"If the greats of the past come out from the grave to see him play, think that he had never played basketball" - coach Joe Lapchick
He entered the league in the late 60's, and his game was none other than NBA counterculture. It was said that was all the playground, she did not know basketball. All smoke, no substance. But the criticism showed that he does not understand how the game was changing. The way it was evolving. Prior to Monroe, there were only a few ways to overcome his opponent. After Monroe? Be 'is the story of thirty years of NBA success.
They called him "Black Jesus", "Thomas Edison" (for all that he invented) and "Earl the Pearl," the nickname that has stuck. Released from South Philadelphia, Monroe went to Winston Salem, Division II college in North Carolina and senior (fourth and last closed) scored 41.5 points per game. The Baltimore Bullets made it the second player named to the 1967 NBA Draft. His rival and future compgno team, Walt Frazier, was chosen by the New York Knicks three picks later. From rookie (freshman), Monroe finished fourth among the markers and scored 56 points to the Lakers. The
spin, if the turnaround on sstesso was "his" movement. To right and left. He knew how to turn around the defender is standogli overlooked, is giving back. After the spin Earl would have blown the opponent following a double-believe, would serve a no-look pass on the cut of a mate, or he would go to the basket, with limbs that seemed to be going in different directions on his own imitation of the body.
In 1969 he began one of the great rivalries of the playoffs in NBA history. Bullets and Knicks met six times in a row from 1969 to 1974. After losing the first two years against the Knicks, the Bullets in seven games eliminated the defending champions before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks Oscar Robertson and Lew Alcindor in the 1971 final. So, Monroe was traded to the Knicks. Monroe, the magician of the playground was now a member of the New York Knicks, the quintessential team player. How can we not enough, Frazier and Monroe would have shared the same backcourt. "To stop him you had to shoot it down," Frazier said of Monroe. "Monroe once made me nightmares. Because when I was in Baltimore was so devastating to be marked, and such a showman who did not want to make you basket, because you ridiculed."
After an injury that affects the first season in New York, Monroe adapts to his new team. His media-points down but its essence was still the whole Pearl. The Knicks beat the Celtics, who led the league in regular season with 68 victories, winning in Boston for gara7 94-78. That year the Knicks won their second NBA title by beating Los Angeles in five games. It was the only championship won in his career from Monroe.
by BASKETBALL STARS
The board of Earl Monroe
Role: Guard
Club: Baltimore Bullets (1967-1972), New York Knicks (1972-1980)
Height and weight : 1.91 x 83 kg
College: Winston-Salem State
Figures career : 18.8 PPG, 3 RPG, 3.9 APG
Awards: 1 NBA championship (1972-73)
Awards: NBA Rookie of the Year (1968), 4 times NBA All-Star, First Team All-NBA (1969), First Team Collegiate All-America (1966)
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