Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. Cheeks was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. He was the first player with 2,000 steals solely in the NBA.
Cheeks was born in Chicago on September 8, 1956, and grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes. He attended DuSable High School. He only had significant playing time on the basketball team in his senior year. His high school teammate William Dise was heavily recruited by college basketball programs, and Dise told the schools that if they wanted him, they also had to offer Cheeks a scholarship to join him. Ron Ekker, head coach at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M) only agreed to accept both Dise and Cheeks after their high school coach, Bob Bonner, said Cheeks would eventually be the better player; and then watching Cheeks play in a local gym pickup game.
Cheeks attended West Texas from 1974 to 1978, and was a four-year starter under Ekker. He wanted to leave after his first year, but his mother convinced Cheeks to stay. He was an All-Missouri Valley Conference player for three straight seasons (first team in 1975-1976 and 1977-1978, and second team in 1976-1977). He was selected team Most Valuable Player three times. As a senior, he averaged 16.8 points per game, and shot nearly 57% for his collegiate career.
As of 2024, Cheeks ranks 5th in field goal percentage in WTSU/WTAM history (56.8), 12th in points per game for a career (11.8) and total field goals, and had the fourth most free throws made in a single season (212).
Cheeks was inducted into the West Texas A & M Hall of Champions in 1988. He was inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2021. He was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball 50 Greatest Players.
After college, Cheeks was selected as the 36th pick in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers. As a 76er, he earned four trips to the NBA All-Star Game, and he helped the 76ers to three trips to the NBA Finals in a four-year span in the early 1980s (1980, 1982, and 1983), including an NBA championship in 1983.
While starting at point guard for a Sixers team that at times included stars Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, and Charles Barkley, Cheeks was well regarded for his team play and defensive skills. He was named to four straight NBA All-Defensive squads from 1983 to 1986, and earned a spot on the second team in 1987. When he retired in 1993, he was fifth in NBA history in total assists, and as of 2024, he is sixteenth on the combined ABA/NBA assist list.
He had his best seasons with the 76ers. At the young age of 22 he gained a notable role on the 76ers, solidifying himself as the starting point guard and earning himself valuable minutes, starting all 82 games and playing nearly 30 minutes per game. The 76ers were also in playoff contention for every year that he was on the team except for the 1987–88 season.
Hub AI
Maurice Cheeks AI simulator
(@Maurice Cheeks_simulator)
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. Cheeks was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. He was the first player with 2,000 steals solely in the NBA.
Cheeks was born in Chicago on September 8, 1956, and grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes. He attended DuSable High School. He only had significant playing time on the basketball team in his senior year. His high school teammate William Dise was heavily recruited by college basketball programs, and Dise told the schools that if they wanted him, they also had to offer Cheeks a scholarship to join him. Ron Ekker, head coach at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M) only agreed to accept both Dise and Cheeks after their high school coach, Bob Bonner, said Cheeks would eventually be the better player; and then watching Cheeks play in a local gym pickup game.
Cheeks attended West Texas from 1974 to 1978, and was a four-year starter under Ekker. He wanted to leave after his first year, but his mother convinced Cheeks to stay. He was an All-Missouri Valley Conference player for three straight seasons (first team in 1975-1976 and 1977-1978, and second team in 1976-1977). He was selected team Most Valuable Player three times. As a senior, he averaged 16.8 points per game, and shot nearly 57% for his collegiate career.
As of 2024, Cheeks ranks 5th in field goal percentage in WTSU/WTAM history (56.8), 12th in points per game for a career (11.8) and total field goals, and had the fourth most free throws made in a single season (212).
Cheeks was inducted into the West Texas A & M Hall of Champions in 1988. He was inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2021. He was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball 50 Greatest Players.
After college, Cheeks was selected as the 36th pick in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers. As a 76er, he earned four trips to the NBA All-Star Game, and he helped the 76ers to three trips to the NBA Finals in a four-year span in the early 1980s (1980, 1982, and 1983), including an NBA championship in 1983.
While starting at point guard for a Sixers team that at times included stars Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, and Charles Barkley, Cheeks was well regarded for his team play and defensive skills. He was named to four straight NBA All-Defensive squads from 1983 to 1986, and earned a spot on the second team in 1987. When he retired in 1993, he was fifth in NBA history in total assists, and as of 2024, he is sixteenth on the combined ABA/NBA assist list.
He had his best seasons with the 76ers. At the young age of 22 he gained a notable role on the 76ers, solidifying himself as the starting point guard and earning himself valuable minutes, starting all 82 games and playing nearly 30 minutes per game. The 76ers were also in playoff contention for every year that he was on the team except for the 1987–88 season.