Earl Monroe
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Earl Vernon Monroe (born on November 21, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), was an American professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing and play-making. He was nicknamed "Earl the Pearl".
Monroe rose to prominence at the Division II school playing basketball at Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
In 1967, he joined the NBA team Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards), where he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a season that included scoring 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the third-highest rookie total in NBA history at the time.
He also spent eight years (1972-1980) with the New York Knicks, winning an NBA championship in 1973. The Knicks retired his jersey number (#15) in 1986.
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 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.
External Links
- Basketball Hall of Fame profile (http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Monroe.htm)