photo: img.sports.tom.com
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was once described by Knicks teammate Bill Bradley as “The ultimate playground player.” But before he was known to the world, the rough Philadelphia asphalt game dubbed him “Black Jesus”.
He amazed crowds by the sheer amount of points he put up from the point guard position. But it was the manner in which he got his buckets that left the greatest impression. A one-on-one impresario with an amazing yo-yo handle, Black Jesus drew gasps with a shake and bake repertoire complete with spins, twists and off-balance circus-like shots that made people believe that their eyes had the capacity to lie.
Those patented moves were developed in the labs of the Philadelphia playground.
“I had to develop flukey-dukey shots, what we call La La, hesitating in the air as long as possible before shooting,” he once said. “All my style came from the Philadelphia schoolyards.”
His game was not based on physical intimidation or an outrageous vertical leap. The magic of Black Jesus was based on finesse, superb timing, deception and quick bursts that shocked and startled defenses. He was, without question, the most unique talent of his generation whose artistic propensity towards improvisation had never been seen before.
His contribution to the concept of ball is similar to all of the groundbreaking geniuses like Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture or Rakim’s lyrics. Simply put, he instituted a paradigm shift in the realm of thought, seamlessly blending the heretofore imagined impossible with actual factuals of everyday occurrences. He was the people’s champ, loved by anyone with an understanding and foresight. He was the future!
photo: espn.go.com
The Pearl did not take up the game seriously until the age of fourteen. He was actually more interested in baseball and soccer until a growth spurt nudged him towards the beginning of his education on the asphalt. He edified himself by studying the playground legends, pros, college players and rising high school stars at the legendary Baker League.
At Bartram HS, Monroe - who stood 6′3″ - played center. His teammates called him “Thomas Edison” because he invented so many moves. After averaging 22 ppg as a senior, he worked in a factory while attending Temple Prep School and honing his skills outdoors - polishing the self-taught moves that would later shock the world.
photo: espn.go.com
At the historically black school Winston-Salem Teacher’s College (now known as Winston-Salem State University), the basketball gods linked him with legendary coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines. And Black Jesus was not even recruited by Gaines. He just showed up. The two would clash, particulary over Monroe’s playground aesthetic, but Gaines became a surrogate father who helped the young man mature as a player and a person.
When asked by the the late, great journalist Ralph Wiley what he taught Monroe, the Hall of Fame coach stated, “Well … he advised me!”
As a college freshman, he avg’d 7 ppg for the Rams. By his senior year in ‘66-’67, he was dropping 42 a game en route to breaking the D-II record for points in a season. More significantly, Winston-Salem became the first black school to win the NCAA D-II Championship. He acquired his nickname “The Pearl” because a local sportswriter wrote about “Earl’s Pearl’s” when describing the skills he unleashed on cats.
photo: allposters.com
It was during breaks from college, when he’d return to Philly’s playgrounds, that the aura and cult-like following developed into a religious, revival-type fervor. Peep Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s recollections from his autobiography, Giant Steps, when he reminisces on the ‘65 Rucker League matchup at Mount Morris Park versus Philly’s Baker League champs, when busloads of Black Jesus converts made the ride down I-95 - “They set up a continuous wail that seemed to be coming from everywhere. ‘Where’s Jesus?’ ‘Black Jesus!”‘, said Kareem.
When a young Monroe parted the crowd, the wail became a chanting whisper - “Black Jesus, Black Jesus, Black Jesus.” The first time he touched the rock, he unfurled a stop-and-go hezzo dribble that morphed into a leaping 360 spin and laser assist. Kareem, a seasoned vet of the NYC playgrounds and the undisputed top prep player in the land , had never seen anyone or anything like it before.
photo: si.com
After being drafted with the second pick by the Baltimore Bullets in ‘67, Monroe stepped into the consciousness of the mainstream. He garnered Rookie of the Year honors while averaging 24 ppg. He dropped 56 on the Lakers, a a franchise record that would not be broken until Agent Zero, Gilbert Arenas, went Hibachi on Kobe for 60, 38 years later. The one-two combo of Pearl and big man supreme Wes Unseld was sick like the flu. With Unseld’s insane, bullet-like outlet passes, Black Jesus was able to ignite an explosive up and down attack, leading the previously moribund Bullets to three consecutive playoffs.
“Put a basketball in his hands and he does wondrous things with it,” Bullets Coach once said Gene Shue. “He has the greatest combination of basketball ability and showmanship.”
