Editing Maurice Cheeks (section)

==Playing career==
After college, Cheeks was selected as the 36th pick in the second round of the [[1978 NBA draft]] by the Philadelphia 76ers.<ref name=":1" /> He played 15 years as a [[point guard]] in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Pompey |first=Keith |date=March 29, 2018 |title=Maurice Cheeks elected to Hall of Fame |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/sixers/maurice-mo-cheeks-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2018-sixers-76ers-20180329.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer}}</ref> As a 76er, he earned four trips to the [[National Basketball Association All-Star Game|NBA All-Star Game]],<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2022 |title=The 50 Greatest Sixers Players Of All Time |url=https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/a/best-sixers-players-all-time-ranking-20220418.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer}}</ref> and he helped the 76ers to three trips to the [[NBA Finals]] in a four-year span in the early 1980s (1980, 1982, and 1983), including an NBA championship in 1983.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia 76ers Historical Statistics and All-Time Top Leaders |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>  While starting at point guard for a Sixers team that at times included stars [[Julius Erving]], [[Moses Malone]], [[Andrew Toney]], and [[Charles Barkley]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1983.html |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1984-85 Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1985.html |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Cheeks was well regarded for his team play and defensive skills. He was named to four straight NBA All-Defensive squads from 1983 to 1986, and earned a spot on the second team in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Year-by-year NBA All-Defensive Teams |url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-defensive-team |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref> When he retired in 1993, he was fifth in NBA history in total assists, and as of 2024, he is sixteenth on the combined ABA/NBA assist list.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Assists |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ast_career.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Philadelphia 76ers (1978–1989)===
He had his best seasons with the 76ers. At the young age of 22 he gained a notable role on the 76ers, solidifying himself as the starting point guard and earning himself valuable minutes, starting all 82 games and playing nearly 30 minutes per game.<ref name=":4" /> The 76ers were also in playoff contention for every year that he was on the team except for the [[1987–88 NBA season|1987–88 season]].<ref name=":8" /> 

By his fifth year in the league, he was selected to his first All-Star appearance, starting the game,<ref>{{Cite web |title=1983 NBA All-Star Game Box Score |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1983.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> and had averaged 12.5 points, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals for the [[1982–83 NBA season|1982–83 season]].<ref name=":4" /> The 76ers also had the best season in this 76ers era, having a 65–17 record. This is the second-best season record in the 76ers franchise history, the 1966-1967 team being 68-13; and the second-best record league-wide in the 1980s behind only the 1986 [[Boston Celtics]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Time Best NBA Regular Seasons |url=https://champsorchumps.us/records/best-nba-regular-season-records |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=champsorchumps.us |language=en}}</ref> 

They would go on to win the NBA championship that year, which was Cheeks' first and only championship.<ref name=":11" /> He would be an integral part of the 76ers for the rest of his time in Philadelphia, however the 76ers failed to repeat the level of success that they reached in the 1982–83 season. He would be selected to three more All-Star appearances from 1986 to 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1986 NBA All-Star Game Box Score |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1986.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1987 NBA All-Star Game Box Score |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1987.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1988 NBA All-Star Game Box Score |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1988.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In the 1986 playoffs he averaged a playoff career high 20.8 points throughout the whole postseason.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1986 Philadelphia 76ers Player Stats - Playoffs |url=https://www.landofbasketball.com/stats_by_team/1985_1986_76ers_pl.htm |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.landofbasketball.com}}</ref> In the [[1986–87 NBA season|1986–87 season]] he would average a career high 15.6 points.<ref name=":4" /> However the 76ers were no longer elite title contenders and lost in the first round in the 1987 playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1987 NBA Eastern Conference First Round - 76ers vs. Bucks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1987-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-76ers-vs-bucks.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The following year they missed the playoffs in what was Cheeks' last all-star appearance. Cheeks played one more season for the 76ers; they were back in the playoffs but got swept in the first round by the New York Knicks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 NBA Eastern Conference First Round - 76ers vs. Knicks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1989-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-76ers-vs-knicks.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===San Antonio Spurs (1989–1990)===
In the 1989 off-season the Philadelphia 76ers traded Maurice Cheeks, [[Chris Welp]], and [[David Wingate (basketball)|David Wingate]] to the [[San Antonio Spurs]] for [[Johnny Dawkins]] and [[Jay Vincent]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Maurice Cheeks Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cheekma01.html |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> At 33 years old, Cheeks was aging and in the twilight of his career but he still played well for the Spurs and averaged 10.9 points for his time in San Antonio. He played 50 games for the club and was the starting point guard.<ref name=":4" /> However he was not able to finish the [[1989–90 NBA season|1989–90 season]] for the Spurs as he was traded to the Knicks before the season ended.

