Jack Twyman
Encyclopedia
John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman (born May 11, 1934, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
) is an American former professional basketball
player and sports broadcaster.
, he spent eleven seasons (1955-1966) in the NBA
as a member of the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals
franchise (now the Sacramento Kings
). Along with Wilt Chamberlain
, Twyman became the first NBA player to average more than 30 points per game in a single season when he averaged 31.2 points per game during the 1959-60 season. He scored 15,840 points in his career, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team in both 1960 and 1962, and he appeared in six NBA All-Star Games
.
Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
, who was paralyzed due to the aftereffects of a head injury suffered during the final game of the 1958 regular season, to help with medical finances. Twyman also organized the NBA's Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball game, held at Kutsher's Country Club
in Monticello, New York
, to raise funds for needy former players from the game's early years - first to raise funds for Stokes's care and after his death, for other players. (The fundraising effort continues to this day, but the basketball game has been replaced by a pro-am golf event featuring NBA players.)
, working alongside Chris Schenkel
, including the NBA Finals.
One of Twyman's most dramatic moments as a sportscaster came during the moments preceding Game 7 of the 1970 championship series
between the New York Knicks
and the Los Angeles Lakers
. Doing the pre-game segment with Schenkel, Twyman suddenly looked to his left and noticed the injured center Willis Reed
(whose status for the clincher had been doubtful) advancing from the tunnel toward the Madison Square Garden
court. Interrupting his own train of thought, he told Schenkel and the viewers: I think we see Willis coming out.
The sight of Reed marching toward the basketball floor in his warmup uniform helped inspire the Knicks to their 113-99 victory - one that gave New York its first NBA league title.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
) is an American former professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and sports broadcaster.
Playing career
A 6' 6" forward from the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, he spent eleven seasons (1955-1966) in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
as a member of the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
franchise (now the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
). Along with Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, Twyman became the first NBA player to average more than 30 points per game in a single season when he averaged 31.2 points per game during the 1959-60 season. He scored 15,840 points in his career, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team in both 1960 and 1962, and he appeared in six NBA All-Star Games
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
.
Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
Humanitarian efforts
Twyman was also known for his humanitarian efforts. He became the legal guardian of his teammate Maurice StokesMaurice Stokes
Maurice Stokes was an American professional basketball player in the 1950s, whose career was cut short by a debilitating injury...
, who was paralyzed due to the aftereffects of a head injury suffered during the final game of the 1958 regular season, to help with medical finances. Twyman also organized the NBA's Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball game, held at Kutsher's Country Club
Kutsher's Hotel
Kutsher's Hotel and Country Club in Monticello, New York, is the last of the Borscht Belt grand resorts ....
in Monticello, New York
Monticello, New York
Monticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat of Sullivan County...
, to raise funds for needy former players from the game's early years - first to raise funds for Stokes's care and after his death, for other players. (The fundraising effort continues to this day, but the basketball game has been replaced by a pro-am golf event featuring NBA players.)
Broadcasting career
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Twyman served as analyst for The NBA on ABCThe NBA on ABC
ABC's coverage of the NBA on ESPN, known as NBA Sunday Showcase on ABC since 2010, is a weekly presentation of National Basketball Association games on ABC television network in the United States, replacing the NBA on NBC. NBA Sunday typically airs on afternoons at 1:00 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. ET...
, working alongside Chris Schenkel
Chris Schenkel
Christopher Eugene "Chris" Schenkel was an American sportscaster. Over the course of five decades he called play-by-play for numerous sports on television and radio, becoming known for his smooth delivery and baritone voice.-Early life and career:Schenkel began his broadcasting career at radio...
, including the NBA Finals.
One of Twyman's most dramatic moments as a sportscaster came during the moments preceding Game 7 of the 1970 championship series
1970 NBA Finals
The 1970 NBA Finals was a best-of-7 series for the world championship of the National Basketball Association. It featured the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers...
between the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Doing the pre-game segment with Schenkel, Twyman suddenly looked to his left and noticed the injured center Willis Reed
Willis Reed
Willis Reed, Jr. is a retired American basketball player, coach and manager of basketball teams. He spent his entire professional playing career with the New York Knicks. In 1982, his outstanding record and achievements were recognized by his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall...
(whose status for the clincher had been doubtful) advancing from the tunnel toward the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
court. Interrupting his own train of thought, he told Schenkel and the viewers: I think we see Willis coming out.
The sight of Reed marching toward the basketball floor in his warmup uniform helped inspire the Knicks to their 113-99 victory - one that gave New York its first NBA league title.