“God couldn’t go one-on-one with Earl,” teammate Ray Scott once told the New York Post.
photo of Earl Monroe driving on Julius Erving a.k.a. The Doctor: nba.com
Some morons, ignoring the worst-to-first ascension of the Bullets and his college championship credentials, suggested that he was more concerned with showing off and scoring than winning. They had to hate ’cause, with feeble minds, they couldn’t appreciate the genius.
In ‘71, the Bullets overcame their NY Knick nemesis and took the Eastern Conference Finals. But the Milwaukee Bucks with Kareem and Oscar Robertson a.k.a. “The Big O” (peep the Ali archives for The Playground Gave us The Big O), took the chip. The next year, Black Jesus was traded to the Knicks, forming one of the most phenomenal backcourts of all-time.
Earl Monroe and Clyde Frazier together?
photo: washingtonpost.com
Are you buggin’? That’s the greatest combo since peanut butter and jelly, Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon, Kool Herc and vinyl, you knowhatah’msayin’!
Integrating their individual brilliance to form what was known as “The Rolls-Royce Backcourt”, they led the Knicks to the franchise’s last title in ‘73.
photo of Earl Monroe and Chris Paul: timespicayune.com
From Brooklyn to Beijing, the style and flair that Black Jesus brought is evident whever the game is played today. From Magic Johnson to Pearl Washington to Chris Paul and every other manifestation along the way, Black Jesus was the stylistic forefather.
“The thing is, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the ball,” Monroe once said in describing his jazz-like improvs with the rock. “And if I don’t know, I’m quite sure the guy guarding me doesn’t know either.”
His game, forged on the Philly playgrounds, has been branded to the point that the things that made him unique - the spins, 360’s, hesitation dribbles, double and triple fakes and one-on-one ankle breaking embarrasment - have all been institutionalized!
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, a.k.a. Black Jesus, pioneered an entire movement. It’s a movement that fused jazz and hip hop before hip hop was even born. It’s a movement that’s spread to every crevice of the globe and is responsible for the sport’s unparalleled stature in today’s sporting landscape.
David Stern should get on his hands and knees and say “Thank You!” every time he sees Mr. Monroe because of what he’s done for the league and the game.
And it all came from the Playground.
THE PLAYGROUND IS NOT THE PROBLEM. IT IS THE SOLUTION!
September 29th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
illest says:
the song by idris muhammad piece of mind came to mind when seeing this post. the best spin move ever by any man. he was a jazz artist on the court. thats missing in todays game. there are no players today that when i watch i say son is graceful on the court. a lot of what the playground brought (especially years ago) was graceful play. the pearl is grace.
that pic of earl and clyde….wow
September 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
ali says:
i hope the young boys realize that all of those graceful moves were on some robotic, futuristic, george jetson ahead of their time stuff.
to toady’s fan watching Earl Monroe, they probably won’t get it. but he was an artist, the court was his canvas. Watch Magic, who’s in my opinion the best PG ever, handle and control the game. He’s got Black Jesus written all over him.
September 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
illest says:
magic definitely does. these young kids wont realize how ill the moves of earl monroe.
September 29th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
ali says:
and with of those light years ahead of his time moves, he wasn’t dancing to hear the crowd or trying to be fancy for the sake of being fancy. the object was to break down the d, get to the hole and create a bucket for either himself or a teammate.
his skills were comparable to Muhammad Ali. He looked pretty doing his business, but at the end of the day, he was crackin’ that jaw to the fullest!
September 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
illest says:
its amazing how with these playground gave us that the players’ game exhibited the style, grace and essence of basketball that is missing today. the athletes today are bigger and better but the soul of the sport is just not there. thats what i enjoyed as a kid. definitely big ups for doing this. i know ive said it many times but with each player it brings up thoughts of how the game used to be. when does that bounce 17 drop?
September 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
ali says:
illest,
that bounce #17 is dropping within the next couple of weeks. that joint is a certified head banger, guaranteed to go platinum. my fellas sean couch and austin burton have some serious fire jumpin’ off. oh, and then there’s that little matter of Pearl Washington, which the cognescenti has been begging for for years.
i think the commercialization of the game has watered it down for us purists. but i do see guys like bronnie, kobe, ron-ron, chris paul, carmelo, d-wade, ben gordon, tony parker, manu ginobli, tj ford, hibachi and others with that essence.
