Vernon Earl Monroe (born November 21, 1944) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player. He played for two teams, the
Baltimore Bullets and the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
, during his career in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). Both teams have retired Monroe's number. Due to his on-court success and flashy style of play, Monroe was given the nicknames "Black Jesus" and "Earl the Pearl". Monroe was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 1990 and the
International Sports Hall of Fame
The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor exceptional athletes and sporting figures for their accomplishments and dedication to furthering ...
in 2013. In 1996, Monroe was named as one of the
50 Greatest Players in NBA History
The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
, and in 2021, Monroe was named as one of the
75 greatest players in NBA history.
Early life
Born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Monroe was a playground legend from an early age. His high school teammates at
John Bartram High School called him "
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
" because of the many moves he invented.
Growing up in his South Philadelphia neighborhood, Monroe was initially interested in soccer and baseball more than basketball. By age 14, Monroe was 6'3" and his interest in basketball grew, playing center during most of his youth. Some of his "shake-and-bake" style moves originated while playing on the asphalt playgrounds. "I had to develop flukey-duke shots, what we call la-la, hesitating in the air as long as possible before shooting," Monroe said.
As he was developing as a teenage player, other players would razz him. His mother gave Earl a blue notebook and told him to write down the names of those players. "As you get better than them," Monroe said his mother instructed, "I want you to scratch those names out."
After graduating from
John Bartram High School, Monroe attended a college preparatory school affiliated with Temple University. He worked as a shipping clerk in a factory, while frequently playing basketball at Leon Whitley's recreation center in Philadelphia. Whitley had played at Winston-Salem Teacher College on their 1953 championship team and encouraged Monroe to attend Winston-Salem to play for coach
Clarence "Big House" Gaines.
College career
Monroe rose to prominence at a national level at then-
Division II Winston-Salem State University, located in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...
. Under Hall of Fame Coach Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points his freshman year and Monroe tells a story of when he wanted to return to Philadelphia as a freshman. Coach Gaines called Monroe's mother and after a stern talk, Monroe stayed in college.
Monroe then averaged 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and 41.5 points his senior year (1,329 points in that 1966–1967 season). During that 1966–1967 season, Jerry McLeese, a sportswriter for the ''
Winston-Salem Journal'', called Monroe's points "Earl's pearls". Soon after, fans began to chant "Earl, the Super Pearl," and the nickname was born.
In 1967, Monroe earned
NCAA College Division
The NCAA College Division was a historic subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) consisting of member schools competing at a lower level of college sports. The NCAA initially divided schools into a College Division and a ...
Player of the Year honors, leading the Rams to the
1967 NCAA College Division Championship with a 77–74 victory over SW Missouri State in the Final.
Overall, in his four years at
Winston-Salem State University, Monroe averaged 26.7 points, with 2,395 total points in 110 games.
He remains the leading scorer in
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball history.
After he finished his collegiate career, Monroe graduated from Winston-Salem and passed the national teaching exam. Monroe was not selected to the 1967 USA Basketball Team to represent the country at the
1967 Pan-American Games after trying out. The 40-person committee failed to select both Monroe and fellow future Hall of Fame player
Elvin Hayes.
Monroe has said that USA coaches said his style of play was "too street, too playground, too black" adding, "It has always left a very, very bad taste in my mouth."
NBA career
Baltimore Bullets (1967–1971)
In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted number two overall by the Baltimore Bullets (now the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
) in the first round of the
1967 NBA draft, behind
Jimmy Walker, who was selected by the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. Monroe then won the
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Tr ...
in a season in which he averaged
24.3 points per game. He scored 56 points in a game against the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, the third-highest rookie total in NBA history. It was also a franchise record, later broken by
Gilbert Arenas on December 17, 2006.
Monroe and his teammate, future
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
inductee
Wes Unseld, quickly became a formidable combination in Baltimore, and Monroe 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." On February 6, 1970, he set an NBA record with 13 points in one overtime in a double-overtime victory over the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
(another mark since surpassed by Arenas).
In 1968–1969, Monroe averaged 25.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds, as the Bullets finished 57–25 under coach
Gene Shue
Eugene William Shue (December 18, 1931 – April 3, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Shue was one of the top guards of the early days of the NBA and an influential figure ...
, capturing the Eastern Division title. However, the Bullets were swept by the New York Knicks 4–0 in the playoffs after receiving a bye.
The Bullets finished 50–32 in 1969–1970, as Monroe averaged 23.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds, but did not make the NBA All-Star team. Oscar Robertson, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Tom Van Arsdale, Hal Greer, and Flynn Robinson were the guards selected. The Bullets were again beaten by the Knicks 4–3 in the playoffs.
In 1970–1971, the Bullets finished 42–40 under Coach Shue and captured the Central Division title. Monroe averaged 21.4 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds. In the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bullets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4–3, and then defeated the Knicks 4–3 in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the 1971 NBA Finals. Monroe averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds in the Philadelphia series. He then averaged 24.4 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds against the Knicks, including 26 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in the 93–91 Bullets' Game 7 victory.
In the
1971 NBA Finals, the Bullets were matched against the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
with
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
,
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
and
Bobby Dandridge. The Bucks swept the Bullets 4–0. Monroe averaged 16.3 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in the series.
"Put a basketball in his hands and he does wondrous things with it," Bullets Coach Gene Shue said of Monroe. "He has the greatest combination of basketball ability and showmanship."
In 328 games with the Bullets, Monroe averaged 23.7 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds.
New York Knicks (1971–1980)
After the 1970–1971 season, Monroe's agent
Larry Fleisher informed the Bullets of Monroe's wishes to be traded to the Lakers,
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
or his hometown
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. After four games into the 1971–1972 season, he traveled to
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
to discuss a transfer to the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
's
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. He had begun the campaign without having signed a contract due to a salary dispute with Bullets management. When his trade request turned into an ultimatum, he was suspended by the team on October 22. He eventually signed a contract immediately after being sent from the Bullets to the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
for
Mike Riordan,
Dave Stallworth and an undisclosed amount of cash twenty days later on November 11, 1971.
Upon his arrival with the Knicks, Monroe formed what was known as the "
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
backcourt" with the equally flamboyant
Walt Frazier. While there were initial questions as to whether Monroe and Frazier could coexist as teammates, the duo eventually meshed to become one of the most effective guard combinations of all time.
In 1971–1972, Monroe averaged 21.7 points in his three games with the Bullets before the trade and he struggled to adjust after the trade, averaging 11.4 points, 2.2 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 60 games with the Knicks.
However, the Knicks defeated the Bullets 4–2 and the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
4–1 to reach the
1972 NBA Finals. Monroe averaged 15.8 points and 3.3 assists in the Bullets' series against his former teammates. In the Celtics series he averaged 13.6 points and 3.8 assists.
In the 1972 NBA Finals, the Knicks were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers with
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...
and
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
4–1, losing four straight after winning Game 1. Monroe averaged 6.8 points and 2.6 assists in the series.
In 1972–1973, Frazier and Monroe led the Knicks, under future
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
Coach
Red Holtzman to the
1973 NBA Championship, along with future Hall of Fame teammates
Bill Bradley
William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was a United States Senate, United States senator from New ...
,
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State University, and 1960 Olympic medal, gold medal Olympian and international player be ...
and
Willis Reed
Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball ...
,
Dave DeBusschere
David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional basketball player and coach, and professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 and in the NBA for the Detroit Pi ...
and
Phil Jackson.
After a 57–25 regular season, in which Monroe averaged 15.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds, his role on the team was defined. The Knicks then defeated the Bullets 4–1 and the Celtics 4–3 to reach the 1973 NBA Finals.
