Mark Aguirre put the expansion Dallas Mavericks on the map. He notched the first triple double in franchise history (30 points-11 rebounds-16 assists) in a 149-139 win over Denver on January 14, 1983 and he had consecutive 40 point outings on December 10-11, 1983. Aguirre played in three All-Star games and responded to not being selected for the 1985 contest by dropping a career high (and team record) 49 points against Julius Erving's Philadelphia 76ers.
Aguirre was an explosive scorer: he had a 24 point quarter against the Nuggets on March 24, 1984 (finishing with 46 points) and on May 5, 1988 he scored 27 points--two short of the NBA playoff record--in a quarter against Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets. Aguirre led the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals that season and Dallas pushed the powerful Showtime Lakers to the limit before bowing in seven games.
On February 15, 1989, Dallas traded him to Detroit for Adrian Dantley. During a meeting of Detroit's team leaders and their newly acquired scoring machine, Pistons' center Bill Laimbeer bluntly stated that he had heard some bad things about Aguirre but said that he would give Aguirre a chance because Aguirre was Isiah Thomas' childhood friend. Aguirre's response: "I'm glad you’re giving me a chance, because that's all I need."
In his book
Bad Boys, Thomas explained why Aguirre was a better fit for the Pistons than Dantley: he was younger, a more dangerous outside shooter/three point threat and a better passer. Aguirre was very effective at delivering the pass out of the double team. Before the trade he was averaging 4.3 apg, including 17 assists in one game; in comparison, elite point guard Gary Payton's career single game high for assists is 17. Aguirre's assists numbers went down with Detroit because Thomas and Joe Dumars did much of the playmaking, but Aguirre's passing skills added another dimension to the team.
The Pistons went 31-6 after the trade, including 29-4 with Aguirre as a starter. He was a key player on the Pistons' back to back champions in 1989 and 1990; contrary to the expectations of his critics, Aguirre sacrificed being a 25 ppg scorer to win championships much like high scorers Wilt Chamberlain, Earl Monroe and Bob McAdoo confounded their naysayers.
At first glance Scottie Pippen may not seem to fit the mold of an underrated player: he was a member of the original Dream Team in 1992 and in 1996 he was selected as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players. Yet, many critics question his worthiness for the latter honor and even his eventual induction in the Hall of Fame. Considering his impressive career, he receives a shocking amount of derision and disrespect.
It is interesting and revealing that teammates, opponents and coaches consistently praise Pippen. Phil Jackson, his coach with the six-time champion Chicago Bulls, declares, "Scottie was our team leader. He was the guy that directed our offense, and he was the guy that took on a lot of big challenges defensively…the year that Michael retired, Scottie I think was the most valuable player in the league." Former teammate and current Bulls coach Bill Cartwright flatly states that Pippen "was as much a part of winning the championships as MJ. I don't think it would have gotten done without him."
Last year, Sacramento Kings' star Chris Webber declared, "Pip is the most underrated player in the game." Around the same time, Blazers' assistant Jim Lynam called Pippen "an indescribably great player," adding, "I knew the guy was good, but I had no idea how good."
Memphis Grizzlies' coach Hubie Brown breaks it down scientifically: "He’s 6-8 and he can see over the defense, which is a major advantage for a point guard. He also doesn't rush anything. You don't see Portland running back downcourt and forcing threes. You don't see them trying to get the ball in the paint and wasting so much time that two options of a play are already gone. He has a presence and he’s playing with a lot of confidence."
The
Oregonian selected the 37 year old Pippen as the midseason MVP of the resurgent 2002-03 Blazers: "Statistics don't tell the whole story with Pippen, whose ability to guard anyone from Atlanta power forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim to San Antonio point guard Tony Parker to Boston small forward Paul Pierce has given the Blazers incredible versatility."
Pippen has earned seven All-NBA First, Second and Third Team selections, including three First Team nods. Every retired player with three or more First Team honors is in the Hall of Fame except Paul Westphal, who had an injury shortened career and only made the Second Team once. Every retired player with seven combined selections is in the Hall. Pippen ranks first in career playoff steals, second in three pointers made, fourth in assists and tenth in points (11th counting Julius Erving's ABA totals).
During Jordan's brief retirement Pippen made First Team All-NBA, First Team All-Defense, won the All-Star MVP and placed third in MVP voting. The jarring disconnection between his high level of play over a 16 year career and the way that his achievements are too frequently belittled qualifies Pippen as an underrated player.
The history of professional basketball does not consist entirely of the exploits of the select few players that nearly everyone knows by one name. As the above examples clearly show, many other players deserve recognition and respect for their significant contributions to the game.
