This section possibly contains
original research. (April 2014) |
1958β59 Cincinnati Royals season | |
---|---|
Head coach |
Bobby Wanzer Tom Marshall |
Owners | Thomas E. Wood |
Arena | Cincinnati Gardens |
Results | |
Record | 19–53 (.264) |
Place | Division: 4th ( Western) |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WKRC-TV |
Radio | WKRC |
The 1958β59 Cincinnati Royal season was the 14th season of the franchise, its 11th season in the NBA and second season in Cincinnati.
This season is being one of the most notorious seasons faced by an NBA team in the league's history. [1] The reason was the tragic career-ending head injury to star Maurice Stokes, who became permanently hospitalized at the age of 24 at the end of the previous season, which had been the team's first in Cincinnati. The loss of Stokes shocked six other roster players into retirement. Also, the team had been sold to new, inexperienced local ownership and also soon had to replace their coach. Star shooter Jack Twyman returned for the club as the only returnee from a year ago. Had Twyman accepted other offers that year, the team would have likely folded.
St. Louis owner Ben Kerner, a long-time friend of previous owners Les and Jack Harrison, agreed to help the club. He sent five players to the Royals in return for All-Pro Clyde Lovellette and the rights to talented Si Green. The result was a diluted roster of rookies and journeymen. Two rookies were burly 6-foot 8-inch big man Wayne Embry and 6' 4 defender Arlen Bockhorn. Both had to make the team before being offered contracts, and both were pleasant surprises[ clarification needed] to the beleaguered team. Twyman was far and away the team's only star. He scored 25.8 points per game, trying more shots than any player in the league for his new team. The slender 6-foot 6-inch star also led the Royals in rebounds, and came within 16 assists of leading the team there as well. More than that, he mentored the new players and also carried on Stokes's charity causes off the court. He achieved a kind of fame, respect and notoriety unlike any NBA player ever.[ citation needed] One of his creations to pay for his fallen teammate's soaring hospital bills was The Maurice Stokes Charity Game, which was played at Kutcher's resort in Monticello, New York, every August. A slew of NBA notables came to play in the event for Stokes every year.[ citation needed]
Despite Twyman's starring play, the Royals sank to 19β53 this season after contending much of the previous season. To limit over-exposure of a bad product at home, some 17 home games were played elsewhere this season. Several times that year, the team failed to draw 2000 fans to Cincinnati Gardens.[ citation needed]
Somehow, the new ownership made it through the season and vowed to carry on. The NBA was of some help, granting territorial draft picks to Oscar Robertson and Ralph Davis from the local University of Cincinnati, as well as local high school player Jerry Lucas.
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x- St. Louis Hawks | 49 | 23 | .681 | β | 28β3 | 14β15 | 7β5 | 27β9 |
x- Minneapolis Lakers | 33 | 39 | .458 | 16 | 15β7 | 9β17 | 9β15 | 18β18 |
