Maurice Cheeks facts for kids
Cheeks in 2011
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| New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 8, 1956 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | DuSable (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | West Texas A&M (1974–1978) |
| NBA Draft | 1978 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36th overall |
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Pro career | 1978–1993 |
| Coaching career | 1993–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1978–1989 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1989–1990 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1990–1991 | New York Knicks |
| 1991–1992 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1993 | New Jersey Nets |
| As coach: | |
| 1993–1994 | Quad City Thunder (assistant) |
| 1994–2001 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) |
| 2001–2005 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2005–2008 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2009–2013 | Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant) |
| 2013–2014 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2015–2020 | Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant) |
| 2020–2024 | Chicago Bulls (assistant) |
| 2024–present | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 12,195 (11.1 ppg) |
| Assists | 7,392 (6.7 apg) |
| Steals | 2,310 (2.1 spg) |
Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Maurice Cheeks also served as a head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. He was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. He was the first player to get 2,000 steals only in the NBA.
Maurice Cheeks' Early Life and College Years
Maurice Cheeks was born in Chicago on September 8, 1956. He grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes. He went to DuSable High School. He only played a lot of basketball in his senior year. His high school teammate, William Dise, was a top player. Dise told colleges that if they wanted him, they also had to offer Cheeks a scholarship.
Ron Ekker, the coach at West Texas State University, agreed to take both players. This happened after their high school coach, Bob Bonner, said Cheeks would become a better player. Coach Ekker then watched Cheeks play in a local game.
College Basketball Career
Cheeks played at West Texas from 1974 to 1978. He was a starter for all four years. He wanted to leave after his first year, but his mom convinced him to stay. He was an All-Missouri Valley Conference player for three years in a row. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. In his senior year, he scored 16.8 points per game. He shot almost 57% for his college career.
As of 2024, Cheeks is 5th in field goal percentage in West Texas A&M history. He is 12th in points per game for a career. He also made the fourth most free throws in one season.
Cheeks was added to the West Texas A&M Hall of Champions in 1988. He was also added to the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2021. He was chosen as one of the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball 50 Greatest Players.
Maurice Cheeks' Playing Career in the NBA
After college, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Cheeks as the 36th player in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft. He played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA. He spent 11 of those years with the Philadelphia 76ers.
As a 76er, he was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game four times. He helped the 76ers reach the NBA Finals three times in four years (1980, 1982, and 1983). They won an NBA championship in 1983. Cheeks was known for his team play and great defense. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive team four times in a row from 1983 to 1986. He also made the second team in 1987. When he stopped playing in 1993, he was fifth in NBA history for total assists. As of 2024, he is sixteenth on the combined ABA/NBA assist list.
Philadelphia 76ers (1978–1989)
Maurice Cheeks had his best seasons with the 76ers. At 22 years old, he became the starting point guard for the team. He played all 82 games in his first year. The 76ers made the playoffs every year he was on the team, except for the 1987–88 season.
In his fifth year, he was chosen for his first All-Star game. He started the game and averaged 12.5 points, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals. The 76ers had their best season during this time, with a 65–17 record. This was the second-best season in 76ers history.
They won the NBA championship that year, which was Cheeks' first and only championship. He was a very important part of the 76ers for the rest of his time in Philadelphia. However, the team did not reach the same level of success after 1983. He was chosen for three more All-Star games from 1986 to 1988. In the 1986 playoffs, he scored a career-high 20.8 points per game. In the 1986–87 season, he scored a career-high 15.6 points per game. The 76ers were no longer top contenders and lost in the first round of the 1987 playoffs. The next year, they missed the playoffs. Cheeks played one more season for the 76ers. They made the playoffs but lost in the first round.
Later Playing Years (1989–1993)
In 1989, the Philadelphia 76ers traded Maurice Cheeks to the San Antonio Spurs. At 33 years old, Cheeks was getting older but still played well. He averaged 10.9 points for the Spurs. He played 50 games for them as the starting point guard. However, he was traded to the New York Knicks before the season ended.
On February 21, 1990, Cheeks was traded to the New York Knicks. He played the rest of that season in New York, averaging 7.9 points in 31 games. The Knicks made the playoffs but lost in the second round. The next season, Cheeks played in 76 games, averaging 7.8 points and 5.7 assists. The Knicks made the playoffs again but lost in the first round.
