Maurice “Mo” Cheeks was a solid, all-around player who seldom put up flashy numbers, yet his consistent approach to the game was essential to the team and coaches who value teamwork and defense the most. Cheeks was a dedicated professional who placed the interests of his team above his own throughout high school and college at West Texas State. In the 1978 NBA Draft, Cheeks was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent 11 of his 15 seasons in the league.
On one end, he was a five-time NBA All-Defensive member on the Sixers’ 1983 NBA title team. He was a prototypical point guard who made life difficult for the opposition on one end while also working hard to set up his teammates on the other. The four-time All-Star finished his career as the NBA’s all-time leader in steals and fifth in assists while shooting better than 52 percent from the floor. One of Philadelphia’s favorite players, Sharpe was among only seven former Sixers players to have his number retired.
Maurice Cheeks – Early life
Cheeks was born on September 8, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended DuSable High School and grew up in the Robert Taylor housing projects on the city’s South Side.
Maurice Cheeks – College career
Mo Cheeks wasn’t all that sought-after by state universities. After getting a few scholarship offers, he enrolled for the West Texas State University in the little town of Canyon. Cheeks, or, rather his mother, was determined for him to complete his education, even though he had his own plans of going back to his hometown of Chicago. Due to loneliness and an unfamiliar neighborhood, he felt alienated in this new environment. As soon as he began his freshman year, he started longing for home.
As recalled by Cheeks, he doesn’t know what would happen if he left school as his mother Marjorie threatened him not to let him come home if he did.
Soon enough, Cheeks proved to be a valuable addition to the Buffalos, which made him feel more at peace with his situation. Far away from home, he managed 16.8 ppg and had an impressive .568 field percentage as a senior. He currently holds fourth place with 1,227 points on the school’s all-time list.
Despite the fact that his average of 11.8 across his entire time at the college was quite mediocre, his team put up 19-7 and 18-12 records. Even with improved play in his senior year, the Buffalos were on a steady decline and eventually dropped to Division 2, with an 8-19 record for the last season Cheeks spent there.
Maurice Cheeks – NBA Career
Cheeks was invited to Cincinnati during his senior year to play in front of scouts and management while he posted career-high numbers. As a consequence of his performance, McMahon’s interest extended to others within the Philly organization, and the Sixers became interested in drafting the young point guard.
Cheeks was drafted 14th overall in the second round (36th overall) by the 76ers in 1978, where he would spend 11 years of his professional career in the NBA.
Maurice Cheeks – Philadelphia 76ers
The first three years were tough for Cheeks. His rookie year was all but impressive, with figures rounding up at 8.4 ppg and 5.3 apg, but his second season saw him getting more and more familiar with the NBA. He increased his production to 11.4 points and 7 assists per game, and in the next season, he was becoming a rising star able to up an impressive average of 7 assists per game
The Sixers and Cheeks kept on improving and eventually, in 1981-82, they had a chance to take the championship ring home. They were swept by the Showtime Lakers, though, and returned home with faces down. Mo had a career-best 209 steals but it didn’t help much in the final game that ended 4-2 in the favor of the powerhouse Lakers.
With the additions of Moses Malone and Julius Erving, the Sixers were on a roll the following year. They finished the regular season with an outstanding record of 65-17, winning 50 out of 57 first games and went on to the playoffs. Cheeks raised his production to 12.5 points per game and put up 6.9 assists.
Eventually, they reached the NBA finals where they overpowered the Lakers in only four games, a feat reserved only for the best, as Los Angeles were the strongest at the time. Cheeks was named an All-Star for the first time.
Maurice Cheeks – Still consistent
His assists didn’t go down during the next few years. Each year, he kept posting at least 7.9 apg, with a high point of 9.2 during the 1985-86 campaign.
He led the 76ers to their last championship in 1983, averaging 15.6 points per game during the 1986-87 season, when it was said to be his finest year. However, the Sixers were no longer a title contender following that season, and they were eliminated in the first round of the 1987 playoffs.
The next year saw them miss out on the playoffs for what would be Cheeks’ final all-star appearance. The 76ers returned to the postseason for one more season before being swept by the New York Knicks in the first round.
But Mo Cheeks was in for an unpleasant surprise. He found out he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a way nobody would like to experience for himself. A disrespectful event, he was ambushed by reporters at his house when leaving his driveway in his car when a flock of television crew members started asking him about his recent trade, something which he had no knowledge of.
