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Earl Monroe
Earl Monroe WSSU.jpg
Monroe with Winston-Salem State in 1967
Personal information
Born (1944-11-21) November 21, 1944 (age 80)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
High school John Bartram
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Listed height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight 185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College Winston-Salem State (1963–1967)
NBA Draft 1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Baltimore Bullets
Pro career 1967–1980
Career history
1967–1971 Baltimore Bullets
1971–1980 New York Knicks
Career highlights and awards
  • NBA champion (1973)
  • 4× NBA All-Star (1969, 1971, 1975, 1977)
  • All-NBA First Team (1969)
  • NBA Rookie of the Year (1968)
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team (1968)
  • NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
  • No. 15 retired by New York Knicks
  • No. 10 retired by Washington Wizards
  • NCAA College Division champion (1967)
  • NCAA College Division Tournament MVP (1967)
Career statistics
Points 17,454 (18.8 ppg)
Rebounds 2,796 (3.0 rpg)
Assists 3,594 (3.9 apg)

Earl Monroe, born on November 21, 1944, is a famous American basketball player who used to play professionally. He played for two teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. Both teams honored him by retiring his jersey number. Because of his amazing skills and exciting way of playing, people called him "Earl the Pearl".

Monroe was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Later, in 2021, he was also chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which lists the 75 greatest players in NBA history.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Earl Monroe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was known as a great player on the playgrounds from a young age. His teammates in high school at John Bartram High School even called him "Thomas Edison". This was because he invented so many new moves on the court.

When he was younger, Monroe was more interested in soccer and baseball. But by age 14, he was 6 feet 3 inches tall. His interest in basketball grew, and he played center for most of his youth. Many of his unique "shake-and-bake" moves came from playing on outdoor asphalt courts. He said he had to create "flukey-duke shots" and learn to hesitate in the air before shooting.

After high school, Monroe went to a college prep school. He also worked as a shipping clerk. He played basketball often at a recreation center in Philadelphia. The center's owner, Leon Whitley, encouraged Monroe to go to Winston-Salem State University. He suggested Monroe play for coach Clarence Gaines.

College Basketball Career

Monroe became very well-known while playing at Winston-Salem State University. This university was a Division II school at the time. Under Coach Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points in his first year. He once wanted to go back home, but Coach Gaines talked to his mother, and Monroe decided to stay.

Monroe's scoring improved a lot each year. He averaged 23.2 points as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged 29.8 points. In his senior year (1966–1967), he averaged an amazing 41.5 points. He scored 1,329 points that season. During this time, a sportswriter called his points "Earl's pearls." Soon, fans started chanting "Earl, the Super Pearl," and his famous nickname was born.

In 1967, Monroe was named NCAA College Division Player of the Year. He led his team, the Rams, to win the 1967 NCAA College Division Championship. They won 77–74 against SW Missouri State in the final game.

Overall, Monroe played four years at Winston-Salem State University. He averaged 26.7 points per game. He scored a total of 2,395 points in 110 games. He is still the top scorer in the history of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball. After college, Monroe passed a national teaching exam.

NBA Career Highlights

Playing for the Baltimore Bullets (1967–1971)

In 1967, Earl Monroe was a two-time All-American player. He was picked second overall in the 1967 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. This team is now known as the Washington Wizards. Monroe then won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in his first season. He averaged 24.3 points per game.

He once scored 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the third-highest score ever by an NBA rookie. It was also a team record for the Bullets at the time. Monroe and his teammate, Wes Unseld, quickly became a strong duo for Baltimore. Monroe became a fan favorite because of his fast breaks and amazing, tricky shots. He once 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."

In the 1968–1969 season, Monroe averaged 25.8 points. The Bullets won their division title. In the 1970–1971 season, the Bullets reached the 1971 NBA Finals. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks in tough playoff series. However, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Finals. The Bucks had famous players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.

Monroe played 328 games for the Bullets. He averaged 23.7 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds during his time there.

Joining the New York Knicks (1971–1980)

After the 1970–1971 season, Monroe wanted to be traded to another team. He was eventually traded from the Bullets to the New York Knicks in November 1971. When he joined the Knicks, Monroe teamed up with another exciting player, Walt Frazier. They formed what was called the "Rolls-Royce backcourt."

At first, people wondered if Monroe and Frazier could play well together. But they soon became one of the best guard duos in basketball history. In the 1971–1972 season, Monroe averaged 11.4 points with the Knicks as he adjusted to his new team. The Knicks made it to the 1972 NBA Finals but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the 1972–1973 season, Frazier and Monroe led the Knicks to win the 1973 NBA Championship. They had a strong team with other Hall of Fame players like Bill Bradley, Jerry Lucas, and Willis Reed. Monroe averaged 15.5 points during the regular season. In the Finals, the Knicks played the Los Angeles Lakers again and won the championship, four games to one. Monroe averaged 16.0 points in that series.