* 9/1/09 Note: The Basketball Hall of Fame finally inducted Stokes as a member of the 2004 class, less than a year after this article was originally published.
Here is a sidebar article that I wrote as a companion piece for the above story:
What is a Hall of Famer?If a Major League baseball player hits 500 home runs or wins 300 games he can pretty much write his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. In basketball, matters are not so clear; there are no "magic numbers" that guarantee induction. Also, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame encompasses all levels of the game, not just the professional.
Connie Hawkins and Roger Brown played against each other during their high school days in New York. Both endured several years of unjust exile from pro ball before eventually landing in the ABA. Brown played all eight of his pro seasons in the ABA; Hawkins played two years in the league with the red, white and blue ball before he reached a settlement agreement with the NBA and joined the Phoenix Suns. He retired after playing seven seasons in the NBA. Hawkins is in the Hall of Fame and Brown is not, but how do they compare statistically?
Their regular season professional averages are very similar. Hawkins enjoys an advantage in rebounding but this is not surprising since he was a forward/center and played close to the hoop; Brown was a forward/guard who possessed a tremendous outside game. Brown's prowess from beyond the arc compensates at least somewhat for the difference in rebounding. It should also be remembered that he played alongside Mel Daniels, one of the greatest rebounders in either league, so the Pacers did not need Brown to exert himself as much in this area.
Hawkins' playoff statistics are much gaudier superficially but he played significantly fewer postseason games than Brown; moreover, most of his playoff appearances occurred during his prime, while Brown's playoff numbers are diminished by some appearances as an injured back-up at the end of his career. Brown was a key contributor to three championship teams and set an ABA playoff record with 53 points in game four of the 1970 Finals.
None of this is meant to demean Hawkins; he is clearly a deserving Hall of Famer. The question is, why does Brown not receive any consideration for this honor? Do Hall voters weigh it against Brown that he never "proved" his abilities in the NBA?
Career Regular Season Statistics
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| Gms | PPG | RPG | APG | FG % | FT% | Star |
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| Brown | 605 | 17.4 | 6.2 | 3.8 | 46.9 | 79.1 | 4 |
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| Hawkins-Pro | 616 | 18.7 | 8.8 | 4.1 | 47.9 | 77.9 | 6 |
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| Hawkins-NBA | 499 | 16.5 | 8.0 | 4.1 | 46.7 | 78.5 | 4 |
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| Hawkins-ABA | 117 | 28.2 | 12.6 | 4.3 | 51.5 | 76.5 | 2 |
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Roger Brown did not win a regular season MVP.
Connie Hawkins won the 1968 ABA regular season MVP.
Career Playoff Statistics
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| Gms | PPG | RPG | APG | FG % | FT% | Titles |
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| Brown | 110 | 18.7 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 48.1 | 79.2 | 3 |
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| Hawkins-Pro | 33 | 25.0 | 12.0 | 4.5 | 46.8 | 73.4 | 1 |
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| Hawkins-NBA | 12 | 19.3 | 11.4 | 4.8 | 39.5 | 81.5 | 0 |
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| Hawkins-ABA | 21 | 28.2 | 12.3 | 4.3 | 50.5 | 70.7 | 1 |
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Roger Brown won the the 1970 ABA Finals MVP.
Connie Hawkins won the 1968 ABA Finals MVP.
Labels: Connie Hawkins, Mark Aguirre, Maurice Stokes, Roger Brown, Scottie Pippen
posted by David Friedman @ 5:15 AM
More Than A Passing Fancy: The Best Playmaking Forwards Ever
A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the December 2001 issue of Basketball Digest
.Great playmaking forwards have made a significant impact throughout professional basketball history. Scottie Pippen's skills as a "point-forward" freed Michael Jordan of ball handling responsibilities, enabling him to be a finisher on the fast break early in his career and giving him additional time to set up to receive the ball in the post during his later years with the Bulls. Celtics' legends John Havlicek and Larry Bird did not always bring the ball up the court like a point guard, but both used their court vision and passing skills to rack up impressive assists totals. Many NBA and ABA forwards have ranked among the annual assists leaders.
John Havlicek accomplished this feat seven times in his 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He posted his best ranking and highest average in 1970-71 (7.5 apg, fourth in the NBA); Havlicek averaged 7.5 apg again in 1971-72, this time placing fifth in the league. He was also a top scoring threat, averaging 20+ ppg from 1966-67 through 1973-74, with a high mark of 28.9 ppg (second in the league) in 1970-71. Havlicek's versatility enabled him to play guard at times, a trait he shares with several other top playmaking forwards. His 6114 assists are the most of any forward in professional basketball history.