===New York Knicks (1990–1991)===
On February 21, 1990, Cheeks was traded to the New York Knicks for [[Rod Strickland]].<ref name=":4" /> Cheeks played the remainder of the season in New York, averaging 7.9 points in 31 games for the franchise.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989-90 New York Knicks Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/1990.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Knicks went 45–37 that year and made the 1990 playoffs, however they lost in the second round 1–4 to the Detroit Pistons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1990 New York Knicks: Season and Playoffs |url=https://www.landofbasketball.com/teams_by_year/1989_1990_knicks.htm |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.landofbasketball.com}}</ref> The following season, Cheeks played in 76 games, averaging 7.8 points per game and 5.7 assists per game,<ref name=":4" /> and the Knicks made the playoffs, but were swept by the Bulls in the first round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 NBA Eastern Conference First Round - Knicks vs. Bulls |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1991-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-knicks-vs-bulls.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Atlanta Hawks (1991–1992)===
In the 1991 off-season the New York Knicks traded Cheeks to the [[Atlanta Hawks]] for [[Tim McCormick]] and a 1994 first round draft pick (which later became [[Charlie Ward]]).<ref name=":4" /> Cheeks' points average dropped drastically to 4.6<ref name=":4" /> and he was no longer a starting calibre player. He became an unrestricted free agent in the 1992 off-season and did not re-sign with the Hawks.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Nets sign Cheeks - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/01/07/Nets-sign-Cheeks/4388726382800/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref>

In the second-to-last game of the 1991–92 season (April 15, 1992), while playing for the Hawks against the Knicks, Cheeks picked off four steals to surpass longtime Philadelphia teammate Julius Erving's steals record of 2,272 for combined ABA and NBA steals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This Date in the NBA: April |url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-this-date-in-nba-april |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref>  

===New Jersey Nets (1992–1993)===
On January 7, 1993, the [[New Jersey Nets]] signed Cheeks as a free agent.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":9" /> He averaged a career-low 3.6 points for the season and he only played 35 games for the franchise.<ref name=":4" /> The Nets reached the playoffs but lost in the first round 2–3 to the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1993 NBA Eastern Conference First Round - Nets vs. Cavaliers |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1993-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-nets-vs-cavaliers.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Retirement===
After the season ended Cheeks became a free agent but never played in the NBA again. At 36 years old he retired from the NBA.

In NBA history, as of 2024, Cheeks ranks sixth in steals<ref name=":4" /> and sixteenth in assists among ABA/NBA combined rankings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Steals |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/stl_career.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10" /> Upon his retirement from the NBA in 1993, he was the NBA all-time leader in steals, third all-time in playoff steals, and fifth in assists.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Disdier |first=Ryan |date=March 2, 2018 |title=The Hall of Fame Case for Maurice Cheeks |url=https://www.nba.com/sixers/hall-fame-case-maurice-cheeks |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=www.nba.com |language=en}}</ref> He averaged 11.7 points and over 2 steals per game for his career.<ref name=":4" /> In his rookie year, Cheeks averaged 4.1 steals per game in the [[1979 NBA Playoffs]] (37 steals in nine games),<ref name=":4" /> an NBA record for one playoff run (as of 2024).<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA & ABA Year-by-Year Playoff Leaders and Records for Steals Per Game |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/stl_per_g_yearly_p.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> As of 2024, he is second all-time in playoff steals per game average, behind only [[Baron Davis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Steals Per Game |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/stl_per_g_career_p.html |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>