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However, he missed the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. Frustrations began to grow with Sixers veterans Allen Iverson and [[Chris Webber]], who were not happy with the team's direction. During the 2006–07 season, Iverson would be traded to the Nuggets and Webber would be released, leaving Cheeks with one of the youngest teams in the NBA. On February 20, 2007, the 76ers extended Cheeks' contract one year despite his losing record as coach.
However, he missed the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. Frustrations began to grow with Sixers veterans Allen Iverson and [[Chris Webber]], who were not happy with the team's direction. During the 2006–07 season, Iverson would be traded to the Nuggets and Webber would be released, leaving Cheeks with one of the youngest teams in the NBA. On February 20, 2007, the 76ers extended Cheeks' contract one year despite his losing record as coach.


At the beginning of the 2007–08 season, expectations were low and the 76ers were picked to finish last in the Conference by many prognosticators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/preview2007/phi.html|title=NBA.com - 2007-08 Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref> However, the Sixers clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Atlanta Hawks on April 4, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/postgame_report_080404.html|title=Philadelphia 76ers News Headlines|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref> It was their first postseason appearance since 2005, as well as the first in the post-Iverson era. However, they were eliminated by the [[Detroit Pistons]], 4–2. Even with this elimination, many fans considered this to be a successful season, considering that the Sixers were 12 games under .500 in early February and went on to have a 21–7 run that led them to the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20080404/PHIATL/recap.html|title=NBA.com Sixers Hold Off Hawks, Clinch Playoff Spot|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref>
At the beginning of the 2007–08 season, expectations were low and the 76ers were picked to finish last in the Conference by many prognosticators.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/preview2007/phi.html|title=NBA.com - 2007-08 Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref> However, the Sixers clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Atlanta Hawks on April 4, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/postgame_report_080404.html|title=Philadelphia 76ers News Headlines|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109171623/http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/postgame_report_080404.html|archivedate=January 9, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It was their first postseason appearance since 2005, as well as the first in the post-Iverson era. However, they were eliminated by the [[Detroit Pistons]], 4–2. Even with this elimination, many fans considered this to be a successful season, considering that the Sixers were 12 games under .500 in early February and went on to have a 21–7 run that led them to the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20080404/PHIATL/recap.html|title=NBA.com Sixers Hold Off Hawks, Clinch Playoff Spot|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref>


The Sixers started out the 2008–09 NBA season 9–14, despite their signing of [[Elton Brand]] and re-signing of [[Andre Iguodala]] during the offseason. Due to their slow start, the 76ers fired Cheeks on December 13, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3766766|title=Sixers fire Cheeks after 9-14 start|date=December 14, 2008|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref> In a 2015 interview with Sports Illustrated, former Sixers forward [[Matt Barnes]] referred to Cheeks as "a dick".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/10/matt-barnes-los-angeles-clippers-kobe-bryant-lakers-chris-paul?page=4|title=Matt Barnes: The Clippers' polarizing pariah|first=Chris|last=Ballard|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref>
The Sixers started out the 2008–09 NBA season 9–14, despite their signing of [[Elton Brand]] and re-signing of [[Andre Iguodala]] during the offseason. Due to their slow start, the 76ers fired Cheeks on December 13, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3766766|title=Sixers fire Cheeks after 9-14 start|date=December 14, 2008|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref> In a 2015 interview with Sports Illustrated, former Sixers forward [[Matt Barnes]] referred to Cheeks as "a dick".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/10/matt-barnes-los-angeles-clippers-kobe-bryant-lakers-chris-paul?page=4|title=Matt Barnes: The Clippers' polarizing pariah|first=Chris|last=Ballard|publisher=|accessdate=July 26, 2016}}</ref>


On August 14, 2009, he was hired as an assistant coach for the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]].<ref>[http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2009/08/14/maurice-cheeks-coming-to-okc/ Maurice Cheeks Coming To OKC | Thunder Rumblings<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
On August 14, 2009, he was hired as an assistant coach for the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]].<ref>[http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2009/08/14/maurice-cheeks-coming-to-okc/ Maurice Cheeks Coming To OKC | Thunder Rumblings<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20120710031411/http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2009/08/14/maurice-cheeks-coming-to-okc/ |date=July 10, 2012 }}</ref>


