Unless you're a basketball aficionado, the name Jack Twyman might not be familiar to you. However, Jack Twyman, was far more than a Hall-of-Fame basketball player. He was not only the rarest of athletes with his incredible talent, but his compassion and caring made him the rarest and finest of people. If you're not familiar with his story, please follow me under the orange thingy, because it's a story worth knowing and sharing.
Jack Twyman started his professional career with the Rochester Royals in 1955, they moved to Cincinnati the next year (now the Sacramento Kings) after a stellar college career at the University of Cincinnati. He was the second player, after Wilt Chamberlain to average over 30 points a game in a season. His rookie year , The Royals also drafted a player named Maurice Stokes. Maurice Stokes was a total freak at that time in the NBA. 6'7" and 250 pounds of athletic ability which had never been seen in the NBA before. To quote Celtic great Bob Cousy “He was Karl Malone with more finesse”. He scored 32 points and had 20 rebounds in his 1st NBA game. He was an All-Star his first three years. On the last night of the NBA season in 1958 he went head-over-heels going for a rebound, and landed right on his head. Where a similar occurrence these days would result in a player being immobilized and brought to the hospital, Maurice Stokes was given smelling salts and sent back into the game. 3 days later they played a playoff game against Detroit. On the flight home, Maurice Stokes collapsed, and fell into a coma. He eventually came out of the coma, but he was almost completely paralyzed, only being able to blink his eyes. With less than $10,000 dollars in the bank, and a poor family who lived in Pennsylvania, Maurice Stokes' future seemed to be beyond bleak. Than Jack Twyman stepped in.
At the time that Maurice Stokes became paralyzed, Jack Twyman was 23 years old. He was an All-Star player, and enjoyed all the benefits of being an admired and accomplished athlete. None of that mattered to him. Nor did it matter to him that Maurice Stokes was an African-American. For Jack Twyman, Maurice Stokes was a friend and teammate who needed him, and that was all that mattered.He applied to be his guardian, and was approved. He and his family took care of Maurice Stokes until his death in 1970. His wife also started the Maurice Stokes Foundation which helped pay his medical bills as well as help out other NBA players with health problems from the pre-union days.
In their obituary, the Sporting News called Jack Twyman the greatest teammate in NBA history. I would take it further and say he was the greatest teammate in all of sports. Jack Twyman never sought publicity for his selflessness and the bravery he displayed in being willing to take care of an African-American teammate in a city which is not well known for racial tolerance, especially in the 1950's. I can think of few people who deserve to have their story told more than Jack Twyman.
So, Rest in Peace, Jack Twyman. You have earned it.