x- Detroit Pistons | 28 | 44 | .389 | 21 | 13β17 | 8β20 | 7β7 | 17β19 |
Cincinnati Royals | 19 | 53 | .264 | 30 | 9β19 | 2β25 | 8β9 | 10β26 |
1958β59 NBA records | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BOS | CIN | DET | MIN | NYK | PHI | STL | SYR |
Boston | β | 8β1 | 8β1 | 9β0 | 7β5 | 9β3 | 4β5 | 7β5 |
Cincinnati | 1β8 | β | 3β9 | 6β6 | 3β6 | 2β7 | 1β11 | 3β6 |
Detroit | 1β8 | 9β3 | β | 4β8 | 3β6 | 5β4 | 4β8 | 2β7 |
Minneapolis | 0β9 | 6β6 | 8β4 | β | 4β5 | 6β3 | 4β8 | 5β4 |
New York | 5β7 | 6β3 | 6β3 | 5β4 | β | 5β7 | 4β5 | 9β3 |
Philadelphia | 3β9 | 7β2 | 4β5 | 3β6 | 7β5 | β | 4β5 | 4β8 |
St. Louis | 5β4 | 11β1 | 8β4 | 8β4 | 5β4 | 5β4 | β | 7β2 |
Syracuse | 5β7 | 6β3 | 7β2 | 4β5 | 3β9 | 8β4 | 2β7 | β |
1958β59 Game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | October 22 | @ Minneapolis | 79β99 | Dave Piontek (17) | 1β0 | |||||
2 | October 25 | Minneapolis | 94β110 | Jack Twyman (29) | 1β1 | |||||
3 | October 31 | @ Detroit | 113β120 | Jack Twyman (27) | 1β2 | |||||
4 | November 1 | @ Syracuse | 108β130 | Jack Twyman (22) | 1β3 | |||||
5 | November 2 | St. Louis | 97β90 | Sihugo Green (19) | 1β4 | |||||
6 | November 5 | New York | 108β97 | Jack Twyman (26) | 1β5 | |||||
7 | November 9 | Philadelphia | 106β92 | Jim Palmer (20) | 1β6 | |||||
8 | November 12 | Syracuse | 116β115 | Jack Twyman (32) | 1β7 | |||||
9 | November 15 | @ Boston | 105β130 | Jack Twyman (33) | 1β8 | |||||
10 | November 19 | Boston | 103β119 | Jack Twyman (45) | 2β8 | |||||
11 | November 21 | @ Philadelphia | 90β108 | Vernon Hatton (22) | 2β9 | |||||
12 | November 22 | @ Detroit | 86β103 | Jack Twyman (23) | 2β10 | |||||
13 | November 23 | St. Louis | 100β89 | Jim Palmer (22) | 2β11 | |||||
14 | November 25 | @ New York | 115β113 | Jack Twyman (26) | 3β11 | |||||
15 | November 26 | Detroit | 112β95 | Jack Twyman (19) | 3β12 | |||||
16 | November 28 | @ Minneapolis | 93β114 | Jack Twyman (22) | 3β13 | |||||
17 | November 29 | @ St. Louis | 86β98 | Jack Twyman (18) | 3β14 | |||||
18 | November 30 | Minneapolis | 84β77 | Dave Piontek (22) | 3β15 | |||||
19 | December 2 | N St. Louis | 105β81 | Sihugo Green (22) | 3β16 | |||||
20 | December 3 | New York | 108β110 | Arlen Bockhorn (23) | 4β16 | |||||
21 | December 6 | N Minneapolis | 128β132 (3OT) | Jack Twyman (34) | 5β16 | |||||
22 | December 7 | Philadelphia | 103β90 | Jack Twyman (20) | 5β17 | |||||
23 | December 10 | Syracuse | 97β94 | Jack Twyman (20) | 5β18 | |||||
24 | December 12 | @ Boston | 115β125 (OT) | McCarthy, Twyman (22) | 5β19 | |||||
25 | December 16 | @ New York | 106β118 | Jack Twyman (24) | 5β20 | |||||
26 | December 18 | Boston | 104β90 | Jack Twyman (26) | 5β21 | |||||
27 | December 20 | @ Syracuse | 121β120 (OT) | Jack Twyman (27) | 6β21 | |||||
28 | December 25 | St. Louis | 100β92 | Jack Twyman (29) | 6β22 | |||||
29 | December 26 | @ Detroit | 91β131 | Jack Twyman (28) | 6β23 | |||||
30 | December 28 | Minneapolis | 116β120 | Jack Twyman (32) | 7β23 | |||||
31 | December 29 | @ St. Louis | 112β124 | Jack Twyman (32) | 7β24 | |||||
32 | December 30 | St. Louis | 119β104 | Jack Twyman (20) | 7β25 | |||||
33 | January 2 | N Detroit | 104β111 | Jack Twyman (34) | 8β25 | |||||
34 | January 4 | Boston | 111β108 | Wayne Embry (27) | 8β26 | |||||
