Earl "The Pearl" Monroe
From early age, Philadelphia native Earl Monroe was a playground legend. His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him "Thomas Edison" because of the many moves he invented.
Monroe rose to prominence at the Division II level playing basketball at Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Under the coaching of Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points his freshman year, 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and 41.5 points his senior year. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division Championship.
In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the first round of the NBA draft (2nd overall pick). He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a season in which he averaged 24.3 points per game, and scored 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the third-highest rookie total in NBA history at the time and also a franchise record.
He formed a formidable one-two-punch with Wes Unseld and became a cult hero for his ability to run the fast break and for his circus-like shots. He said "The thing is, I don't know what I'm going to do with the ball, and if I don't know, I'm quite sure the guy guarding me doesn't know either.” On February 6, 1970, he set an NBA record with 13 points in one overtime in a double overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.
In 1971, Monroe was traded to the New York Knicks and formed a celebrity backcourt with equally flamboyant Walt Frazier. The duo meshed together to form one of the most deadly guard combinations of all time, featuring two Hall of Famers and NBA 50th Anniversary Team members With Monroe, the Knicks won the 1973 NBA championship.
A four-time NBA All-Star, Monroe retired after the 1980 season due to serious knee injuries, which plagued him throughout his career. He had played 926 NBA career games, scored 17,454 total points (18.8 ppg) and dished out 3,594 assists. Monroe, who, along with Pete Maravich, transformed the NBA game into an exhilarating art form, had his number 15 jersey retired by the Knicks on March 1, 1986 and Washington retired his #10 on December 1, 2007.
Even Monroe admits that his flowing, fluid, silky-smooth on-court style of play was unique. He has said: "You know, I watch the games and even now I never see anyone who reminds me of me, the way I played."
Monroe currently resides in New York City with his wife Marita and daughter Maya.
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