Jack Twyman
(1934-2012)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1983
Card Shown:
2011 Panini Private Signings
Position: SF
Height: 6’6″
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Jack Twyman was one of the top shooters in the NBA in the 1950s. He scored an average of 19.2 points per game during his NBA career including his top mark of 31.2 points per game in 1959-60. This made him the second leading scorer in the NBA that season, trailing only the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. Twyman and Chamberlain became the first NBA players to average over 30 points in a season.
Although Twyman was a Hall of Fame basketball player in his own right, he is often remembered for the sacrificial way in which he helped care for his Cincinnati Royals teammate Maurice Stokes. During a game Stokes fell on his head and shortly thereafter was left paralyzed as a result of his injury. With Stokes having no family in the Cincinnati area, Jack stepped in and helped arrange for the care of Maurice until his death 12 years later.http://wil
Awards and Honors
- During the 1957-58 season Jack ranked first in the NBA in shooting percentage at 0.452 (or 45.2%).
- Jack was a six-time NBA All-Star from 1957-1960 and from 1962-1963.
- Twyman was selected to the All-NBA Second Team twice, in 1959-60 and again in 1961-62.
- He will always be remembered for stepping up to care for his injured teammate Maurice Stokes. What made this so remarkable was that in the culture of the late 1950s in America a 23-year-old white man became the guardian and primary advocate for a 24-year-old black man. In 2013 the NBA created the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in honor of Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes.
- The inspiring story of the relationship between Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes in chronicled in the book An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman.
Points of Interest
- Twyman attended the University of Cincinnati and finished his time there as the Bearcats all-time leading scorer with 1,598 points. He led the team in scoring and rebounding for three consecutive seasons.
- The three top scorers on the 1957-58 Cincinnati Royals roster were all to become Hall of Famers: Clyde Lovellette (23.4 ppg), Jack Twyman (17.2 ppg), and Maurice Stokes (16.9 ppg). The team was coached by Hall of Fame player Bobby Wanzer.
- In 1958 Jack Twyman became the legal guardian for his paralyzed teammate Maurice Stokes and helped provide for his care until Stokes’ death in 1970. He helped organize an annual exhibition game with NBA players that helped provide financially for Maurice.
- After his basketball career ended Jack worked as a TV analyst on NBA games. One of his most famous calls occurred during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. Twyman stopped mid-sentence when he saw the injured Willis Reed entering the court. Reed, whose availability for the game was uncertain, led the Knicks to victory and the World Championship that day.
- Jack campaigned for his friend Maurice Stokes to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 2004, 21 years after Twyman was inducted, Stokes became a Hall of Famer. Twyman accepted the award for Maurice and gave his induction speech.
Statistics
Jack Twyman Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com
Jack Twyman 2010-2011
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