Maurice Stokes facts for kids

Maurice Stokes (born June 17, 1933 – died April 6, 1970) was an amazing American professional basketball player. He played for the Cincinnati/Rochester Royals team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1955 to 1958.

Maurice Stokes was a true star. He was chosen for the NBA All-Star team three times. He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team three times. In 1956, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Sadly, his basketball career and his life were cut short because of a serious brain injury and paralysis.

Stokes is remembered with the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. This award is named after him and his good friend, Jack Twyman. Jack was Maurice's legal guardian during the last years of his life. Maurice Stokes was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Maurice Stokes was born in Rankin, Pennsylvania, which is a town near Pittsburgh. He was one of four children in his family. He had a twin sister and two brothers. His dad worked in a steel mill, and his mom worked in people's homes.

When Maurice was 8 years old, his family moved to Homewood. He went to Westinghouse High School there. Maurice didn't start playing much in his first two years of high school. But in his last two years, he helped his team, the Bulldogs, win two city championships in a row, in 1950 and 1951.

College Basketball Career

After high school, Maurice Stokes went to Saint Francis College in Loretto, Pennsylvania. He was a standout player for the Red Flash team.

In 1955, he led his team to the 1955 National Invitation Tournament. Even though his team finished fourth, Maurice was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. In his first year of college, he averaged an amazing 23.1 points and 26.5 rebounds per game. The next season, he averaged 27.1 points and 26.2 rebounds per game.

Maurice Stokes still holds the record for the most rebounds in St. Francis history with 1,819. He is also second in scoring with 2,282 points. His team had a great record of 79 wins and 30 losses during his four years there. He was later honored by being put into the St. Francis University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Professional NBA Career

Playing for the Royals (1955–1958)

Maurice Stokes joined the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1955. He played for the Rochester Royals team. In 1957, the team moved and became the Cincinnati Royals.

In his first year, Maurice averaged 16.3 rebounds per game. This was so good that he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. The next season, he set a new league record! He got 1,256 rebounds in one season, which was 17.4 rebounds per game.

In the 1957–58 season, Maurice was second in the NBA for rebounds and third for assists. Only Wilt Chamberlain, another famous player, has ever done that for a whole season.

During his three years in the NBA (1955–1958), Maurice Stokes grabbed more rebounds than any other player. He had 3,492 rebounds! He also had 1,062 assists, which was second only to Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics. Maurice was chosen as an All-Star and for the All-NBA Second Team in all three of his seasons. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

He is also one of only eight NBA players to get four "triple-doubles" in a row. A triple-double means getting double-digits in three different stats in one game, like points, rebounds, and assists.

A Life-Changing Injury

On March 12, 1958, something very sad happened. It was the last game of the 1957–58 NBA regular season. Maurice Stokes was playing hard and went for a basket. He hit his head when he fell to the court and was knocked out. He woke up after smelling salts were used and even went back into the game.

Three days later, after a playoff game, he became very sick on the team's flight. Maurice then had a seizure and became permanently paralyzed. Doctors said he had post-traumatic encephalopathy. This is a brain injury that damaged the part of his brain that controls movement.

Friendship and Support

After his injury, Maurice was cared for by his close friend and teammate, Jack Twyman. Jack became Maurice's legal guardian. Even though Maurice couldn't move his body, his mind was still sharp. He communicated by blinking his eyes.

Maurice worked incredibly hard in physical therapy. Over time, he was able to move a little bit and even regained some ability to speak. His condition got worse in the 1960s, and he moved to a hospital in Cincinnati. Jack Twyman continued to visit him regularly.

Maurice Stokes' Death

Maurice Stokes died at the age of 36 on April 6, 1970, twelve years after his injury. He passed away from a heart attack.

Maurice had asked to be buried in the Franciscan Friar Cemetery. This cemetery is on the campus of Saint Francis University, where he played college basketball.

Maurice Stokes' Legacy

After Jack Twyman became Maurice's guardian, he started a special charity basketball game in 1958. This game helped raise money for Maurice's medical care. The game became a yearly event and was called the Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game. Later, it changed to the Maurice Stokes/Wilt Chamberlain Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament.

Maurice Stokes' life, his injury, and his amazing friendship with Jack Twyman were even made into a movie! It was called Maurie and came out in 1973.

NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award

On June 9, 2013, the NBA announced a new award. It's called the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. This award honors both Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman. It is given each year to the player who best shows what it means to be an ideal teammate in the league.

The Maurice Stokes Athletics Center

The Maurice Stokes Athletics Center at Saint Francis University.

The Maurice Stokes Athletics Center is a building on the campus of St. Francis University. It was originally called the Maurice Stokes Physical Education Building when it opened in 1971. It was named after Maurice Stokes to honor his incredible contributions and spirit.

See also

In Spanish: Maurice Stokes para niños

• List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders
• List of National Basketball Association single-game rebounding leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 30 or more rebounds in a game
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds