[OBIT] Royals legend Jack Twyman dead

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#2
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/twymaja01.html

Six-time All-Star
Two-Time All-NBA

Played his entire career with the Royals/Kings franchise. Has his #27 hanging in the rafters at ARCO. Career averages of 19.2ppg, 6.6rpg, as what essentially is now known as the small forward position. Equally well-regarded for his humanitarian efforts post-career, specifically the way he stepped up to take care of his teammate, Maurice Stokes, who fell injured while playing.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#3
Kings press release:

“On behalf of the entire Sacramento Kings organization, I want to extend our deepest and sincerest condolences to Jack Twyman's family and friends over his passing. Jack was one of the standard-bearers for the Royals during some of their exciting years in Cincinnati. He also was instrumental in supporting his fallen teammate Maurice Stokes over many years. Jack will be missed but remembered by many for his contributions to the game and life.”
If you're a Kings fan and not familiar with the story of Jack Twyman and his dedication to Maurice Stokes, take the time to learn it. It is a true story of what a teammate is all about.

RIP, Mr. Twyman. You will be remembered.
 
#4
Here's an article I posted a year or two back on another site regarding Stokes and Jack:

When you think about 50's and 60's basketball, some names come to mind. Bill Russel, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, etc. Not many people talk about Jack Twyman, and his temmate and friend, Maurice Stokes.

Jack Twyman was a 6'6'', 210lb F/G who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 30's and 40's. He was drafted in the 2nd round (2nd pick) of the 1955 NBA draft by the Rochester Royals. His childhood playground mate, Maurice Stokes, was drafted by the Royals in the first round (2nd overall pick) of the same draft.

Stokes grew up in Pittsburgh and knew Jack growing up. Both had less than stellar high school careers, despite Stokes winning two city titles on his team (Twyman only made his team's squad for one year). Both players however, blossomed in their college careers.

Stokes decided to attend St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa. In his junior season, he averaged 23 PPG and 22 RPG. In his senior season, Stokes took his team to the semi final round of the NIT, where St. Francis ended up with a fourth place finish. Stokes scored 43 points in the semi final loss, and was ultimately named the tournament's MVP.


Jack Twyman decided to attend the University of Cincinnati, and became an great shooter. He ranks second all time in scoring average (17.8) and rebound average (13.8) for the school.


When both were drafted by the Royals in 1955, they reunited, this time as teammates. Stokes didn't dissapoint as the number two pick, as he scored 32 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists in his Royals debut. He ended up averging 16.8 PPG, 16.3 RPG (lead the league in rebounds per game, and was 2nd in total rebounds), and 4.9 APG for his rookie year. His rookie effort was enough to garner the 1955 ROY award, be named to the All-NBA 2nd team, and a spot as an NBA All-Star. Jack didn't dissapoint either, as he put up 14.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG. Stokes and Twyman, both rookies, were the #1 and #2 scorers for their team. In a league with only 8 teams, the Royals finished last in the West with a 31-41 record for the 55-56 season.

The following season, (1956-57), the Royals ended up with an identical record, but their two young draft picks, already leading the team in scoring, were starting to devleop even further. The athletic Stokes set a record with 1256 rebounds, and averaged 17.4 boards a game, both marks lead the league. He also finished his second season by finishing 3rd in assists, racking up 331 total. He ended up averaging 15.6 PPG, 17.4 RPG, and 4.6 APG in 72 games. Again, he was named to the All-NBA 2nd team, and an All-Star. Twyman increased his scoring, but his rebounding dipped a bit. He ended up with 16.3 PPG and 4.9 RPG. Twyman joined his teammate on the All-Star team, his first such honor.

After that season, the Royals packed up and moved to Cincinnati. Stokes was comming into his own, and in his third season, was showing why he was among the league's elite. He ended up averaging 16.9 PPG, 18.1 RPG, and 6.4 APG. His total rebounds ended up being behind only Bill Russel and Bob Pettit, and actually finished second behind Russel in average (18.1 RPG). He also finished 3rd in assists, both total and average (403/6.4), behind only Bob Cousy and Dick McGuire (both guards). However, at the end of the season, he suffered what would be a career ending, and life altering injury.

On March 12th, 1958, he went down hard in Minneapolis, hitting his head on the floor. He passed out, and after several minutes, had to be revived with smelling salts. A few days later, after the team's first playoff game against Detriot, he became ill on a flight. He was quoted as saying to a teammate: "I feel like I'm going to die". He was sent to the hospital, and remained in a coma for weeks. He was later moved to a hospital in Cincinnati, where he would stay for years to come. After some evaluations, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that damaged his motor control center. He was now a paraplegic, and was unable to talk. His career was over...but not the hardship.

The medical expenses for Stokes were climbing, and his family was unable to handle that growing burden. Twyman, his teammate and friend, stepped up. He was able to become Mo's legal guardian, and as such was able to use Stokes' personal funds to keep his friend alive and ease the mounting costs. He also applied for workman's compensation, since Mo was injured 'on the job'. He was granted it, which provided additional care for his ailing friend.