September 29th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
FM says:
another quality installment of ‘The Playground Gave Us…’
these pieces always make me want to grab a ball and go hoop, regardless of the weather conditions and/or time of day i happen to read them! that’s all i can say, its as simple as that.
further to ali’s list of current players with the ‘essence’, i would add Andre Miller, one of the craftiest guards out there, and Jamal Crawford, whose game is somewhat unorthodox in terms of ballhandling improv (pity he’s on the most maligned team ever and rarely gets any love. i like to watch him play though, you never know what to expect.)
now, wheres my battered Wilson outdoor ball… time to work on my spin moves
September 29th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
ali says:
yeah FM. get out there and work on those moves. and i agree with miller and crawford. glad you’re feelin’ it.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
funkalot says:
Pearl was my first basketball hero and the reason I stopped trying to be Willie Mays. His “thing” was so sweet, he had kids (like me) dribbling on end, trying to perfect the spin moves , like shorties do today mimicking
Iverson’s crossover.
The Knicks had to acquire him because as you could tell from the video, he was straight up 187 on Clyde. It was reminiscent of how Gus Williams (Black Jesus disciple) used to child abuse Norm Nixon. Oh, and did you peep the early Pony sneaks.
Lastly, legend has it that Pearl came to Rucker, at halftime of a game pitting him against Joe Hammond. Pearl, supposedly, dropped like 30 or 40 and promptly, left. I can believe it because “Jesus did perform miracles, often”.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
illest says:
gus williams is another one of those new york representatives that embodied the essence and style of the nba i miss. the human fast break that scored on anyone and had one of the illest in game dunks every when he jammed on the bullets in game one in 79 when he waited for the guy to catch up to him and then just exploded off two feet and two hands and hammered it on him.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
illest says:
my oopsss…i meant the one man fast break.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
funkalot says:
Ali,
Thinking of future pieces - Paul Westphal comes to mind. He was one of the funkiest dudes in the “L”. He would dunk on you, shake you and shoot the jimmy. Peep him in the vintage NBA H-O-R-S-E contests giving it to cats and in the much heralded game 5 of the 1976 finals. Although he was So. Cal beach dude, you can tell he had “concrete fever” and with USC’s proximity to Watts, I’m sure there was spill over. Like Kenny Smith said about guys at Rucker being as nice as dudes in the “L”, “Steve Kerr will give you 40″, don’t let the pigmentation fool you.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
ali says:
man oh man. i would have loved to see black jesus playing at the rucker against the destroyer and those dudes back then.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
ali says:
Funk,
Paul Westphal was a handful. some say he was one of the greatest prep players to ever come out of Cali. And after playing a critical role for the Celts off the bench, he put up numbers with the Suns as a starter.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
PFTB says:
Oh my GOODNESS,BLACK JESUS.Ali,it doesn’t get any more playground than this! We all know about the Pearl’s on court amazing feats,but the most amazing thing about him was probably his FEET.I can’t remember where I heard or read this,when his feet were checked by a podiatrist,while playing in the NBA,the podiatrist said “Earl has the feet of a man in his 60’s”.So Pearl was doing all this magic on old feet!!!When I think of him and his moves now, he sometimes appeared to be tipppy toeing on hot coals,but in a graceful manner. Along with the late great “Pistol”Pete probably the greatest basketball innovators and creators of all time.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
PFTB says:
One more tidbit.In 1967 the Pistons had the #1 pick,and were all ready to take Pearl (at the urging of one their scouts),but the higher ups were afraid to take a Div II player so they took…….Jalen Rose’s father (Jimmy Walker-R.I.P)
The Pearl in Motown?…..He would’ve went from Jesus to God!
Oh the Bullets picked Pearl with the 2nd pick.
Gene Shue former Bullets coach said trading Pearl was his biggest mistake in Baltimore.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
jus'joe says:
real talk: the short part of the movie- “He got game”, where Jake Shuttlesworth schools his son on the “essence” of “Earl the Pearl”- as it relates to his naming his son Jesus- how in Philly the name was Jesus- ’till the white media felt the need to add “black”- the dialogue, mixed w/ the clips of Earl, capture the “Earl The Pearl” that I remember. Always wondered if that scene was Spike Lee or Denzel- either way someone gave props to a real LEGEND!
September 29th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
jus'joe says:
OOPS !!!
Sorry- added my comment BEFORE I watched the video….y’all got it covered…should have known!
