NORFOLK, Va. – Former Norfolk State men's basketball great Gene Cunningham passed away earlier this month and was laid to rest over the weekend in his hometown of Fredericksburg.
 
Cunningham, 64, was a standout for the Spartans in the 1970's, leading NSU to three straight CIAA titles from 1974-76. He was named the CIAA Player of the Year as a senior in 1976 and the CIAA Tournament MVP in both 1975 and '76.
 
He ranks third all-time at NSU in scoring (2,151) and rebounds (1,186). He averaged 18.5 points per game during his four-year career, appearing in a total of 116 games from 1972-76. Cunningham was inducted into the NSUAF Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
 
He was also named to the All-CIAA team and to the All-CIAA Tournament team each season from 1974-76.  He was an NAIA honorable mention All-America as a senior as well. During his sophomore year in 1974, Cunningham led the Spartans to the NCAA Elite Eight for Division II.
 
A sixth-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1976, he later played in Sweden and for the D.C. Metros in the Continental Basketball League.
 
A memorial service was held for Cunningham last Saturday in Fredericksburg, where he was born and raised and later attended James Monroe High School.