35 | January 6 | N Boston | 95β109 | Jack Twyman (33) | 8β27 | |||||
36 | January 8 | Syracuse | 145β138 (3OT) | Jack Twyman (41) | 8β28 | |||||
37 | January 9 | N St. Louis | 112β101 | Arlen Bockhorn (27) | 8β29 | |||||
38 | January 10 | Detroit | 101β69 | Jack Twyman (14) | 8β30 | |||||
39 | January 11 | @ Syracuse | 110β127 | Wayne Embry (27) | 8β31 | |||||
40 | January 13 | N Detroit | 112β92 | Jim Palmer (14) | 8β32 | |||||
41 | January 16 | N Minneapolis | 91β95 | Jack Twyman (30) | 9β32 | |||||
42 | January 17 | @ New York | 105β117 | Jack Twyman (36) | 9β33 | |||||
43 | January 18 | Detroit | 88β107 | Archie Dees (18) | 10β33 | |||||
44 | January 20 | N New York | 108β114 | Jack Twyman (30) | 11β33 | |||||
45 | January 21 | New York | 130β109 | Arlen Bockhorn (27) | 11β34 | |||||
46 | January 24 | @ Syracuse | 102β123 | Archie Dees (23) | 11β35 | |||||
47 | January 25 | Syracuse | 104β109 | Jack Twyman (33) | 12β35 | |||||
48 | January 27 | N Philadelphia | 92β100 | Jack Twyman (37) | 13β35 | |||||
49 | January 28 | @ Philadelphia | 84β99 | Archie Dees (14) | 13β36 | |||||
50 | January 30 | @ St. Louis | 87β118 | Jack Twyman (21) | 13β37 | |||||
51 | January 31 | @ Detroit | 88β103 | Dees, Park (14) | 13β38 | |||||
52 | February 3 | Philadelphia | 103β120 | Jack Twyman (31) | 14β38 | |||||
53 | February 8 | @ Boston | 117β136 | Jack Twyman (30) | 14β39 | |||||
54 | February 9 | N Detroit | 122β97 | Jack Twyman (30) | 14β40 | |||||
55 | February 10 | N Minneapolis | 118β100 | Med Park (25) | 14β41 | |||||
56 | February 11 | N Minneapolis | 106β105 | Johnny McCarthy (31) | 14β42 | |||||
57 | February 12 | N Minneapolis | 114β119 | Jack Twyman (33) | 15β42 | |||||
58 | February 14 | N Philadelphia | 106β94 | Jack Twyman (35) | 15β43 | |||||
59 | February 15 | @ New York | 97β124 | Jack Twyman (27) | 15β44 | |||||
60 | February 18 | New York | 118β116 | Jack Twyman (34) | 15β45 | |||||
61 | February 21 | @ St. Louis | 120β121 | Jack Twyman (38) | 15β46 | |||||
62 | February 22 | Boston | 129β112 | Johnny McCarthy (26) | 15β47 | |||||
63 | February 24 | N Syracuse | 109β113 | Jack Twyman (29) | 16β47 | |||||
64 | February 25 | N Minneapolis | 116β96 | Jack Twyman (34) | 16β48 | |||||
65 | February 26 | N Detroit | 101β106 | Jack Twyman (27) | 17β48 | |||||
66 | February 28 | St. Louis | 122β124 (OT) | Jack Twyman (50) | 18β48 | |||||
67 | March 1 | @ Detroit | 101β117 | Jack Twyman (30) | 18β49 | |||||
68 | March 3 | @ St. Louis | 102β113 | Jack Twyman (26) | 18β50 | |||||
69 | March 4 | Minneapolis | 122β128 | Jack Twyman (46) | 19β50 | |||||
70 | March 7 | @ Philadelphia | 86β93 | Jack Twyman (21) | 19β51 | |||||
71 | March 8 | @ Boston | 131β141 | Jack Twyman (45) | 19β52 | |||||
72 | March 10 | Philadelphia | 102β96 | Jack Twyman (26) | 19β53 |
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arlen Bockhorn | |||||||||||
Archie Dees | |||||||||||
Wayne Embry | |||||||||||
Si Green | |||||||||||
Vernon Hatton | |||||||||||
Tom Marshall | |||||||||||
Johnny McCarthy | |||||||||||
Jim Palmer | |||||||||||
Med Park | |||||||||||
Jack Parr | |||||||||||
Dave Piontek | |||||||||||
Phil Rollins | |||||||||||
Larry Staverman | |||||||||||
Jack Twyman |