Cunningham's Court

Cunningham’s Court: The Kangaroo Kid’s Great Basketball Leaps

Billy Cunningham, ‘The Kangaroo Kid,’ captured in front of the iconic bell tower at UNC, holding a kangaroo. This moment perfectly embodies his unique and unforgettable connection to both basketball and his playful persona.

Before I was born, I heard stories of how my dad, Billy Cunningham, helped the 76ers win the 1967 Championship as a player. I remember ever so fondly watching him coach the 76ers to victory in the 1983 Championship. I also recall sitting by the TV while he commented on games and seeing him make waves as part of the Miami Heat’s ownership team. My dad did just about everything with a basketball except invent it.

Sometimes, even the kid of the Kangaroo Kid needs to reminisce. Today, I’m thrilled to share a guest post by my dear friend Tim Malloy, who worked with the 76ers in the 1980s. Tim’s words offer a fresh perspective on my dad’s incredible journey, and I’m honored to include them here on Cunningham’s Court.


The Kangaroo Kid’s Great Basketball Leaps

by Tim Malloy

“Every man has his own vocation, and talent is the call,” acclaimed writer Ralph Waldo Emerson said.

Billy Cunningham didn’t make it to the Top 50 NBA players of all time without making many leaps and having a lot of talent.

Billy Cunningham’s Rise to NBA Stardom

Now, the noted American author and philosopher had left this world long before the NBA and the Philadelphia 76ers existed. Still, Emerson’s quote on the calling for a man’s life work perfectly describes the Sixers’ legendary player and coach, Billy Cunningham.

This Philly favorite from Brooklyn, New York, reached the peak of his athletic profession thanks to the blessings of uncommon talent that fueled his burning desire to succeed. 

Seasoned Sixer fans remember Cunningham, the player, affectionately known as “The Kangaroo Kid,” streaking across the NBA hardwood for the home team from 1965 to 1975 (absent a two-year stint with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.) Philly hoop fans of a more tender age recall Cunningham as the fiery taskmaster coaching the 76ers to the NBA crown in 1983.

If one attempted to dissect the popular player and coach’s talents and examine the reasons for his tremendous accomplishments, fans would no doubt point to “Billy C’s” explosive leaping ability that carried him past overweary defenders, as well as his feathery but deadly, left-handed jump shot. And with his hands on the coaching reins, Cunningham quickly mastered motivating and focusing a group of elite athletes on the idea of team success over individual glory.

Billy Cunningham’s signature “Kangaroo Kid” leap–makes it seem like he’s standing in the air.

The NBA Champion Player and Coach: A Dual Legacy

The legs, arms, and mind clearly were integral pieces of this basketball success puzzle, but the sum of the parts – Cunningham himself – credits his ‘gut’ as an equally important component.

“Besides being very lucky and being in the right place at the right time,” said Cunningham, “I think I had good instincts as a player and coach for situations, and I relied a lot on my gut for what to do to achieve the best results.” 

After hanging up his jersey and later his clipboard, Cunningham channeled his gut instincts to the business world and helped create several very rewarding ventures, not the least of which was partial ownership of the NBA franchise Miami Heat. Over the years, countless basketball fans have dined in restaurants (the popular Billy Cunningham’s Court in Conshohocken, PA, for one) or have slept in hotels or worked in buildings the former Number 32 has owned.

I still happen to have a menu from those Cunningham’s Court days. In fond memory of that bar, this is where I got the idea to call this series Cunningham’s Court.

Cunningham’s Impact Beyond the Court: Miami Heat and Business Ventures

“When you think about Billy’s life, it is amazing,” said Pat Williams, former 76ers General Manager and longtime friend of Cunningham’s, in an interview with New Miami magazine. “He was a high school superstar. Then he went on to North Carolina and was an All-American. He was a number one draft choice and then an NBA All-Star. Then he goes into coaching and, percentage-wise, becomes one of the best. He has risen to the highest broadcasting level, doing NBA and college games. Then he enters the NBA expansion pursuit and gets it. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know anything he has done that hasn’t worked. It’s a remarkable life.”   

Cunningham modestly deflects praise for his achievements to those in his life who were there for him at critical stages.

“I was blessed with wonderful parents and family, as well as great mentors along the way who instilled in me a work ethic and a real sense of right and wrong,” recalled Cunningham from his winter home in Florida. “I tried to repay, in a sense, the people who invested their time and concern for me by working hard and doing well at whatever I tried.

As you can see, here’s proof of how hard Dad worked. After winning the 1983 World Championship, Dad looks drenched like he just played the game, not Moses Malone.

Cunningham’s Unyielding Drive

This attitude of never resting on his laurels is another critical ingredient in Cunningham’s success, both on and off the court.

“He was such a fierce competitor,” said Lewis Schaffel, one of Cunningham’s partners in the Miami Heat and a boyhood pal from Brooklyn. “Somehow, he would always find a way to beat you.” 

