Maurice Stokes (June 17, 1933 – April 6, 1970) was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player. He played for the
Cincinnati/Rochester Royals of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) from 1955 to 1958. Stokes was a three-time
NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...
, a three-time
All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
member and the 1956
NBA Rookie of the Year
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
. His career – and later his life – was cut short by a debilitating brain injury and paralysis.
Stokes is a namesake of the NBA's
Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award
The Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is an annual award in the National Basketball Association (NBA) that recognizes the league's "ideal teammate" who exemplifies "selfless play and commitment and dedication to his team." The award is na ...
alongside
Jack Twyman
John Kennedy Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Basketb ...
, who served as Stokes' legal guardian during the final years of his life. Stokes was inducted into the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
in 2004.
Early life
Stokes was born in
Rankin, Pennsylvania
Rankin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, south of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River. The borough was named after Thomas Rankin, a local landowner. Early in the 20th century, Rankin specialized in manufacturing stee ...
near Pittsburgh, one of four children — he had a twin sister and two brothers. His father worked in a steel mill and his mother was a domestic.
When Maurice was age 8, the family moved to nearby Homewood, where he later attended Westinghouse High School. Stokes did not start his first two years at Westinghouse, but in his last two years, he helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back city championships
in 1950 and 1951.
College career
Stokes attended and graduated from
Saint Francis College
, mottoeng = My God, My All
, established =
, type = Private college
, chancellor =
, president = Miguel Martinez-Saenz
, provost = Jennifer Lancas ...
in
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census it had a population of 1,302. Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropoli ...
. There he led the
Red Flash to the
1955 National Invitation Tournament
The 1955 National Invitation Tournament was the 1955 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.
Selected teams
Below is a list of the 12 teams selected for the tournament. and was named Most Valuable Player although his team finished fourth in the tournament. In his first college season, Stokes averaged 23.1 points and 26.5 rebounds per game. In the following season, he averaged 27.1 points and 26.2 rebounds per game. Stokes remains St. Francis' all-time leading rebounder with 1,819 and is second in scoring with 2,282 points. The Red Flash were 79-30 during Stokes' four seasons. He was later inducted in the St. Francis University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Rochester / Cincinnati Royals (1955–1958)
Playing for the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
's
Rochester Royals
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
, which became the Cincinnati Royals in 1957, from 1955 to 1958, Stokes averaged
16.3 rebounds per game during his rookie season and was named
NBA Rookie of the Year
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
. The next season, he set a league record for most rebounds in a single season with 1,256 (17.4 per game). Stokes was second in the NBA in rebounds and third in assists in 1957–58; a feat only
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
has matched for a full season.
During his three seasons in the NBA (1955–58), he grabbed more rebounds than any other player with 3,492 (
Bob Pettit
Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Mo ...
was second with 3,417) and also amassed 1,062 assists, which was second in the NBA only to Boston Celtics' point guard
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph Cousy (, born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. Cousy played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time N ...
(1,583). Stokes was named an
All-Star and
All-NBA Second Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
for all three seasons of his career. He was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in September 2004.
He is one of eight NBA players who have recorded four consecutive triple-doubles.
Injury and paralysis
On March 12, 1958, in the last game of the
1957–58 NBA regular season, Stokes was knocked unconscious after he drove to the basket, drew contact, and struck his head as he fell to the court. He was revived with smelling salts and returned to the game. Three days later, after recording 12 points and 15 rebounds in an opening-round playoff game against the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
, he became ill on the team's flight back to Cincinnati. Stokes later suffered a seizure and was left permanently paralyzed. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic
encephalopathy
Encephalopathy (; from grc, ἐνκέφαλος "brain" + πάθος "suffering") means any disorder or disease of the brain, especially chronic degenerative conditions. In modern usage, encephalopathy does not refer to a single disease, but r ...
, a brain injury that damaged his motor-control center.
During the years that followed, Stokes would be supported and cared for by his lifelong friend and teammate,
Jack Twyman
John Kennedy Twyman (May 21, 1934 – May 30, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster. Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Basketb ...
, who became Stokes' legal guardian.
Although permanently paralyzed, Stokes was mentally alert and communicated by blinking his eyes. He adopted a grueling physical therapy regimen that eventually allowed him limited physical movement, and he eventually regained limited speaking ability. Stokes' condition deteriorated through the 1960s and he was later transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, where Twyman continued to be a regular visitor.
Death
Twelve years after his injury, Stokes died at age 36 from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
on April 6, 1970. He thereafter received a series of
Catholic funerals.
At his own request, he was buried in Franciscan Friar Cemetery on the campus of Saint Francis.
Legacy
After Jack Twyman became his legal guardian, he organized a charity exhibition basketball game in 1958 to help raise funds for Stokes' medical expenses. That game, spearheaded by Milton Kutsher,
[ became an annual tradition and was named the Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game.][ It was later changed to the Maurice Stokes/]Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament due to NBA and insurance company restrictions regarding athletes.
Stokes' life, injury, and relationship with Twyman are all depicted in the 1973 National General Pictures
National General Corporation (NGC) was a theater chain holding company, film distribution and production company and was considered one of the "instant majors". It was in operation from 1951 to 1974.
Divisions
Its division National General Pictu ...
film ''Maurie
Maurie is a masculine given name, sometimes a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Maurice. People named Maurie include:
* Maurie Beasy (1896–1979), Australian rules footballer
* Maurie Collins (1876–1943), Australian rules footballer
* Maurie C ...
''.
NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award
On June 9, 2013, the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
announced that both Stokes and Jack Twyman would be honored with an annual award in their names, the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award
The Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is an annual award in the National Basketball Association (NBA) that recognizes the league's "ideal teammate" who exemplifies "selfless play and commitment and dedication to his team." The award is na ...
, which recognizes the player that embodies the league's ideal teammate that season.
The Maurice Stokes Athletics Center
The Maurice Stokes Athletics Center (originally called the Maurice Stokes Physical Education Building when it opened in 1971) on the St. Francis University campus is named after him.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
See also
*
*
*
* List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
References
Farabaugh, Pat.
An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman
', Haworth, N.J.: St. Johann Press, 2014.
External links
College statistics
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stokes, Maurice
1933 births
1970 deaths
African-American Catholics
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Pennsylvania
Cincinnati Royals players
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Basketball Association All-Stars
National Basketball Association players with retired numbers
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
People from Rankin, Pennsylvania
Power forwards (basketball)
Rochester Royals draft picks
Rochester Royals players
Saint Francis Red Flash men's basketball players
Sportspeople from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area