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#70 Billy Cunningham


MVPs: 0. Finals MVPs: 0. All-NBA 1st Team: 3. 2nd Team: 1. All Star: 4. MVP: 0.

Defensive POY: 0. All-Defense Teams: 0.

Career Averages: 21 PPG/ 10 RPG/ 4 APG/ 1.2 SPG/ .5 BPG/ .446 eFG%/ .720 FT%.

Best Season: 26/ 14/ 4/ .469/ .729 (1969-70).

Postseason Averages: 19 PPG/ 9 RPG/ 3 APG/ .427 eFG%/ .686 FT%.

Best Postseason: 20/ 15/ 2/ .9/ 2.6/ .601/ .636 (1971).

Championships: 1 (#4 player). Runner-ups: 0.


Why he's below Dominique Wilkins: Cunningham's NBA career only lasted 9 seasons. He was the 6th man in only his 2nd year in the league during his only Finals run and never even made it to the conference finals again after that.


Why he's above the rest: We're at the point of the list where making 1st Team All-NBA 3 times and contributing to a championship team gets you positioned above everyone who is left. Cunningham had a great all-around game. He was a good scorer and average shooter, good rebounder, good passer, good defender. He averaged at least 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists three years in a row after Wilt and Chet Walker left the 76ers. I don't count ABA achievements, but the fact that he won ABA MVP in his first season shows that his numbers were more than just empty stats. If his career hadn't ended early due to injury, he could have finished higher, but his 8 good healthy seasons were enough to earn him a spot on my list.



Highlights:

Game Video: Cunningham is one of many players who I would have video for if any from the 1967 Finals existed. If you know where I can see any games from that series, please let me know.


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