The Knicks had a rematch against the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. The Knicks won the championship, four games to one, with Monroe averaging 16.0 points and 4.2 assists. Bradley averaged 18.6, Frazier 16.6, Reed 16.4 and DeBusschere 15.6 points to illustrate the Knicks' team play.
In 1973–1974, the Knicks, after defeating the Bullets, were defeated by the eventual NBA Champion Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Monroe averaged 14.0 points and 2.7 assists with 3.0 rebounds in the regular season.
In the next four seasons, Monroe averaged 20.9 points, 20.7 points, 19.9 points and 17.8 points, before injures limited him in games and minutes during his final two seasons.
The Monroe-Frazier pairing is one of few backcourts ever to feature two Hall of Famers and
NBA 50th Anniversary Team
The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
members. A four-time NBA All-Star, Monroe retired after the 1980 season due to serious knee injuries, which had plagued him throughout his career. In nine seasons and 592 games with the Knicks, Monroe averaged 16.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds.
Overall, Monroe played in 926 regular season NBA games, scoring 17,454 total points with 3,594 assists on 46% shooting. He averaged 18.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds in his career. He scored over 1,000 points in nine of his thirteen professional seasons (1968–71, 1973, 1975–78) including a career-high 2,065 (25.8 points per game) in the 1968–69 season.
In 2021, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''
The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...
'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Monroe as the 58th greatest player in NBA history.
Of his unique, flowing, fluid, silky-smooth on-court style of play, Monroe has said: "You know, I watch the games and even now I never see anyone who reminds me of me, the way I played." "The ultimate playground player," is how Bill Bradley once described Monroe.
"If for any reason someone were to remember me," Monroe said, "I hope they will remember me as a person who could play the game and excite the fans and excite himself."
Personal life
* Monroe has one son, Rodney (not the former NC State and NBA basketball player), and one daughter, Maya. Maya has coached in high school and college.
*Earl Monroe and NC State basketball player Rodney did meet following an NC State game in 1990.
* Monroe was named commissioner of the
United States Basketball League in 1985.
* In 2012 Monroe launched a new candy company: NBA Candy Stor
* In recent years, he has been serving as a commentator for
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
and as commissioner of the
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
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
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
Program. He has received many honors for these "off-the-court" community activities, including the
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
Professionals Inspirational Award, Most Outstanding Model for American Youth, the
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
Citizenship Award and Big Apple Sportsman of the Year Award.
* Monroe served as a spokesman for the
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate Heart, cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability ...
, 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.
* Monroe, his brother and his sister all have been diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes (T2D), formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent ...
.
* Monroe is a spokesman for Merck's Journey for Control website, where he serves as a promoter of diabetes-friendly eating and "Diabetes Restaurant Month!"
* Monroe owns and operates his own record label, Reverse Spin Records, in New York, doing pop, dance, hip-hop and R&B music, currently with pop/dance artist Ciara Corr.
* In the
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
film ''
He Got Game'', Jake Shuttlesworth (
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...
) explains to his son, Jesus Shuttlesworth (
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
), that his name was inspired by Monroe's nickname: "Jesus".
* Monroe is also a member of
Groove Phi Groove
* From 1980 to 1981, Monroe had an endorsement deal with
Jordache for a signature line of basketball sneakers that bore his nickname "Pearl" near the heel.
Honors
* In 1977, Monroe was inducted into the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
* Monroe's number 15 jersey was retired by the New York Knicks on March 1, 1986.
* In 1990, he was enshrined in the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
.
* Monroe was named one of the
50 Greatest Players in NBA History
The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
in 1996.
* In 2006, Monroe was inducted into the
College Basketball Hall of Fame.
* On December 1, 2007, the Washington Wizards retired Monroe's number 10 jersey.
* In 2005, an
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
team, the Baltimore Pearls, was named in honor of Earl Monroe.
* Monroe's number 10 jersey was retired by Winston-Salem in 2017.
