Vernon Earl Monroe

Position	Guard
Nickname	Earl the Pearl
League	NBA
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Team	Retired
Nationality	USA
Born	November 21, 1944 (1944-11-21) (age 63) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
High school	John Bartram
College	Winston-Salem State University
Draft	2nd, 1967 Baltimore Bullets
Pro career	1967–1980
Former teams	Baltimore Bullets New York Knicks

Vernon Earl Monroe (born on November 21, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing and play-making. His nicknames included both "Earl The Pearl" and his Philadelphia nickname, "Black Jesus". is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Pennsylvania. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... John Bartram High School is a public secondary school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Winston-Salem State University is a four-year is a public, coeducational, research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ... 1967 NBA Draft Round One Round Two Categories: | ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... This article is about the sport. ... Look up flaming in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Career

Early years

From early age, 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. John Bartram High School is a public secondary school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Edison redirects here. ...

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. Division II (or DII) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. ... Winston-Salem State University is a four-year is a public, coeducational, research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ... Nickname: Motto: Youre Something Special in Winston-Salem Location in North Carolina Coordinates: , Country State Counties Forsyth County Founded Consolidated 1766 Salem 1849 Winston 1913 Government  - Mayor Allen Joines (D) Area  - City  132. ... Clarence E. Big House Gaines (b. ...

Earl is a member of the Groove Phi Groove, SFI.

Baltimore Bullets

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 (later broken by Gilbert Arenas on December 17 2006). The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C.. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... 1967 NBA Draft Round One Round Two Categories: | ... The National Basketball Associations Rookie of the Year Award, first given after the 1952-53 NBA season, is given to the top first-year player in the league. ... NBA minimum requirements for scoring average are 70 games played or 1400 points scored. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2006-07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. ...

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."[1] On February 6, 1970, he set an NBA record with 13 points in one overtime in a double overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons (since surpassed by Gilbert Arenas). Westley Sissel Wes Unseld (born March 14, 1946 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American former basketball player and coach in the NBA. Unseld is a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African-Americans. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. ...

On December 8, 2007 the Washington Wizards retired Monroe's number 10 jersey.

New York Knicks

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. Knicks redirects here. ... Walter Clyde Frazier (born March 29, 1945 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ...

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, was among the first to transform the NBA game into an exhilarating art form, had his number 15 jersey retired by the Knicks on March 1, 1986. Peter Press Maravich (June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988) was a Serb-American basketball player known for his dazzling ballhandling, incredible shooting abilities, and creative passing. ...

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."^[1]

Legacy

• Monroe scored over 1,000 points in 9 professional seasons (1968-71, 1973,1975-78) including a career high 2,065 (25.8 points per game) in the 1968-69 season.
• In 1990, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Monroe was named one of the 50 players on the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
• Monroe was chosen commissioner of the United States Basketball League in 1985.
• In 2005, an American Basketball Association team, the Baltimore Pearls, was named in honor of Earl Monroe.
• He is the innovator of the spin move.

Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The United States Basketball League OTCBB: USBL is a professional mens spring basketball league. ... This article is about the year. ... The American Basketball Association (ABA) is a mens basketball league founded in 1999. ... The Baltimore Pearls are a team in the American Basketball Association. ...

Off the hardwood

• In recent years, he has been serving as a commentator for Madison Square Garden and as commissioner of the New Jersey Urban Development Corporation.
• Monroe has also been active in various community affairs and programs, including the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Health, the Crown Heights Youth Collective, the Literary Assistance Fund and the Harlem Junior Tennis Program. He has received many honors for these "off-the-court" community activities, including the Harlem Professionals Inspirational Award, Most Outstanding Model for American Youth, the YMCA Citizenship Award and Big Apple Sportsman of the Year Award.
• He also served as a spokesman for the American Heart Association, along with his former Knicks teammate Walt "Clyde" Frazier.
• In October 2005, Monroe opened a restaurant in New York City, named "Earl Monroe's Restaurant & Pearl Club". However, Monroe has since revoked the licensing rights to his name and the restaurant is now called The River Room [2]
• Monroe, his brother and his sister all have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.^[2]

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is an American government organisation that aims to promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports. History The Presidents Council on Youth Fitness was founded on 16 July 1956 to encourage American... Crown Heights is a neighborhood in Brooklyn in New York City. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Harlem (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with YWCA. This article is about the association. ... The American Heart Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke American Stroke Association Web site. ... Walter Clyde Frazier (born March 29, 1945 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... See diabetes mellitus for further general information on diabetes. ...

Notes

1. ^ http://nymag.com/nymetro/food/talent/14906/
2. ^ Legends Frazier and Monroe Team up Once More to Educate

Trivia

• In the Spike Lee film He Got Game Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) explains to his son, Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen) that his name was inspired by Monroe's nickname: "Jesus".
• In the film "The United States of Leland" Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle) is named after Monroe's nickname: "Pearl"

Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia), better known as Spike Lee, is an Emmy Award - winning, and Academy Award - nominated American film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his films dealing with controversial social and political issues. ... He Got Game is a 1998 drama-sports film directed by Spike Lee starring Denzel Washington and Ray Allen as a father and son trying to reconcile on the eve of the sons graduation from a Coney Island high school, and under pressure to decide which college basketball scholarship... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... Not to be confused with Ray Alan or Allan Ray. ... The United States of Leland is a 2004 dramatic movie by director Matthew Ryan Hoge about a meek teenaged boy named Leland P. Fitzgerald who has inexplicably committed a shocking murder. ... Don Cheadle (born November 29, 1964) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor. ...

External links

• Basketball Hall of Fame profile
• Earl Monroe nba.com profile
• Rare Earl Monroe Film Clips