John Kennedy Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player and sports broadcaster. Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's
Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Twyman was inducted into the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 1983.
Early life
Twyman was born and raised in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, where he attended
Central Catholic High School (which also produced
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
Quarterback
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
). After being cut three times from his high school team, Twyman practiced every day, shooting 100 foul shots and 200 jump shots and 100 to 150 set shots. Twyman then made the Central Catholic team as a senior, earning All-State honors.
College career
After graduating from Central Catholic High School, Twyman attended the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...
, where he received his degree in elementary education and averaged 24.6 points and 16.5 rebounds in his Bearcat career. He led Cincinnati to 3rd place in the
1955 National Invitation Tournament.
Twyman's #27 was retired by the University of Cincinnati.
Professional career
Rochester / Cincinnati Royals (1955–1966)
Twyman, a 6'6" forward, spent eleven seasons in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
. His entire career was spent as a member of the
Rochester/Cincinnati Royals, who later became the Sacramento Kings.
Twyman and
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
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. Twyman opened the 1959–60 season by scoring more than 30 points in his first seven games, and scored his career-high 59 points in a game that same season.
Beginning with the 1958–1959 season, Twyman averaged 25.8, 31.2, 25.3 and 22.9 points per game over those four seasons.
Twyman was named to the
All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
in both 1960 and 1962, and appeared in six
NBA All-Star Games.
Twyman scored 15,840 points in his career which ranked 20th on the NBA's all-time scoring list at the time of his retirement. He averaged 19.3 points and 8.7 rebounds over eleven seasons and 823 games. He averaged 18.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in the playoffs.
Twyman's # 27 is retired by the
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
.
Twyman was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
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 made a call during game 7 of the
1970 NBA Finals between the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
and the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. During the pre-game segment with Schenkel, Twyman noticed Knicks' injured center
Willis Reed
Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball ...
(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!"'' 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.
Maurice Stokes
Twyman became the legal guardian of his teammate and friend
Maurice Stokes
Maurice Stokes (June 17, 1933 – April 6, 1970) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Cincinnati/Rochester Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1955 to 1958. Stokes was a three-time NBA All-Star, ...
, a
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
player who was paralyzed due to a head injury he suffered after a fall during a game.
In the last game of the 1958 regular season, Stokes was knocked down on a play and hit his head on the floor, which rendered him unconscious. The injury manifested itself in the upcoming days, leaving Stokes permanently paralyzed after having seizures. Stokes had finished playing in the game in which he was injured and knocked unconscious.
Stokes then played in the playoff game three days later. He became violently ill after the game and teammates
Dick Ricketts and Twyman were assisting him. "I feel like I'm going to die," he was saying. He then had a major seizure on the team flight and was rushed to the hospital upon landing. Stokes was cared for at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, where Twyman and his family were regular visitors. At age 23, Twyman became Stokes' legal guardian and provided support and care for Stokes for the rest of his life.
To help with Stokes' ongoing medical finances, Twyman organized the "Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game" to raise funds for Stokes' daily care needs. Eventually the game grew to assist other former players who were in need.
The game became a decades long annual event, attracting many of the top players in the NBA, and was later replaced by a
pro-am golf tournament.
Twyman helped Stokes to obtain workers compensation and taught him to communicate by blinking his eyes to denote individual letters.
[ Later, when Stokes had worked to be able to type, his first message was: “Dear Jack, How can I ever thank you?”]
Twyman remained Stokes' legal guardian, friend and advocate. Stokes died in 1970.
Stokes' life, injury, and relationship with Twyman inspired the 1973 film '' Maurie''.
When Maurice Stokes was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 2004, Twyman spoke and accepted on Stokes' behalf.
Legacy: Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award
On June 9, 2013, the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
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.
Personal
Twyman later became a food company executive (Super Food Services, Dayton, OH
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
), and made more than $3 million when he sold the company in 1996.[
In 2004, when the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Maurice Stokes, Twyman accepted the honor on his behalf. Earlier, Twyman said of his care of Maurice Stokes, simply, ”That’s what friends are for.” He added, ”He (Maurice) taught us a lot. We learned a lot from him, we’re honored to have had the opportunity to be associated with him.”][
Twyman died on May 31, 2012, in ]Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
from complications of blood cancer.[ Twyman was survived by his wife of 57 years Carole, his son, Jay; three daughters, Julie, Lisa and Michele; and 14 grandchildren.]
Honors
* Twyman's # 27 was retired by the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
.
* Twyman's #27 was retired by the University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...
.
* Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
* Twyman is the namesake of the Jack Twyman Award for Service Learning at the University of Cincinnati.
* Twyman was inducted into the Central Catholic High School Hall of Fame.
* In 1976, Twyman was inducted as a charter member of the University of Cincinnati James P. Kelly Athletics Hall Of Fame.
* Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 1983.
* In 2006, Twyman was inducted as a charter member into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
*Farabaugh, Pat.
''An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman''
Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press, 2014
External links
Remembering Jack Twyman
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twyman, Jack
1934 births
2012 deaths
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
American Roman Catholics
American sports announcers
Basketball players from Pittsburgh
Deaths from cancer in Ohio
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball players
Cincinnati Royals players
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
NBA All-Stars
NBA broadcasters
NBA players with retired numbers
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
Rochester Royals draft picks
Rochester Royals players
Small forwards
Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) alumni
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members