Maurice Cheeks is a former professional basketball player. He attended West Texas State University from 1974 to 1978. Cheeks was an all-Missouri Valley Conference player for three straight seasons, as he averaged 17 points per game and shot nearly 57% for his collegiate career. 

After college, Cheeks was selected as the 36th pick in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers. He earned four trips to the NBA All-Star Game and he helped the 76ers to three trips to the NBA Finals in a four-year span in the early 1980s, including an NBA championship in 1983. Cheeks started at point guard and 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. 

Cheeks was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018. As of 2020, he serves as assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls of the NBA. He has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons.