- Maurice Stokes won the NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 16.8 points and 16.3 rebounds per game
- Stokes’ NBA career ended, and his life changed forever after hitting his head on a fall during a 1958 game
- Jack Twyman was Stokes’ teammate and friend, and after Stokes’ injury, Twyman took care of his friend, even adopting him
Maurice Stokes was a basketball player who was full of potential. Stokes’ talent led to him becoming a standout player at St. Francis College, and he was later drafted into the NBA, where his promising career was tragically cut short.
- The Legacy Of Maurice Stokes
- Maurice Stokes: An NBA Star In The Making
- Stokes’ Tragic Injury And His Friendship With Jack Twyman
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In this article, we will dive into the incredible life of Maurice Stokes, exploring his remarkable yet short basketball career, his courageous battle against adversity, and his friendship with a teammate that has left a lasting impact on the world of basketball.
The Legacy Of Maurice Stokes
Maurice Stokes is a name that should resonate with basketball enthusiasts and sports historians alike. Stokes left an indelible mark on the game and the hearts of those who witnessed his tragic fall and courageous attempt at a recovery.
Stokes was born on June 17, 1933, in Rankin, Pennsylvania, which is near Pittsburgh. He would rise to become one of the most remarkable basketball players of his time while creating a friendship with a teammate that would inspire us all.
Stokes grew up in a humble home with his parents, a twin sister, and two brothers. The family got by, thanks to Stokes’ father’s job in the steel mill, but that doesn’t mean things were easy.
Stokes wanted to do more with his life than settle down after high school and get a steel mill job like his father. So, Stokes focused on basketball while in high school.
At first, Stokes wasn’t that great at basketball, as he came off the bench during his first two years at Westinghouse High School. By his third year, Stokes’ skills blossomed, and not only did he start, but he led his school to back-to-back city championships.
Then, when Stokes attended Saint Francis College in Loretto, Pennsylvania, he was ready to make a big splash. Making that splash would take some time for Stokes, as he didn’t reach his full potential until his senior year.
As a senior, Stokes averaged 27.1 points and 26.2 rebounds per game while being named as an All-American. Most importantly, Stokes led Saint Francis College to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1955, where he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
What is considered his finest performance, although his team lost 79-73 in overtime, occurred in the NIT. Stokes scored a career-high 43 points against the University of Dayton.
Overall in his four years in college, Stokes averaged 22.4 points per game and 24.0 rebounds per game. Stokes’ time at Saint Francis College meant a lot to him, as it was always more than just basketball for the young man, who grew up in a steel mill worker’s home.
“Although (people) always talk about what I have done for Saint Francis, people forget what Saint Francis has done for me,” Maurice wrote in his autobiography, The Making of One Professional Basketball Player. “I will only mention a few of them: 1) I acquired many friends. 2) I received a good education. 3) I learned to live with all kinds of people.”
Stokes truly was one of the best basketball players to ever don a Saint Francis College jersey. Even to this day, Stokes ranks first in school history for rebounds with 1,819 and second with points scored with 2,282.
This incredible college run by Stokes led to NBA scouts eyeing his talent. As for Stokes, he was ready to showcase his talents on basketball’s biggest stage.
Maurice Stokes: An NBA Star In The Making
Maurice Stokes was selected second overall by the Rochester Royals in the 1955 NBA Draft. Stokes immediately made an impact in the NBA during his first game after scoring 32 points and collecting 20 rebounds.
Only Wilt Chamberlain has achieved such a stat line (20+ points and 20+ rebounds) in their debut NBA game.
Hall-of-Famer Maurice Stokes made his NBA debut in that 1955 game for the Royals, scoring 32 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. The only player to compile at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in his first #NBA game since then was Wilt Chamberlain in 1959 (43 points, 28 rebounds). https://t.co/NOCW6Tzy4H
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) December 24, 2020
Stokes ended up winning the Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 16.8 points and 16.3 rebounds per game. In his second season, Stokes set the league record with the most rebounds in a season with 1,256, equating to 17.4 rebounds per game.
Stokes’ Tragic Injury And His Friendship With Jack Twyman
Maurice Stokes was quickly becoming one of the best players in the NBA, and he had a chance to be the best. Then, tragedy struck during the last game of the 1957–58 NBA regular season.
Stokes drove toward the basket during a matchup against the Minneapolis Lakers. As Stokes attacked the basket, a Lakers’ defender hit him, and Stokes landed on his head, which left him unconscious for several minutes.
Stokes was brought back to consciousness with the use of smelling salts. Surprisingly enough, Stokes returned to the game and finished it out.
A few days later, the NBA Playoffs began, and Stokes had a good game. Stokes scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, despite his Royals losing 100-83 to the Detroit Pistons.
It was after the game, on the plane ride back to Cincinnati when tragedy struck. Stokes suffered a seizure and collapsed into teammate Jack Twyman’s arms.
This seizure left Stokes permanently paralyzed, and what happened next by Stokes’ team is a disgrace. After Stokes’ family couldn’t continue to pay for his medical bills, the Cincinnati Royals refused to help.
This is when Jack Twyman stood up for his teammate and gave Stoke’s family information so they could get workman’s compensation. What made Twyman’s relationship with Stokes even more heartwarming was what he did next.
Twyman legally adopted Stokes so he could take care of him since he remained unconscious at the hospital. Stokes would eventually wake up from his coma, and his diagnosis was post-traumatic encephalopathy, an injury that affects the brain’s motor control center.
Twyman would visit his teammate, friend, and now family member every single day as he tried to recover from this horrible incident.
When the bills continued to pile up, and the workman’s compensation wasn’t enough, it was Twyman again who proved to be a true hero. Twyman put together a charity basketball game in order to raise money for Stokes.
Twyman’s organized charity basketball tournament took place at the Milton Kutsher’s Catskills resort. The game raised over $250,000 for Stokes.
The injury Stokes suffered led to him not being able to speak, but he fought hard in therapy and eventually was able to speak a little. Stokes battled hard to recover from his injury, but on April 6, 1970, Stokes suffered a fatal heart attack… He was 36.
The basketball game Twyman put on to raise money for Stokes became an annual tournament named the Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game. As for Twyman, he would play until 1966, finishing with career averages of 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
In 1983, Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Twyman was delighted to be in the Hall of Fame, but he believed Stokes was more deserving than he, and Twyman advocated for Stokes to be inducted.
It would take until 2004 for Stokes to be inducted, and it was Twyman who took the stage to honor his friend.
(Starts 9:19)
“Let me just say, congratulations big fella, you made it.”
The friendship between Stokes and Twyman was legendary, and the NBA honored the pair in 2013 when they announced the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. This award recognizes the player who embodies the league’s ideal teammate that season.
Jack Twyman passed away at the age of 78 on May 30, 2012. It was a sad day for the NBA family, but at the same time, the two teammates, who became friends and then family, were together again.
If there is one thing Maurice Stokes has taught us all, it is to enjoy life and never give up, no matter how hard things may get. As for Jack Twyman, he has taught us that nothing is better in life than having a friend by your side.
Maurice Stokes had all the talent to become one of the greatest players, and all NBA fans should learn about his story. He’s one of the pioneers of the game.
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