On June 10, 2013, Cheeks agreed to become the head coach of the [[Detroit Pistons]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Detroit Pistons Name Maurice Cheeks Head Coach|url=http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-name-maurice-cheeks-head-coach|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|date=June 10, 2013|accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> On February 9, 2014, the Detroit Pistons relieved Cheeks of his head coaching duties and replaced him with [[John Loyer]] on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.<ref name=pistons>{{cite web|title=Detroit Pistons Relieve Maurice Cheeks of Head Coaching Duties|url=http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-relieve-maurice-cheeks-head-coaching-duties|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|date=February 9, 2014|accessdate=February 9, 2014}}</ref>
On June 10, 2013, Cheeks agreed to become the head coach of the [[Detroit Pistons]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Detroit Pistons Name Maurice Cheeks Head Coach|url=http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-name-maurice-cheeks-head-coach|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|date=June 10, 2013|accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> On February 9, 2014, the Detroit Pistons relieved Cheeks of his head coaching duties and replaced him with [[John Loyer]] on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.<ref name=pistons>{{cite web|title=Detroit Pistons Relieve Maurice Cheeks of Head Coaching Duties|url=http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/detroit-pistons-relieve-maurice-cheeks-head-coaching-duties|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|date=February 9, 2014|accessdate=February 9, 2014}}</ref>

Revision as of 16:27, 9 September 2017

Maurice Cheeks
Cheeks in 2011
Oklahoma City Thunder
PositionAssistant coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1956-09-08) September 8, 1956 (age 68)
Chicago, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolDuSable (Chicago, Illinois)
CollegeWest Texas A&M (1974–1978)
NBA draft1978: 2nd round, 36th overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career1978–1993
PositionPoint guard
Number10, 1
Coaching career1993–present
Career history
As player:
1978–1989Philadelphia 76ers
1989–1990San Antonio Spurs
1990–1991New York Knicks
1991–1992Atlanta Hawks
1993New Jersey Nets
As coach:
1994–2001Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)
2001–2005Portland Trail Blazers
2005–2008Philadelphia 76ers
2009–2013Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant)
2013–2014Detroit Pistons
2015–presentOklahoma City Thunder (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points12,195 (11.1 ppg)
Assists7,392 (6.7 apg)
Steals2,310 (2.1 spg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American retired professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons.

Early life

Cheeks was born in Chicago, and attended DuSable High School. He attended West Texas State University from 1974 to 1978. Cheeks was an all-Missouri Valley Conference player for three straight seasons, as he averaged 16.8 points per game and shot nearly 57% for his collegiate career. He is currently the third leading scorer in WTSU/WTAM history.

Playing career

After college, Cheeks was selected as the 36th pick in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Cheeks played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers, He earned four trips to the NBA All-Star Game, and he helped the 76ers earn three trips to the NBA Finals in a four-year span in the early 1980s (1980, 1982, and 1983), including one NBA championship in 1983. While starting at point guard for a Sixers team that at times included stars such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, and Charles Barkley, Cheeks was well regarded for his unselfish team play and excellent defensive skills. As a result, he was named to four straight NBA All-Defensive squads from 1983 to 1986, and then earned a spot on the second team in 1987.

In NBA history, Cheeks ranks fifth all-time in steals and eleventh all-time in assists. At the time of his retirement from the NBA in 1993, Cheeks was the NBA all-time leader in steals and ranked fifth all-time in assists.[1] He averaged 11.7 points per game for his career and notched over 2 steals per contest.

Coaching career

After retirement, Cheeks spent one year coaching in the Continental Basketball Association, before becoming the 76ers assistant head coach in 1994. He coached under head coaches John Lucas (1994–96), Johnny Davis (1996–97), and Larry Brown, and he was an instrumental part of the Philadelphia team that reached the 2001 NBA Finals. In 2001, he was hired as Portland Trail Blazers head coach. He led the team to two playoff berths in four years as coach, but could not get past the first round. He was fired after a poor start to the 2004–05 campaign.