He spent 11 years with the franchise, and, although he wasn’t a star player, it still hurt him deeply that the trade was done behind his back. Along with his teammates David Wingate and Chris Welp, he traveled to San Antonio.
Maurice Cheeks – San Antonio Spurs
Cheeks was 33 years old, nearing the end of his career, yet he continued to perform effectively for the Spurs and averaged 10.9 points per game during his time in San Antonio. He appeared in 50 games for the team and served as the club’s starting point guard. However, he was unable to complete the 1989-90 season with the Spurs.
Maurice Cheeks – New York Knicks
Rod Strickland was sent to the Phoenix Suns in a trade on February 21, 1990, for Mo. Cheeks played the rest of the season in New York for the Knicks, scoring 7.9 points in 31 games. The team went 45-37 that season and qualified for the playoffs, but they were beaten by the Detroit Pistons 1-4 in the second round. The Knicks made it to the postseason again in 1991 and were swept by the Chicago Bulls in round one.
Maurice Cheeks – Atlanta Hawks
Cheeks’ points average dropped to 4.6, and he was no longer a starting-level player. In the 1992 offseason, he became a free agent and did not return to the Hawks. Cheeks broke Julius Erving’s ABA and NBA records for steals in the second-to-last game of the 1991-92 season while playing for the Atlanta Hawks against the visiting New York Knicks, picking off four steals. The Atlanta Hawks season record for rebounds was established by teammate Kevin Willis in the same game.
Maurice Cheeks – New Jersey Nets
Cheeks was a free agent in the NBA on January 7, 1993, when he signed with the New Jersey Nets. He had his worst career year, averaging just 3.6 points per game as he only played 35 games for the team. The Nets made it to the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-3.
Maurice Cheeks – Coaching career
After his retirement, he started a career as the assistant coach of Quad City Thunder (one year) and then the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was a key element in reaching the 2001 finals, spending 8 years in those teams altogether. In 2001, he landed his first serious position as head coach for the Trail Blazers. Under new leadership, the first season went well and they finished 49-33 after a shaky start.
Cheeks was named head coach of the 76ers in 2005. Cheeks was well-liked among Sixers fans because of his eleven-year tenure with the team, during which he helped lead it to the 1983 NBA championship. The acquisition was also praised by Allen Iverson, who worked with Cheeks while serving as an assistant coach for the Sixers. He managed to lead them to the 2008 playoffs.
In 2009, he became assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he would return again in 2015 after a year as head coach of the Pistons in 2013-14.
Maurice Cheeks – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Maurice Cheeks was chosen to join the 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Maurice Cheeks – Net Worth
Maurice Cheeks was a great NBA player, who had a lot to offer. Throughout his career, he managed to acquire some wealth. His net worth is estimated to be between $1 million to $5 million.
What happened to Maurice Cheeks?
On February 9, 2016, Oklahoma City Thunder’s assistant coach Maurice Cheeks underwent hip surgery. The surgery was successful, and Cheeks was able to return to the sidelines a few weeks later.
What is Maurice Cheeks doing now?
Maurice Cheeks is currently an Assistant Coach for the Chicago Bulls.
What was Maurice Cheeks good at?
During the 1978-79 playoffs, ‘Little Mo’ topped his performance on the defensive end with 4.0 steals per game over the course of nine games. That is still the league’s best single-postseason record.
Cheeks was chosen to NBA’s All-Defensive first team four times and once to the All-Defensive second team. He retired with 2,310 career steals, which is still fifth all-time behind John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Michael Jordan, and Gary Payton. That’s some excellent company to be in.
Cheeks, despite the fact that he had to worry about some legendary personas over his career (Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley), didn’t slack off in terms of his offensive skills.
During his 11 seasons with the Sixers, Corbett had 6.7 assists per game and 6.7 for his career. He is far and away the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, with 6,212 total points. Legendary hooper Hal Greer was second on the team with 4,450 assists.
Maurice Cheeks, who had a career-high 21 assists in a regular-season game during the legendary 1982-83 season, amassed 7,392 total assists in his career. He retired ranked No. 11 all-time and is currently sitting at 13th place on the list.
Still, the biggest assist he scored was when he took the matter into his own hands and helped out a 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert when she forgot the words of the National Anthem of the United States.
Was Maurice Cheeks ever a head coach?
A former player himself, Cheeks has coached some of the biggest names in the sport, including the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons.
