Jack Twyman

Jack Twyman
Personal information
Born (1934-05-21)May 21, 1934
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died May 30, 2012(2012-05-30) (aged 78)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school Central Catholic
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
College Cincinnati (1951–1955)
NBA draft 1955 / Round: 2 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Rochester Royals
Playing career 1955–1966
Position Small forward
Number 10, 27, 21
Career history
1955–1966 Rochester / Cincinnati Royals
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points 15,840 (19.2 ppg)
Rebounds 5,424 (6.6 rpg)
Assists 1,861 (2.3 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster.

Biography

Playing career

Twyman, a 6'6" forward from the University of Cincinnati, spent eleven seasons in the NBA as a member of the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals. Twyman and Wilt Chamberlain became the first players in NBA history to average more than 30 points per game in a single season when they both accomplished that feat during the 1959–60 season. He scored his career-high 59 points in a game that same season.[1] Twyman was named to the All-NBA Second Team in both 1960 and 1962, and appeared in six NBA All-Star Games. He scored 15,840 points in his career which ranked 20th on the NBA's all-time scoring list at the time of his retirement.

Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

Broadcasting career

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Twyman worked alongside Chris Schenkel as an analyst/color commentator for The NBA on ABC.

Twyman had an iconic call during game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During the pre-game segment with Schenkel, Twyman noticed Knicks' injured center Willis Reed (whose status for the clincher had been doubtful) advancing from the tunnel toward the court. Twyman then exclaimed: "I think we see Willis coming out!"[2] The sight of Reed marching toward the basketball floor helped inspire the Knicks to a 113–99 victory – one that gave New York its first NBA league title.

Humanitarian efforts

Twyman became the legal guardian of his teammate Maurice Stokes, a talented player who became paralyzed due to a head injury he suffered after a fall during a game, to help with medical finances. He would organize the Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game to raise funds for Stokes and other former players from the NBA's early years who were in need.[3] The game became an annual event and was later replaced by a pro-am golf tournament.[4] He also helped Stokes to obtain workers compensation and taught him to communicate by blinking his eyes to denote individual letters.[1][3] Twyman would remain Stokes' guardian and advocate until Stokes died in 1970.

Later years

Twyman later became a food company executive, and made more than $3 million when he sold the company in 1996.[1]

In 2004, when the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Maurice Stokes, Twyman accepted the honor on his behalf.[1]

Twyman died on May 31, 2012 in Cincinnati from complications of blood cancer.[1][5]

Legacy

On June 9, 2013, the NBA announced that both Twyman and Maurice Stokes would be honored with an annual award in their names, the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which recognizes the player that embodies the league's ideal teammate that season.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Martin, Douglas (May 31, 2012), "Jack Twyman, N.B.A. Star Known for Off-Court Assist, Dies at 78", The New York Times
  2. ↑ Video on YouTube
  3. 1 2 Curtis, Bryan (August 16, 2013). "The Stokes Game: For decades, legends in the NBA headed up to the Catskill Mountains to do what they knew to help one of their own". Grantland. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  4. ↑ Archived June 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Cornwell, Lisa (1962-02-09). "Former NBA star Jack Twyman dies at 78 – Wire NBA – The Sacramento Bee". Sacbee.com. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  6. ↑ http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/22380540/nba-to-give-inaugural-twyman-stokes-teammate-of-the-year-award
  7. ↑ https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/nba-launches-twyman-stokes-teammate-award-announce-winner-170414159.html
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