Rick Barry, the only player to win scoring championships in the NCAA, NBA and ABA, was also a gifted playmaker. This facet of his game emerged gradually. He averaged 25.7 ppg but only 2.2 apg in 1965-66, his rookie year with the San Francisco Warriors. In his second year he won the NBA scoring title with 2775 points (35.6 ppg) and increased his assists to 3.6 apg. After four years in the ABA during which he averaged 4.1 apg, Barry returned to the NBA's Golden State Warriors and became a fixture among the league’s assists leaders. He averaged at least 6 apg from 1973-74 to 1976-1977, achieving his highest ranking in 1975-76 (6.1 apg, fifth in the NBA). He finished his career with the Houston Rockets, ranking sixth in the league in assists (6.3 apg) in 1978-79, his second to last season; he was the last forward to rank among the league’s assists leaders until LeBron James.
Elgin Baylor was a scoring machine who finished second in points three different times (NBA statistical leaders were ranked by totals, not averages, until 1969-70) and still has the fourth highest regular season scoring average of all time (27.4 ppg). He was an accomplished passer from the beginning of his career, ranking eighth in the NBA in assists as a rookie (287 assists, 4.1 apg) with the Minneapolis Lakers. Baylor achieved his highest assists ranking in 1962-63, totaling 386 assists (4.8 apg), fifth in the NBA.
Cliff Hagan spent his entire NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks, ranking among the league's assists leaders three straight years. In 1960-61 he placed fifth in the NBA with 381 assists (5.0 apg). What sets Hagan apart from the other forwards on this list is that he came out of retirement in 1967-68 and served three seasons as a player-coach with the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA. In Hagan's first ABA season he averaged 4.9 apg, second in the league. The 36 year old Hagan, who had retired from the Hawks after the 1965-66 season, became the first and only forward to rank as high as second in the NBA or ABA in assists.
Julius Erving is best remembered as a high flying scorer who won three ABA scoring championships and became just the third player in the history of the game to surpass the 30,000 point mark (Michael Jordan and Karl Malone have since joined Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in this elite group). He was also an excellent passer, ranking among the ABA's assists leaders from 1973-74 to 1975-76. His best finish was sixth in 1973-74 (5.2 apg), although he actually posted a higher average the following season (5.5 apg, seventh in the league). Erving's career total of 5176 assists is surpassed among forwards only by Havlicek, Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen and his career average of 4.2 apg is virtually identical to Baylor’s (4.3 apg) and not significantly less than Havlicek's (4.8) and Barry's (4.9).
In the early 1960s Dolph Schayes was the NBA's all-time scoring leader. He spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, winning a rebounding title in 1950-51 and playing on a championship team in 1954-55. Schayes ranked among the league's assists leaders three times, placing as high as sixth in 1949-50 (259 assists, 4.0 apg). While several of the other top playmaking forwards spent some time in the backcourt, Schayes played some minutes at center.
Roger Brown's career slipped under the radar of many basketball fans. Like Connie Hawkins, he was wrongly blackballed from the NBA for many years, but—unlike Hawkins—Brown never received the national recognition that comes from playing in the NBA. Brown spent his entire career in the ABA, winning three titles with the Indiana Pacers. A dangerous scorer, particularly in the clutch, Brown also ranked in the top ten in assists in his first three seasons. His high apg average came in 1969-70 (4.7 apg, ninth in the ABA) but he had his best rankings in 1967-68 (fifth in the ABA with 4.3 apg) and 1968-69 (fifth in the ABA with 4.6 apg).
Maurice Stokes won the Rookie of the Year award in 1955-56 with the Rochester Royals after ranking 11th in the NBA in scoring, second in rebounding and ninth in assists. Anyone who saw the 6-7, 240 pound power forward play—or has seen him in grainy black and white film clips—witnessed a player who was well ahead of his time. Stokes would grab a defensive rebound, dribble upcourt and lead the fast break, just like Magic Johnson would three decades later. Celtics Hall of Famer Bob Cousy preferred a different comparison: "He was Karl Malone with more finesse." Stokes finished in the top ten in assists in his first three seasons, peaking at 403 assists (6.4 apg, third in the league) in 1957-58. Near the end of that season Stokes fell to the court and hit his head. Although he returned to the game, three days later he became extremely ill. Eventually he was diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that affects motor functions. Stokes would never walk again and died of a stroke in 1970 at the age of 36.
