Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Jack TwymanJohn Kennedy “Jack” Twyman was an American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster, renowned for his scoring prowess and dedication to the game.

Player Profile

Personal Information:

  • Full Name: John Kennedy Twyman
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: May 21, 1934
  • Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Date of Death: May 30, 2012
  • Place of Death: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm)
  • Weight: 210 pounds (95 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 7 inches
  • Position: Small Forward
  • Jersey Numbers: 10, 27, 31

Education:

  • High School: Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • College: University of Cincinnati (1951–1955)

Professional Career:

  • NBA Draft: Selected by the Rochester Royals in the second round as the 8th overall pick of the 1955 NBA Draft.
  • Teams Played For: Rochester Royals / Cincinnati Royals (1955–1966)
  • Career Highlights:
    • 6× NBA All-Star (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962)
    • 2× All-NBA Second Team (1960, 1962)
    • Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983
    • His jersey number 27 was retired by the Sacramento Kings
    • Twyman is a namesake of the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award

Personal Life:

  • Family: Jack Twyman was married to Carole Twyman. They had six children together. Specific information about his siblings is not widely documented.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Jack Twyman was a pure-scoring wing, essentially a shooting forward who blended perimeter touch with enough size to play either forward or big guard roles for his era; defensively, he profiled more as a sound positional defender than a disruptive stopper, with offense clearly driving his value; offensively, he was a featured scorer who leaned on polished shooting, high-volume jump scoring, and steady half-court production rather than bruising interior play or primary playmaking. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Twyman had strong size for the 1950s and 1960s wing game, which helped him score over smaller defenders while still working comfortably from the perimeter. In total, his style was smooth and efficient: a high-level shooter and offensive focal point whose game was built on skill, balance, and dependable scoring production. (Basketball Reference)

Sources: Basketball-Reference — Jack Twyman Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft …; Britannica — Jack Twyman | NBA Hall of Famer, 6x All-Star