Maurice Cheeks
(Born 1956)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2018
Card Shown:
2006-07 Upper Deck Chronology
Signature Decades
Position: PG
Height: 6’1″
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Maurice (Mo) Cheeks was a strong defender and floor leader who played fifteen years in the NBA, the first eleven with the Philadelphia 76ers. Maurice also played for the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and New Jersey Nets. Cheeks led the Sixers to an NBA title and seven consecutive seasons with 50 or more wins. Mo reached the Eastern Conference Finals five times and the NBA Finals three times during his career. Distinctly professional and steady in his approach to the game, Cheeks played for the success of the team.
Awards and Honors
- In 1983, Cheeks helped lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Championship. Joining him on that great team were Hall of Fame players Julius Erving and Moses Malone along with Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones. That team was coached by Hall of Fame player Billy Cunningham.
- Maurice was a four-time NBA All-Star, earning this honor in 1983, 1986, 1987, and 1988.
- Cheeks was also selected to the All-NBA Defensive First Team four times and the All-NBA Defensive Second Team once.
- Mo was the first player in NBA history to accumulate over 2,000 steals. He finished his career as the all-time NBA steals leader with 2,310.
- Cheeks was also fifth in career assists in the NBA when he retired, handing out 7,392 dimes during his professional career.
Points of Interest
- Cheeks grew up in the inner city of Chicago and faced quite a transition when he accepted a scholarship to play college basketball at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University) in Canyon, Texas. Feeling homesick as a freshman, Mo considered leaving school and returning to Chicago but his mother told him that if he quit school he better not come home.
- Maurice was selected with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1978. Only one other player from that draft class, Larry Bird at number six in the first round, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
- Cheeks was an underrated shooter. He ended up shooting 52.3% for his career, good for second best all-time for a player 6’4″ or shorter.
- Mo finished his career with averages of 11.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game.
- After he finished playing in the NBA, Cheeks became a coach. He served as the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers for four years beginning with the 2001-2002 season. He then coached the 76ers for over three seasons. Maurice also has served as an assistant coach with the 76ers and most recently, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Statistics
Maurice Cheeks Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com