Billy Cunningham

Billy Cunningham is a retired professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association. He also played in the American Basketball Association.

As a player, he helped lead the Philadelphia 76ers to win the 1967 NBA Championship title. Later, as a coach, he would lead the 76ers again to a championship win.

Player Profile

William John Cunningham was born on June 3, 1943, in New York City, New York in the United States of America. He stands 198 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 95 kg. He is left-handed and he played small forward and power forward.

He has gone by nicknames The Kangaroo Kid, Kang, and Billy C.

High School and College Career

He played his high school basketball at the Erasmus Hall High School and collegiately at the University of North Carolina.

At the university, he scored a total of 1,709 points with 1,062 rebounds, which was the best in North Carolina history, and his tremendous performance was lauded with numerous honors.

Professional Career

Cunningham joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 1965 and immediately earned a place in the NBA All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. In 1969-70, he averaged a career-best 26.1 points, fourth highest in the league.

In his stint with the 76ers, he helped lead them to win the 1967 NBA Championship.

Completing his 1971-72 season, Cunningham then switched to the ABA and joined the Carolina Cougars, leaving a disastrous effect on Philadelphia, who then posted a 9-73 record in the 1972-73 season, the worst in NBA history. His career spans a total of 654 games with 13,626 points, and 6,638 rebounds at 20.8 ppg.

He would return to the 76ers in 1974 and would play with them through to 1976.

After he retired from playing in 1976, he became the head coach of the 76ers in 1977 and led the team to 3 Atlantic Division Titles and also reached the 200, 300, and 400-win milestones faster than any coach in NBA history, and also won an NBA Championship in 1983.

After coaching, Cunningham also had a brief stint in broadcasting and helped create the Miami Heat team through financing.

In 1986, Billy Cunningham was elected to the Hall of Fame, and in 1990, he was one of the 10 initial inductees to the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.

In 1996 he was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He would later also be named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Career Highlights

As a player:

• 1967 - NBA champion
• 1969–1972 - NBA All-Star
• 1969–1971 - All-NBA First Team
• 1972 - All-NBA Second Team
• 1966 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
• 1973 - ABA MVP
• 1973 - All-ABA First Team
• 1973 - ABA All-Star

• NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
• ABA All-Time Team
• No. 32 retired by Philadelphia 76ers

• 1964 - First-team All-American – USBWA
• 1965 - Second-team All-American – NABC, UPI
• 1965 - ACC Player of the Year
• 1963–1965 - First-team All-ACC

As a coach:

• 1983 - NBA champion
• 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983 - NBA All-Star Game head coach

Career ABA and NBA Playing Statistics

• Points - 16,310 (21.2 ppg)
• Rebounds - 7,981 (10.4 rpg)
• Assists - 3,305 (4.3 apg)

Career Coaching Record

• NBA - 454–196 (.698)

• Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, 1986
• College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006

Team History:

As a Coach:

• 1977–1985 - Philadelphia 76ers