Whether Cunningham felt someone, somewhere, was gaining on him, the prep star standout from Erasmus Hall and later UNC Tarheel All-American, who became the seventh overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft, never wanted to slow down to find out.

“I was taught preparation and hard work were the keys to succeeding,” said Cunningham, “and once I accomplished something, I was conscious of never being complacent and say, ‘Well, that’s good enough.’”

While Cunningham may not have taken much time to stand back and admire his work on the basketball floor, others have noticed.

If you ever wondered, UNC-Chapel Hill is where Dad got named the “Kangaroo Kid.”

Carolina basketball fans marveled at the talents of the three-time ACC selection, whose 24.8 ppg scoring average is second-best in UNC school history. Meanwhile, Sixer supporters were treated to nine glorious NBA seasons of Cunningham’s basketball magic as a player (20.8 ppg. career avg.) and eight as the team’s head coach (454 victories against 196 regular season defeats.)

The fortuitous timing Cunningham speaks of in his life placed him squarely in the middle of two teams considered by basketball experts to be among the best in the NBA’s history.

In just his second NBA season, Cunningham averaged 18.5 ppg coming off the bench for the 1966-67 76ers championship squad. Seventeen years later, he would direct the 1982-83 Sixers squad from his head coaching seat to another NBA crown.

The list of Cunningham’s teammates and players he coached reads like an NBA walk of fame: from Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone to Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Chet “The Jet” Walker to Maurice Cheeks and Hal Greer, to name just a few.

The list is as long as it is legendary.

Here’s a Legendary Legacies Billy Cunningham 76ers playing card.

“What an honor to be a part of two teams held in such high regard by basketball fans,” said Cunningham. “Each team had such a dominating force in the middle, with Wilt rewriting the record books in his era and Moses probably having his best year in 82-83.

“The ’67 team was athletic and could run, but we were so big and strong we would overpower the opposition. I was the smallest guy, and I played at 225 pounds. And with the ’83 team, we relied more on our overall quickness and defensive intensity.”

It seems hard to imagine that 20 years have passed since Cunningham and the championship team paraded down Broad Street in front of an estimated two million people. Still, the squad did gather last spring to be honored at halftime of a 76ers game and to enjoy each other’s company.

The 76ers parade down Broad Street brings back such fond memories. Heck, I wrote about it (back when my posts were exceptionally long) 76ers Legends Storm City Hall with Love & Celebration: Air Dare II/Birthday Special

“That team was a coach’s dream,” Cunningham said fondly. “The most unselfish group of athletes I have ever been around who practiced hard every day and had a genuine respect for each other. I loved them all.”

Cunningham’s feelings for his players were not a one-way street.

“I would do anything for Billy,” said former 76ers’ guard Clint Richardson. “So many things that I learned as a young player from him about off-the-court things, I use every day. He was the best.”  

Solid citizens off the court and supremely talented warriors on the court, but did the coach believe they could win it all? 

“It didn’t take a basketball expert to know we had gathered a great group of players together and had the potential to win it all, said Cunningham, “however, the championship was not going to be just handed to us. But I had a good feeling very early on about that team.”

And when Billy Cunningham relied on his gut instincts, good things usually happened!

Dad did everything with a basketball except invent it.


Reading Tim’s reflections, I remember the many hats my dad has worn—player, coach, entrepreneur, and mentor. He wasn’t just leaping over defenders on the court; he was navigating life with the same instinctive precision, always ready to make the next move.

Billy Cunningham was a force of nature for those who watched him on the hardwood or from the sidelines. But to me, he’s just Dad—the man who taught me to believe in myself, work hard, and never settle for “good enough.”

Thank you, Tim, for finding this dusty article you wrote in 2004. To my fellow musers, may this story inspire you to rediscover the talents and instincts that make you unstoppable.

What did you think of this snapshot of Billy Cunningham? Do you have a favorite memory you’d love to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

A Muse 4 Mama

Here’s a fun behind-the-scenes photo of the 76ers players and staff in the 80s when Tim worked there. They had a special group both on and off the court.

4 thoughts on “Cunningham’s Court: The Kangaroo Kid’s Great Basketball Leaps

  1. Stephanie, I like reading your articles when you write about your dad. He was amazing and still is amazing.

    1. And I love writing them—these stories take us all over the place.. And this week it was even more fun to pass the ball to Tim. He showcased Dad’s incredible career better than I ever could. (He’s the guy who wrote the programs). No wonder why he’s so talented! Cheers to many more fun-filled stories in the New Year!! Thank you for taking this journey with me!! 🏀

  2. Stephanie, so happy to read your muse this week. Dad is an exceptional man in every arena. As a player, a coach, a business man, a friend and of course wonderful father and husband. Pete and I are so happy to call your Dad our good friend. Lucky US!!!

    1. I can’t argue with you on any of those counts! We are all so lucky to have him in our lives! I think about all the great people that he has brought together in his lifetime and it truly blows my mind!! We are all so blessed!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your friendship. You and Pete mean the world to Dad! Love and hugs!!!

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