Jack also worked to organize an annual exhibition game to help raise funds for Stokes' care with the help of Milton Kutsher. Wilt Chamberlain apparently flew back from Paris to participate in the benefit on one occasion. Not only was Twyman working for Stokes, he was also working with him. He handled his mail and affairs, and spent as much time as he could by his side. Stokes was unable to communitcate, so Jack would go through the alphabet, using Mo's blinks to spell words.

Through intense physical rehabilitation, Stokes was eventually able to regain some mobility in his arms and hands. He was able to paint and type a bit, and at one point, was able to walk with support braises and help from the hospital staff. He even was able to attend the benefit exhibition started for him.

During this ordeal, Jack Twyamn, handling so much for his friend and teammate, was also supposed to play a game for a living. And he did play. During Twyman's fourth season, the first without Stokes, he had to take on a larger scoring role. The team limped to a 19 win season, but Jack became a 25.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG player. He earned another spot on the All-Star team for the third time.

The following year, in 1959-60 season, the team duplicated their 19 win mark for the season, but Twyman made history. He became only the second player at the time to average at least 30 PPG for a seaon. Only Wilt had done it before him. He ended the season with averages of 31.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 3.5 APG, was selected to the All-Star team yet again, and for the first time in his career, got a spot on the All-NBA team (2nd).

Twyman followed that great performance up in the 1960-61 season by scoring 25.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, and raising his team's win total to 33. That season, he was joined by another Cincinnati player: Oscar Robertson.

The next season, in 1961-62, the Royals climbed to 43 wins (2nd in their division behind West and Baylor's Lakers), thanks to the stellar play of Robertson, and Jack's 22.9 PPG, 8 RPG, 2.7 APG effort. The Royals were able to reach the playoffs, but fell in the first round.

In the 1962-63 season, the Royals were able to advance to the semi-final round of the playoffs where they met the eventual NBA champs, the Boston Celtics. Oscar's 38/13 and Jack's 21/8 in the playoffs helped the Royals take the legendary Celtic team to 7 games, where they lost. Who knows what would have happened if a prime, healthy Stokes was there.

The Royals fell to the Celtics the next year, and Jack was on the downside of his career. He retired after the 65-66 season. He played for 11 seasons, with career averages of 19.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG. He was selected to the All-NBA 2nd team twice, and was an All-Star 6 times, and astonishingly lead the league in FG% in 1958 (.452). But more than that, he did all of this dedicating a lot of time, emotion, energy, and resources to helping another person.

On April 6, 1970, Maurice Stokes suffered a heart attack and died. He was just 36 years old. This young man was sadly robbed of what could have been one of the best careers ever.

He was called "a coach's dream".

Legendary coach Red Auerbach said Stokes was Magic Johnson before Magic Johnson.

"No one had seen a guy with that combination of strength, speed and size." - Twyman.

"competitive, hard-nosed, tough." - Gene Shue

Bob Cousy said of Stokes: "[Stokes was] The first great, athletic power forward...He was Karl Malone with more finesse."

"Maurice Stokes was a moose of a man, the first star the franchise had. At six feet seven and 250 pounds, he was stronger and a better shooter than Elgin Baylor." - Oscar Robertson

"I can remember a reporter asking me on a plane, since I had played with Baylor and Stokes, which was better. My response was that I thought Maurice could stop Elgin but Elgin couldn't stop Maurice." - Ed Fleming

“His quickness, passing ability, and court awareness were just unbelievable. When I first saw Magic Johnson play, it brought back memories of Maurice. You have to understand that Stokes was 6'7" and weighed 240 pounds. He could handle the ball like a point guard and rebound like a center. It was impossible not to rave about his abilities and potential. I'll always wonder just how great he might have become.” - Johnny Most

"If things had worked out differently, Maurice would have become one of the top 10 players of all time." - Bob Wanzer


Stokes was an All-Star and All-NBA 2nd team selection for all 3 seasons in the NBA, and the 1956 ROY award winner. Maurice Stokes was inducted into the HOF in 2004, and Jack Twyman was inducted in 1983.

"Stokes lived as a symbol of the best that a man is, despite the terrible things which can happen to him....He was a beautiful man who believed that surrender was not the way, even though he couldn't walk, couldn't talk except agonizingly. And he laughed when he should have cried." - NY Post by columnist Milton Gross:

Once again, thanks to Basketball-reference.com, ESPN, SI, Sportshollywood, and Google.
 
#5
Rest in peace Mr. Twyman. Not only were you one of the Royal greats, whoe jersey hangs in the rafters of the Kings arena, but were an example of great humanity and true friendship to all of us. Your friendship with Maurice Stokes is one of the greatest stories in sports, in my opinion. Thank you.