Billy Cunningham joins Cliff Hagan as the only forwards to rank among the annual assists leaders in the NBA and in the ABA. Cunningham accomplished the feat in consecutive seasons, posting a 5.9 apg average (seventh in the NBA) with the 76ers in 1971-72 and increasing that to 6.3 apg (fifth in the ABA) with the Carolina Cougars in 1972-73. The next year he averaged 4.7 apg with the Cougars but appeared in only 32 games due to a severe kidney ailment. In 1974-75 Cunningham returned to the 76ers and narrowly missed the top ten with a 5.5 apg average. The next year he was averaging 5.4 apg after 20 games when a devastating knee injury ended his career.
Leo Barnhorst is undoubtedly the least famous player on this list, but he enjoyed a good, albeit brief, NBA career. He made the All-Star team twice in his five NBA seasons before embarking on a successful 45 year career with American United Life. Barnhorst posted 3.9 apg averages in 1951-52 and 1952-53 for the Indianapolis Olympians, ranking eighth in the NBA both seasons. Barnhorst, a 1948-49 All-America selection at Notre Dame, passed away on August 25, 2000 after a 13 year battle with lymphoma.
Several of the greatest passing forwards never ranked among the annual assists leaders. Larry Bird posted three 7+ apg seasons, with a career high 7.6 apg in 1986-87. He led the Celtics in assists four times and had the team’s highest average in 1991-92, but only played in 45 games. Paul Pressey also had three 7+ apg seasons, including 7.8 apg in 1985-86, the best assists average ever by a forward. Milwaukee Bucks’ Coach Don Nelson used Pressey in a "point-forward" role, much like the Bulls would later do with Scottie Pippen. Pressey led the Bucks in assists five straight seasons. Pippen averaged a career high 7.0 apg in 1991-92 and led the Bulls in assists seven straight years (from 1990-91 until 1996-97). He also had the Bulls' highest apg average in 1997-98, but appeared in only 44 games. The next season he moved to Houston and led the Rockets in assists. Grant Hill averaged a career high 7.3 apg in 1996-97 and led the Detroit Pistons in assists five straight seasons (1995-96 through 1999-00).
One other forward who deserves mention is John Johnson. Twice an All-Star, Johnson played a "point-forward" role for the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers in the early '70s and was a key member of the Sonics' 1977-78 NBA Finalists and 1978-79 NBA Championship team. He led the Sonics in assists in 1978-79 (4.4 apg) and 1979-80 (5.2 apg), enabling guards Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson to focus on scoring and defense respectively.
NBA/ABA Forwards Among Annual Top-10 Assists Leaders | Player | Top-10 | Career | Career | Career |
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| Seasons | Assists | Games | APG |
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| John Havlicek | 7: 68-74 | 6114 | 1270 | 4.8 |
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| Rick Barry | 5: 74-77; 79 | 4952 | 1020 | 4.9 |
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| Elgin Baylor | 4: 59; 61; 63; 65 | 3650 | 846 | 4.3 |
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| Cliff Hagan | 4: 60-62; 68* | 2646 | 839 | 3.2 |
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| Julius Erving | 3: 74*; 75*; 76* | 5176 | 1243 | 4.2 |
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| Dolph Schayes | 3: 50-51; 57 | 3072 | 996 | 3.1 |
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| Roger Brown | 3: 68*; 69*; 70* | 2315 | 605 | 3.8 |
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| Maurice Stokes | 3: 56-58 | 1062 | 202 | 5.3 |
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| Billy Cunningham | 2: 72; 73* | 3305 | 770 | 4.3 |
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| Leo Barnhorst | 2: 52-53 | 1116 | 344 | 3.2 |
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Notes:
- List includes all forwards with at least two top-10 finishes.
- The ABA ranked assists leaders based on assists per game average; * designates ABA seasons on this list.
- The NBA ranked assists leaders based on total assists until the 1969-70 season; since then the NBA ranks assists leaders based on assists per game average.
- Tied players listed in order of career assists.
- Schayes’ career totals do not reflect his rookie year (1948-49) in the NBL when assists were not a recorded statistic.
(5/4/09 Note: LeBron James ranked sixth in the NBA in assists with a 7.2 apg average in 2004-05, he ranked eighth in the NBA in assists with a 7.2 apg average in 2007-08 and he ranked ninth in the NBA in assists with a 7.2 apg average in 2008-09; his career 6.7 apg average is the best ever posted by a forward in pro basketball history)
Labels: Billy Cunningham, Cliff Hagan, Dolph Schayes, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, LeBron James, Leo Barnhorst, Maurice Stokes, Rick Barry, Roger Brown, Scottie Pippen
posted by David Friedman @ 6:38 PM
