Jim Cunningham (basketball)

Jim Cunningham
Personal information
Born(1935-11-14)November 14, 1935
Buffalo, New York, US
DiedDecember 17, 1991(1991-12-17) (aged 56)
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolCanisius (Buffalo, New York)
CollegeFordham (1955–1958)
NBA draft1958: 3rd round, 23rd overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
PositionShooting guard
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

James W. Cunningham (November 14, 1935 – December 17, 1991) was an American standout basketball player at Fordham University in the 1950s.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Cunningham enrolled at Fordham where he played for head coach Johnny Bach between 1955 and 1958 because college freshmen were ineligible to play varsity sports during this era.[1] Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weighing 190 lb (86 kg), Cunningham played the shooting guard position. In just three varsity seasons he scored a then-school record 1,744 points.[2] In his senior season of 1957–58, Cunningham led the Rams to a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, where they advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Dayton. Upon the conclusion of the season he was named an All-American as well as the recipient of the Haggerty Award.[2] The Haggerty Award is presented to the best male collegiate basketball player in the greater New York city area every year since 1935–36, and Cunningham was only Fordham's second-ever recipient.[3] For his career at Fordham, he averaged 22.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 76 games played.[1]

The NBA's Boston Celtics selected Cunningham in the 1958 NBA draft.[4] He was taken in the third round (23rd overall) but ultimately never played in the league.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b S. A., DeCaro (2006). "Jim Cunningham". TheDraftReview. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "James Cunningham". Fordham Hall of Fame. Fordham University. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  3. ^ "Fordham Rams Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Honors and Awards. Fordham University. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "1958 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 16, 2011.