On April 25, 2003, during a game between the Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks, Cheeks aided 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert in singing the American national anthem. After Gilbert forgot the words at "At the twilight's last gleaming", Cheeks rushed over to help her and they finished it together, as the entire Rose Garden Arena crowd sang with them. Cheeks and Gilbert received a standing ovation after the song was over.[2]

In 2005, Cheeks was named as head coach of the 76ers. Cheeks was popular among Sixers fans because of his eleven-year tenure with the Sixers, during which he helped guide the Sixers to the 1983 NBA championship. The move was also praised by Sixers star Allen Iverson, who worked with Cheeks during his run as Sixers' Assistant Head Coach.[3]

However, he missed the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. Frustrations began to grow with Sixers veterans Allen Iverson and Chris Webber, who were not happy with the team's direction. During the 2006–07 season, Iverson would be traded to the Nuggets and Webber would be released, leaving Cheeks with one of the youngest teams in the NBA. On February 20, 2007, the 76ers extended Cheeks' contract one year despite his losing record as coach.

At the beginning of the 2007–08 season, expectations were low and the 76ers were picked to finish last in the Conference by many prognosticators.[4] However, the Sixers clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Atlanta Hawks on April 4, 2008.[5] It was their first postseason appearance since 2005, as well as the first in the post-Iverson era. However, they were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons, 4–2. Even with this elimination, many fans considered this to be a successful season, considering that the Sixers were 12 games under .500 in early February and went on to have a 21–7 run that led them to the playoffs.[6]

The Sixers started out the 2008–09 NBA season 9–14, despite their signing of Elton Brand and re-signing of Andre Iguodala during the offseason. Due to their slow start, the 76ers fired Cheeks on December 13, 2008.[7] In a 2015 interview with Sports Illustrated, former Sixers forward Matt Barnes referred to Cheeks as "a dick".[8]

On August 14, 2009, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.[9]

On June 10, 2013, Cheeks agreed to become the head coach of the Detroit Pistons.[10] On February 9, 2014, the Detroit Pistons relieved Cheeks of his head coaching duties and replaced him with John Loyer on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.[11]

On June 29, 2015, Cheeks returned to the Thunder as an assistant coach.[12]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  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  Bold  Career high
† Denotes seasons in which Cheeks' team won an NBA championship
Bold Denotes career highs