* In 2021, Monroe was elected to the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
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Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 82 , , , , 36.7 , , .453 , , , , .781 , , 5.7 , , 4.3 , , , , , , 24.3
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Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 80 , , , , 38.4 , , .440 , , , , .768 , , 3.5 , , 4.9 , , , , , , 25.8
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Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 82 , , , , 37.2 , , .446 , , , , .830 , , 3.1 , , 4.9 , , , , , , 23.4
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, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 81 , , , , 35.1 , , .442 , , , , .802 , , 2.6 , , 4.4 , , , , , , 21.4
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Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 3 , , , , 34.3 , , .406 , , , , .722 , , 2.7 , , 3.3 , , , , , , 21.7
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, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 60 , , , , 20.6 , , .436 , , , , .786 , , 1.5 , , 2.2 , , , , , , 11.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", †
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 75 , , , , 31.6 , , .488 , , , , .822 , , 3.3 , , 3.8 , , , , , , 15.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 41 , , , , 29.1 , , .468 , , , , .823 , , 3.0 , , 2.7 , , .8 , , .5 , , 14.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 78 , , , , 36.1 , , .457 , , , , .827 , , 4.2 , , 3.5 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 20.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 76 , , , , 38.0 , , .478 , , , , .787 , , 3.6 , , 4.0 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 20.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 77 , , , , 34.5 , , .517 , , , , .839 , , 2.9 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 19.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 76 , , , , 31.2 , , .495 , , , , .832 , , 2.4 , , 4.8 , , .8 , , .3 , , 17.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 64 , , , , 21.8 , , .471 , , , , .838 , , 1.2 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , .1 , , 12.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
New York
, 51 , , , , 12.4 , , .457 , , , , .875 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 7.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 926 , , , , 32.0 , , .464 , , , , .807 , , 3.0 , , 3.9 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 18.8
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 4 , , 3 , , 21.3 , , .359 , , , , .706 , , 3.0 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , .0 , , 10.0
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1969
, style="text-align:left;”,
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 4, , , , 42.8, , .386, , , , .806, , 5.3, , 4.0, , , , , , 28.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
, style="text-align:left;”,
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 7, , , , 42.7, , .481, , , , .800, , 3.3, , 4.0, , , , , , 28.0
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1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
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Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, 18, , , , 37.3, , .407, , , , .793, , 3.6, , 4.1, , , , , , 22.1
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1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
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New York
, 16, , , , 26.8, , .411, , , , .789, , 2.8, , 2.9, , , , , , 12.3
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1973
Events January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
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New York
, 16, , , , 31.5, , .526, , , , .750, , 3.2, , 3.2, , , , , , 16.1
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1974
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New York
, 12, , , , 33.9, , .491, , , , .855, , 4.0, , 2.1, , 0.7, , 0.8, , 17.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
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New York
, 3, , , , 29.7, , .267, , , , .818, , 3.0, , 2.0, , 1.3, , 0.7, , 14.0
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1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
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New York
, 6, , , , 24.2, , .387, , , , .611, , 0.8, , 2.8, , 1.0, , 0.0, , 9.8
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, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 82 , , , , 33.1 , , .439 , , , , .791 , , 3.2 , , 3.2 , , 0.9 , , 0.5 , , 17.9
References
Bibliography
External links
NBA Candy Store - New Candy Company started by Earl Monroe in 2013Official Website of Earl "The Pearl" Monroe*
Reverse Spin Records, "About Earl 'the Pearl' Monroe"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monroe, Earl
1944 births
Living people
20th-century African-American sportsmen
21st-century African-American sportsmen
American men's basketball players
Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973) draft picks
Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973) players
Basketball players from Philadelphia
John Bartram High School alumni
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
NBA All-Stars
NBA broadcasters
NBA players with retired numbers
National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
New York Knicks players
Pittsburgh Pipers draft picks
Point guards
Shooting guards
Winston-Salem State Rams men's basketball players