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Maurice Stokes

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Basketball Player

The Resume

    (June 17, 1933-April 6, 1970)
    Born in Rankin, Pennsylvania
    Drafted second overall by the Rochester Royals in the 1955 NBA Draft
    Power forward and center for the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals (1955-58)
    NBA Rookie of the Year (1956)
    Became paralyzed days after making an awkward fall on the basketball court in the last game of the 1957-58 season
    Subject of the 1973 movie 'Maurie'

Why he might be annoying:

    Despite being considered one of the NBA's first stars, his career legacy waned into obscurity by basketball pundits.
    His career was cut short by a life-altering injury, which could have been prevented if proper medical attention had been given when the initial accident happened.
    He opted to return to play three days after sustaining a head injury, rather than sit out until he was fit to play.
    He was considered a perfectionist by his coaches and teammates alike.
    He was passed over from several colleges, who felt he was too slow.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He came from a blue-collar working class family.
    He left St. Francis College as the school's all-time leader in rebounds.
    He was a dominating defensive force during his three seasons in the NBA.
    He earned All-Star honors and made the All-NBA Second Team in all three seasons of his career.
    He had a close friendship with his fellow teammate Jack Twyman, who would become his legal guardian in the years following his accident.

Credit: Ricky


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 90.91% Annoying