Monroe was a four-time NBA All-Star. He retired after the 1980 season because of serious knee injuries. These injuries had bothered him throughout his career. In nine seasons and 592 games with the Knicks, Monroe averaged 16.2 points.

Overall, Earl Monroe played in 926 regular season NBA games. He scored a total of 17,454 points. He also had 3,594 assists. He averaged 18.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in his entire career. He scored over 1,000 points in nine of his thirteen professional seasons. His highest scoring season was 1968–69, when he averaged 25.8 points per game.

In 2021, The Athletic ranked Monroe as the 58th greatest player in NBA history. This was part of a list celebrating the NBA's 75th Anniversary. Monroe's playing style was unique, smooth, and flowing. He once said, "I never see anyone who reminds me of me, the way I played."

Personal Life and Community Work

EarlthePearlatBarnes&Noble
Monroe at a book signing in 2013
  • Earl Monroe has a son named Rodney and a daughter named Maya. Maya has coached basketball in high school and college.
  • Monroe was named commissioner of the United States Basketball League in 1985.
  • He launched a candy company called NBA Candy Store in 2012.
  • In recent years, he has worked as a commentator for Madison Square Garden. He also served as commissioner of the New Jersey Urban Development Corporation.
  • Monroe has been very active in community programs. These include the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Health. He has received many awards for his community work.
  • He was a spokesman for the American Heart Association with his former teammate Walt "Clyde" Frazier.
  • Monroe, his brother, and his sister have all been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He is a spokesman for a website that promotes healthy eating for people with diabetes.
  • Monroe owns his own record label called Reverse Spin Records in New York.
  • In the movie He Got Game, a character's name was inspired by Monroe's nickname "Jesus".
  • Monroe had a shoe deal with Jordache for a line of basketball sneakers called "Pearl" in the early 1980s.

Honors and Achievements

  • In 1977, Monroe was added to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
  • The New York Knicks retired his number 15 jersey on March 1, 1986.
  • He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
  • Monroe was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.
  • In 2006, he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
  • The Washington Wizards retired his number 10 jersey on December 1, 2007.
  • In 2005, an American Basketball Association team was named the Baltimore Pearls in his honor.
  • Winston-Salem State University retired his number 10 jersey in 2017.
  • In 2021, Monroe was chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

NBA Career Statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular Season Performance

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1967–68 Baltimore 82 — 36.7 .453 — .781 5.7 4.3 — — 24.3
1968–69 Baltimore 80 — 38.4 .440 — .768 3.5 4.9 — — 25.8
1969–70 Baltimore 82 — 37.2 .446 — .830 3.1 4.9 — — 23.4
1970–71 Baltimore 81 — 35.1 .442 — .802 2.6 4.4 — — 21.4
1971–72 Baltimore 3 — 34.3 .406 — .722 2.7 3.3 — — 21.7
1971–72 New York 60 — 20.6 .436 — .786 1.5 2.2 — — 11.4
1972–73† New York 75 — 31.6 .488 — .822 3.3 3.8 — — 15.5
1973–74 New York 41 — 29.1 .468 — .823 3.0 2.7 .8 .5 14.0
1974–75 New York 78 — 36.1 .457 — .827 4.2 3.5 1.4 .4 20.9
1975–76 New York 76 — 38.0 .478 — .787 3.6 4.0 1.5 .3 20.7
1976–77 New York 77 — 34.5 .517 — .839 2.9 4.8 1.2 .3 19.9
1977–78 New York 76 — 31.2 .495 — .832 2.4 4.8 .8 .3 17.8
1978–79 New York 64 — 21.8 .471 — .838 1.2 3.0 .8 .1 12.3
1979–80 New York 51 — 12.4 .457 — .875 .7 1.3 .4 .1 7.4
Career 926 — 32.0 .464 — .807 3.0 3.9 1.0 .3 18.8
All-Star 4 3 21.3 .359 — .706 3.0 2.8 .3 .0 10.0

Playoff Performance

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1969 Baltimore 4 — 42.8 .386 — .806 5.3 4.0 — — 28.3
1970 Baltimore 7 — 42.7 .481 — .800 3.3 4.0 — — 28.0
1971 Baltimore 18 — 37.3 .407 .793 3.6 4.1 — — 22.1
1972 New York 16 — 26.8 .411 — .789 2.8 2.9 — — 12.3
1973† New York 16 — 31.5 .526 — .750 3.2 3.2 — — 16.1
1974 New York 12 — 33.9 .491 — .855 4.0 2.1 0.7 0.8 17.4
1975 New York 3 — 29.7 .267 — .818 3.0 2.0 1.3 0.7 14.0
1978 New York 6 — 24.2 .387 — .611 0.8 2.8 1.0 0.0 9.8
Career 82 — 33.1 .439 — .791 3.2 3.2 0.9 0.5 17.9

See also

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