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1978–79 Philadelphia 82 – 29.4 .510 – .721 3.1 5.3 2.1 0.1 8.4
1979–80 Philadelphia 79 – 33.2 .540 .444 .779 3.5 7.0 2.3 0.4 11.4
1980–81 Philadelphia 81 – 29.8 .534 .375 .787 3.0 6.9 2.4 0.5 9.4
1981–82 Philadelphia 79 79 31.6 .521 .273 .777 3.1 8.4 2.6 0.4 11.2
1982–83† Philadelphia 79 79 31.2 .542 .167 .754 2.6 6.9 2.3 0.4 12.5
1983–84 Philadelphia 75 75 33.3 .550 .400 .733 2.7 6.4 2.3 0.3 12.7
1984–85 Philadelphia 78 78 33.5 .570 .231 .879 2.8 6.4 2.2 0.3 13.1
1985–86 Philadelphia 82 82 39.9 .537 .235 .842 2.9 9.2 2.5 0.3 15.4
1986–87 Philadelphia 68 68 38.6 .527 .235 .777 3.2 7.9 2.6 0.2 15.6
1987–88 Philadelphia 79 79 36.3 .495 .136 .825 3.2 8.0 2.1 0.3 13.7
1988–89 Philadelphia 71 70 32.4 .483 .077 .774 2.6 7.8 1.5 0.2 11.6
1989–90 San Antonio 50 49 35.3 .478 .111 .832 3.3 6.0 1.6 0.1 10.9
1989–90 New York 31 13 24.3 .579 .429 .877 2.4 4.9 1.4 0.2 7.9
1990–91 New York 76 64 28.3 .499 .250 .814 2.3 5.7 1.7 0.1 7.8
1991–92 Atlanta 56 0 19.4 .462 .500 .605 1.7 3.3 1.5 0.0 4.6
1992–93 New Jersey 35 0 14.6 .548 .000 .889 1.2 3.1 0.9 0.1 3.6
Career 1101 736 31.6 .523 .255 .793 2.8 6.7 2.1 0.3 11.1
All-Star 4 1 11.0 .438 – 1.000 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.0 4.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1979 Philadelphia 9 – 36.7 .545 – .661 3.9 7.0 4.1 0.4 18.8
1980 Philadelphia 18 – 37.5 .511 .200 .707 4.1 6.2 2.5 0.2 11.6
1981 Philadelphia 16 – 32.1 .544 .000 .762 3.2 7.3 2.5 0.8 10.5
1982 Philadelphia 21 – 36.4 .472 .111 .769 3.0 8.2 2.3 0.3 14.3
1983† Philadelphia 13 – 37.2 .503 .500 .703 3.0 7.0 2.0 0.2 16.3
1984 Philadelphia 5 – 34.2 .522 .000 .867 2.4 3.8 2.6 0.0 16.6
1985 Philadelphia 13 13 37.2 .529 .000 .857 3.5 5.2 2.4 0.4 15.2
1986 Philadelphia 12 12 43.3 .516 .000 .849 4.7 7.1 1.1 0.3 20.8
1987 Philadelphia 5 5 42.0 .530 .000 .857 2.6 8.8 1.8 0.8 17.6
1989 Philadelphia 3 3 42.7 .512 .000 .846 3.7 13.0 2.3 0.3 17.7
1990 New York 10 10 38.8 .481 .000 .903 3.9 8.5 1.7 0.2 12.8
1991 New York 3 3 33.7 .609 .333 .500 3.0 5.3 1.0 0.3 10.0
1993 New Jersey 5 0 16.4 .478 – .000 1.2 2.8 1.2 0.2 4.4
Career 133 46 36.5 .512 .098 .777 3.4 6.9 2.2 0.3 14.4

Head coaching record

Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Portland 2001–02 82 49 33 .598 3rd in Pacific 3 0 3 .000 Lost in First round
Portland 2002–03 82 50 32 .610 3rd in Pacific 7 3 4 .429 Lost in First round
Portland 2003–04 82 41 41 .500 3rd in Pacific — — — — Missed Playoffs
Portland 2004–05 55 22 33 .400 (fired) — — — — —
Philadelphia 2005–06 82 38 44 .463 2nd in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
Philadelphia 2006–07 82 35 47 .427 3rd in Atlantic — — — — Missed Playoffs
Philadelphia 2007–08 82 40 42 .488 3rd in Atlantic 6 2 4 .333 Lost in First round
Philadelphia 2008–09 23 9 14 .391 (fired) — — — — —
Detroit 2013–14 50 21 29 .420 (fired) — — — — —
Career 620 305 315 .492 16 5 11 .313

See also

References

  1. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers News Headlines". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  2. ^ Shining moment for Cheeks and 13-year-old girl made us proud.. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved on June 20, 2009
  3. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  4. ^ "NBA.com - 2007-08 Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  5. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers News Headlines". Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "NBA.com Sixers Hold Off Hawks, Clinch Playoff Spot". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  7. ^ "Sixers fire Cheeks after 9-14 start". December 14, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  8. ^ Ballard, Chris. "Matt Barnes: The Clippers' polarizing pariah". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  9. ^ Maurice Cheeks Coming To OKC | Thunder Rumblings Archived July 10, 2012, at archive.today
  10. ^ "Detroit Pistons Name Maurice Cheeks Head Coach". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  11. ^ "Detroit Pistons Relieve Maurice Cheeks of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 9, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  12. ^ "Thunder Announces Coaching Staff". NBA.com. June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
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