Jack Twyman

Twyman was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he attended Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) (which also produced Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino). After being cut three times from his high school team, Twyman practiced every day, shooting 100 foul shots and 200 jump shots and 100 to 150 set shots. Twyman then made the Catholic Central team as a senior, earning All-State honors.[1][2]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Twyman worked alongside Chris Schenkel as an analyst/color commentator for The NBA on ABC.

Twyman made a call during game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During the pre-game segment with Schenkel, Twyman noticed Knicks' injured center Willis Reed (whose status for the clincher had been doubtful) advancing from the tunnel toward the court. Twyman then exclaimed: "I think we see Willis coming out!"[6] The sight of Reed marching toward the basketball floor helped inspire the Knicks to a 113–99 victory – one that gave New York its first NBA league title.

Twyman became the legal guardian of his teammate and friend Maurice Stokes, a Hall of Fame player who was paralyzed due to a head injury he suffered after a fall during a game.

In the last game of the 1958 regular season, Stokes was knocked on a play and hit his head on the floor. The injury manifested itself in the upcoming days, leaving Stokes permanently paralyzed after having seizures. Stokes had finished playing in the game in which he was injured and knocked unconscious.

Stokes then played in the playoff game three days later. He became violently ill after the game and teammates Dick Ricketts and Twyman were assisting him. "I feel like I'm going to die," he was saying. He then had a major seizure on the team flight and was rushed to the hospital upon landing. Stokes was cared for at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, where Twyman and his family were regular visitors. At age 23, Twyman became Stokes' legal guardian and provided support and care for Stokes for the rest of his life. [7][8][9]

To help with Stokes' ongoing medical finances, Twyman organized the "Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game" to raise funds for Stokes' daily care needs. Eventually the game grew to assist other former players who were in need.[10] The game became a decades long annual event and was later replaced by a pro-am golf tournament.[11]

Twyman helped Stokes to obtain workers compensation and taught him to communicate by blinking his eyes to denote individual letters.[4][10] Later, when Stokes had worked to be able to type, his first message was: “Dear Jack, How can I ever thank you?”[12]

Twyman remained Stokes' legal guardian, friend and advocate. Stokes died in 1970.

Stokes' life, injury, and relationship with Twyman inspired the 1973 film Maurie.

When Maurice Stokes was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, Twyman spoke and accepted on Stokes' behalf.[13]

On June 9, 2013, the NBA announced that both Twyman and Maurice Stokes would be honored with an annual award in their names, the Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which recognizes the player that embodies the league's ideal teammate that season.[14][15]

Twyman later became a food company executive (Super Food Services, Dayton, OH), and made more than $3 million when he sold the company in 1996.[4]

In 2004, when the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Maurice Stokes, Twyman accepted the honor on his behalf. Earlier, Twyman said of his care of Maurice Stokes, simply, ”That’s what friends are for.” He added, ”He (Maurice) taught us a lot. We learned a lot from him, we’re honored to have had the opportunity to be associated with him.”[4][16]

Twyman died on May 31, 2012 in Cincinnati from complications of blood cancer.[4][17] Twyman was survived by his wife of 57 years Carole, his son, Jay; three daughters, Julie, Lisa and Michele; and 14 grandchildren.[12]

• Twyman's # 27 was retired by the Sacramento Kings.
• Twyman's #27 was retired by the University of Cincinnati.
• Twyman is a namesake of the NBA's Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
• Twyman is the namesake of the Jack Twyman Award for Service Learning at the University of Cincinnati.[18]
• Twyman was inducted into the Central Catholic High School Hall of Fame.[19]
• In 1976, Twyman was inducted as a charter member of the University of Cincinnati James P. Kelly Athletics Hall Of Fame.[20]
• Twyman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.
• In 2006, Twyman was inducted as a charter member into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.[1]

• Farabaugh, Pat. An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman, Haworth, New Jersey: St. Johann Press, 2014

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com  or Basketball-Reference.com
• Remembering Jack Twyman
• Jack Twyman at Find a Grave