Earl Monroe

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17 Mar 2024

Earl Monroe

Vernon Earl Monroe, born on November 21, 1944, is a retired American professional basketball player renowned for his tenure with two NBA teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. Notably, both franchises have retired Monroe's jersey number in recognition of his contributions to the game.
Monroe's dynamic playing style and remarkable success on the court earned him two iconic nicknames: "Black Jesus" and "Earl the Pearl." These monikers reflect both his skill and his flair for the game, cementing his status as a basketball legend.
In acknowledgment of his illustrious career, Monroe was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Furthermore, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and in 2021, he was named one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, further solidifying his legacy in the sport.

Born and bred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Vernon Earl Monroe emerged as a playground legend from an early age. His innate talent and creativity on the court earned him the nickname "Thomas Edison" from his high school teammates at John Bartram High School, owing to the multitude of moves he invented.
Despite initially favoring soccer and baseball, Monroe's towering height of 6'3" by the age of 14 steered him towards basketball. Playing predominantly as a center during his youth, Monroe's signature "shake-and-bake" style moves began to take shape on the asphalt playgrounds of his South Philadelphia neighborhood. Reflecting on his early days, Monroe recalled the need to develop unorthodox shots, characterized by hesitation and finesse in the air.

As a teenage player honing his skills, Monroe encountered taunts and challenges from his peers. In response, his mother provided guidance, gifting him a blue notebook and instructing him to jot down the names of those who doubted him. "As you surpass them," she advised, "I want you to scratch those names out," instilling in Monroe a sense of determination and perseverance.
Following his graduation from John Bartram High School, Monroe pursued further education at a college preparatory school affiliated with Temple University. During this time, he supported himself by working as a shipping clerk in a factory, all the while sharpening his basketball skills at Leon Whitley's recreation center in Philadelphia. Whitley, a former player at Winston-Salem Teacher College and a member of their 1953 championship team, recognized Monroe's potential and urged him to consider attending Winston-Salem to play under the tutelage of coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines. This pivotal encouragement set Monroe on the path to collegiate basketball success.

Vernon Earl Monroe's ascent to national prominence occurred during his collegiate years at then-Division II Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Playing under the guidance of Hall of Fame Coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe made an immediate impact, averaging 7.1 points during his freshman year. However, his early college experience was not without challenges, as he contemplated returning to Philadelphia. Coach Gaines intervened by contacting Monroe's mother and persuading him to remain in college, a decision that would shape Monroe's future success.

As Monroe's collegiate career progressed, his scoring prowess became increasingly evident. He averaged 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior, and an astonishing 41.5 points per game during his senior year in the 1966–1967 season, totaling 1,329 points in that remarkable season alone. Jerry McLeese, a sportswriter for the Winston-Salem Journal, aptly dubbed Monroe's scoring feats as "Earl's pearls," igniting a wave of admiration from fans who began chanting "Earl, the Super Pearl."
In 1967, Monroe's stellar performance earned him NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors, leading Winston-Salem State University to the 1967 NCAA College Division Championship with a thrilling 77–74 victory over SW Missouri State in the Final.

Over the course of his four-year collegiate career, Monroe maintained an impressive scoring average of 26.7 points per game, accumulating a total of 2,395 points in 110 games. His remarkable achievements cemented his legacy as the leading scorer in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball history.
Following his collegiate success, Monroe graduated from Winston-Salem State University and passed the national teaching exam. However, despite his stellar credentials, Monroe faced disappointment when he was not selected to represent the United States at the 1967 Pan-American Games. Monroe attributed this snub to discriminatory attitudes within the selection committee, lamenting that his style of play was deemed "too street, too playground, too black." This experience left a bitter taste in Monroe's mouth, underscoring the challenges he faced as an African American athlete striving for recognition in a predominantly white-dominated sports landscape.

In 1967, Vernon Earl Monroe, a two-time All-American, was drafted as the number two overall pick by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the first round of the 1967 NBA draft, following Jimmy Walker, who was selected by the Detroit Pistons. Monroe made an immediate impact in his rookie season, earning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award with an impressive average of 24.3 points per game. Notably, he showcased his scoring prowess by dropping 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, marking the third-highest rookie total in NBA history and setting a franchise record, later surpassed by Gilbert Arenas in 2006.