“Maurice Stokes approached every day as a challenge and never gave up,” Jay Twyman told an audience of more than 100 at JFK Auditorium on Jan. 22.
Jay Twyman, son of Stokes’ close friend and teammate Jack Twyman, was a featured speaker at the Dr. Albert Zanzuccki Lecture Series, part of the 2025 Martin Luther King and Maurice Stokes Legacy Week.
Sponsored by the Shields School of Business, the event included a roundtable discussion moderated by Professor of Communications and Stokes biographer Pat Farabaugh. Joining Twyman were Ty Chapman and John Coy, co-authors of a new illustrated children’s book “Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA’s First Black Superstar.”
A standout at Saint Francis from 1951-55, Stokes led the Red Flash to consecutive National Invitation Tournament appearances before playing three all-star seasons in the NBA with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings). In March of 1958, a head injury during a game left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Jack Twyman became Stokes’ legal guardian, securing workers compensation benefits for his friend and organizing fundraisers to cover his medical expenses. Despite racial tensions in the U.S. at the time, Jay Twyman said his father saw it simply as “one human being taking care of another.”
“I grew up with Maurice as part of my family,” Jay Twyman said. “My dad brought him into our lives without hesitation because that’s just what you did – you helped people.”
Beyond financial support, Jack Twyman provided emotional strength to Stokes while setting an example for others. Despite Stokes’ paralysis, Jay Twyman said Maurice remained sharp – he never missed voting and followed current events.
“Maurice never gave up,” Jay Twyman said. “Even with everything he went through, he kept creating and giving.”
“That’s something I’ve carried with me my whole life.”
Jay Twyman discussed how his father involved their family in Stokes’ recovery, often visiting him in the hospital, where Stokes created artwork that many of his friends and family still cherish.
“I have a papier-mâché box that Maurice made,” Jay Twyman said. “On the lid, there’s a picture of him in a wheelchair with the caption, ‘Living the Life.’”
“Despite everything, he considered himself lucky. That was Maurice’s attitude.”
The NBA introduced the Twyman-Stokes Teammate-of-the-Year Award in 2013, which first led Coy and Chapman to Stokes’ story.
“I did some research and couldn’t believe that I didn’t know the story, specifically what a tremendous player and person he was,” said Coy. “I became eager to learn more about him and share that story with a new generation of readers.”
Coy read Farabaugh’s 2014 biography of Stokes – “An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman” – and reached out to him for additional information about the 1955 Saint Francis alumnus.
Around the same time, Chapman reached out to Coy for advice on writing about basketball for children. Shortly thereafter, the two collaborated on their children’s book on Stokes, which was released in October of last year.
As Coy and Chapman started researching Stokes’ story, they were surprised at the impact that he made not only as a trailbazing African American player in the NBA, but also as a person.
“What surprised me most, as we worked on this, was the deep connection that Maurice and Jack shared,” said Coy. “It went beyond basketball, beyond teammates. It was this profound bond of loyalty and humanity.”
Coy described Stokes’ talent as “groundbreaking.”
“Maurice was a trailblazer on the court, but his strength off the court, in the face of so much adversity, is just as inspiring,” said Coy. “And Jack – he wasn’t a superhero; he was an ordinary person who made an extraordinary choice.”
Stokes died on April 6, 1970, at age 36 and was buried in the Franciscan Community Cemetery at SFU – one of the few laypeople laid to rest there. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2004, and his name remains linked with Twyman through the Twyman-Stokes Teammate-of-the-Year Award, a tribute to their enduring friendship and courage.
Coy and Chapman signed copies of their book at the SFU men’s basketball game against LIU at the Stokes Center on Jan. 24. They also participated in a reading and discussion of the book with local elementary students at the University’s Curry Innovation Center in Altoona, and visited with SFU students in several Education and English classes during their visit.
Chapman said he hopes young readers take away the importance of compassion and friendship from their book.
“Maurice and Jack’s story shows that helping someone isn’t just a one-time act – it’s a lifelong commitment,” he said. “It’s about stepping up, even when it’s hard, and finding joy in being there for someone else.”
“His legacy continues to inspire,” said Coy.
