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Center · 1997–98

William Cunningham

Cunningham took the long way to the NBA — undrafted out of Temple, picked instead in the 1996 USBL draft, the 6-foot-11 center broke through in 1998 with the Jazz and ultimately appeared in 16 NBA games for four teams — the Jazz, 76ers, Raptors, and Nets — across 1998 and 1999.

His center-for-hire career carried him well beyond the league, with professional stops in China, Russia, Egypt, and Uruguay.

HOW HE CAME & WENTHe signed two 10-day contracts in February 1998 and was waived in March, then signed again in October 1999 and was waived a month later.

Utah Jazz tenure
1997–98
Position
Center
Born
1974
Height
6′11″ (211 cm)
Weight
249 lb (113 kg)
College
Temple
Drafted
undrafted
Signature in the archive 1996 Score Board Rookies #64 Rc SS
Also on the shelf — unsigned 1996 The Score Board Basketball Rookies Temple Universtiry

No photograph of this signature is online yet.

With the Jazz

WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM · 1997–98 · PER GAME
SEASONTEAMGMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
1997–98UTA66.31.31.30.20.30.0.444
JAZZ TOTAL1 SEASON66.31.31.30.20.30.0.444

Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗  ·  Wikipedia ↗

Did you know

WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM · 6 NOTES
  • Played at Temple under the celebrated coach John Chaney.
  • He toured with the Harlem Globetrotters, a line that almost never survives on a fringe NBA player's record.
  • Passed over in the 1996 NBA draft, he was taken in that year's USBL draft and worked upward from the Atlantic City Seagulls.
  • At 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds he was the biggest man in John Chaney's famous matchup zone.
  • His last Temple team went 20-13 and beat Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament before falling to second-seeded Cincinnati.
  • Glenn Hills High School in Augusta, Georgia, still lists him among its notable alumni.