In 1991, the New York Knicks traded Cheeks to the Atlanta Hawks. His points average dropped to 4.6. He was no longer a starting player. He became a free agent in 1992 and did not sign again with the Hawks.
In his second-to-last game of the 1991–92 season, Cheeks got four steals. This helped him pass Julius Erving's record for combined ABA and NBA steals.
On January 7, 1993, the New Jersey Nets signed Cheeks. He averaged a career-low 3.6 points and played only 35 games. The Nets made the playoffs but lost in the first round.
Retirement from Playing
After the 1993 season, Cheeks became a free agent. He never played in the NBA again and retired at 36 years old.
As of 2024, Maurice Cheeks is sixth in steals and sixteenth in assists in NBA history. When he retired in 1993, he was the NBA all-time leader in steals. He was also third all-time in playoff steals and fifth in assists. He averaged 11.7 points and over 2 steals per game in his career. In his first year, Cheeks averaged 4.1 steals per game in the 1979 NBA Playoffs. This is an NBA record for one playoff run as of 2024.
Maurice Cheeks' Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Cheeks coached for one year in the Continental Basketball Association. Then, he became an assistant coach for the 76ers from 1994 to 2001. He helped the Philadelphia team reach the 2001 NBA Finals.
In 2001, he became the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He led the team to the playoffs twice in four years. However, they could not get past the first round. He was fired after a bad start to the 2004–05 season.
A Moment of Kindness
On April 25, 2003, during a game, Cheeks did something special. He helped 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert sing the American national anthem. Natalie forgot the words, and Cheeks quickly went to help her. They finished the song together, and the whole arena sang along. Cheeks and Gilbert received a huge cheer. This act was used as an example of true leadership.
Coaching the Philadelphia 76ers
In 2005, Cheeks was named the head coach of the 76ers. Fans loved him because he played for the 76ers for 11 years and helped them win the 1983 NBA championship. The team's star player, Allen Iverson, also liked the choice.
However, the team missed the playoffs in his first two seasons. Some players, like Allen Iverson and Chris Webber, were not happy. They were fined for being late to a game but later apologized to Cheeks. During the 2006–07 season, Iverson was traded, and Webber was released. This left Cheeks with one of the youngest teams in the NBA. The 76ers extended Cheeks' contract for one year in 2007, even though his coaching record was not great.
At the start of the 2007–08 season, many people thought the 76ers would finish last. But the Sixers made it to the playoffs by winning a game on April 4, 2008. This was their first playoff appearance since 2005. They were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons. Even with the loss, many fans thought it was a good season. The 76ers had a great winning streak that led them to the playoffs.
The 76ers extended Cheeks' contract again before the 2008-2009 season. However, the team started the season slowly. Because of this, the 76ers fired Cheeks on December 13, 2008.
Later Coaching Roles
On August 14, 2009, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On June 10, 2013, Cheeks became the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. On February 9, 2014, the Pistons removed him from his head coaching duties. The team's owner felt the team was not playing its best.
On June 29, 2015, Cheeks returned to the Thunder as an assistant coach.
On November 14, 2020, Cheeks was hired by the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach.
On June 13, 2024, it was reported that Maurice Cheeks would join the New York Knicks coaching staff for the 2024-2025 season.
Maurice Cheeks' Honors and Awards
On September 7, 2018, Maurice Cheeks was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. In 2008, he was added to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. In 1995, the 76ers retired Cheeks' No. 10 jersey. This means no other player on the 76ers can wear that number. He was also added to the West Texas A&M Hall of Champions (1988) and the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame (2021). He was named one of the MVC's 50 greatest players.
In 2022, sports writers ranked Cheeks as the seventh greatest Sixer of all time. He was behind famous players like Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Hal Greer. In 2017, the 76ers showed a statue of Cheeks outside their training building in Camden, New Jersey. This statue joined others of great 76ers players. On the same day, Cheeks was honored with a video during a game. He received a standing ovation from the Philadelphia fans.
Images for kids
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Cheeks in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Maurice Cheeks para niños