September 29th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Pete Casey says:
Smooth as a leisure suit.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
ali says:
yeah PFTB, i remember hearing about earl’s foot problems. i think his first knick season was abbreviated due to foot or leg injuries.
another great player with bad feet was the boston strangler, mr. andrew toney, another of my all-time favorites. and the bullets/wizards are just beginning to come out of their post Earl Monroe debacle. worst mistake in franchise history indeed. they never should’ve left muggsy unprotected in the expansion draft, while we’re at it. getting rid of ’sheed, ben wallace, c-webb, etc. none of those compare to trading the pearl.
jus’ joe,
my favorite part of he got game is that scene where he talks about naming his son after Earl Monroe. The way Denzel says “…he was NICE!”, interspersed with the clips. that joint was so sincere. any real baller or fan of the game could’ve walked out right then and felt satisfied. serious homage.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
funk/ali-
i’ll have to check about that pearl vs. joe game as i’m not sure that ever could’ve actually happened. joe’s heyday was ‘70, ‘71, ‘72, pearl played in the philly vs. rucker games in the mid ’60s. there is the legendary rucker game that happened at mt. morris park, not ‘55, where tone ‘the skull’ greer held black jesus to just 12 points when monroe was averaging 30+ in college. i know oldtimers who still talk about that game cuz it was that unheard of to stop the pearl, or even slow him down.
regarding westphal, he owns the single title of first nike athlete to ever do an poster shot on a playground. he also was one of the finest ambidextrous long range jumpshooters the nba may have ever seen even to this day.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:21 am
illest says:
that westphal poster is ill. another great player who is forgotten. one of the few great players who also had success as a head coach.
September 30th, 2008 at 9:14 am
ali says:
and can you imagine a talent like earl monroe not being recruited. i know he played center in high school and was a late bloomer but when you look at his overall body of work in hindsight, that just boggles my mind.
people truly underestimate and can’t really fathom the historical importance and significance of the african-american institutions of higher learning and their impact on today’s game.
when the college game was robotic and bleached white, the best ball was played at HBCU’s.
remember how rick pitino was labelled a genius and innovator when his knick, providence and kentucky teams were running and pressing? how about dean smith’s four corner offense? those are undeniably some of the greatest coaches that ever lived.
but they lifted those particular philosphies from John McClendon, the legendary coach at Tennessee A&I who was a disciple of the game’s inventor, Dr. James Naismith. McClendon’s ‘57-’59 teams went 94-8!
Few people are familiar with the names Cleo Hill or Woody Sauldsberry. Purvis Short, Marques Haynes, Jumpin’ Jackie Jackson, Earl Lloyd, Sam Jones, Dick Barnett, Willis Reed, Charles Oakley, Ben Wallace and a host of others that never even got an opportunity because of the ignorance of exclusion.
September 30th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
funkalot says:
Ali,
You are correct. In the fifties and early sixties the HBCU’s were havens for ballers. Dudes from Boston had pipelines to Delaware State or Winston-Salem. Do not forget playground legend Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland attended Norfolk State. In the early eighties, Joe Binion ‘79 Madison attended NC A&T and played briefly with the Portland Trailbalzers. Larry Spriggs - Howard University ‘81 won a chip with the Lakers. Today, these schools still provide viable D-1 opportunities, but we (the Hood) have become jaded by the other institutions and the programs have suffered, from a talent standpoint.
Speaking of Cleo Hill, please watch the “Black Magic” video for his story. Everyone I have talked to, Al Attles -(my godfather)NC A&T, Sonny Hill and my pops who got to play against him in pick-up games, while a student at NC A&T speak in reverent tones about his game and how he was ahead of time. Al and Cleo grew up together in Newark, NJ and still remain tight, today.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
ali says:
funk,
how could i forget pee wee. and al attles is your godfather? he’s the first (full time) black head coach to win an nba chip. i don’t count bill russell as he had a pretty awesome, transcendant player named bill russell making the coach look real good.
didn’t know that al and cleo grew up in newark together.
chris webber and jalen rose were thinking about attending an HBCU together while they were still in high school. but those schools can’t compete with the big budgets and tv exposure of the big conferences. can you imagine jalen and c-webb playing for Howard at a sold out cap center for every home game? would’ve been nice to see.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
illest says:
ali…i dont have any words to describe how ill andrew toney was.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Dan the Man says:
Ali, Earl is “Pearlin” again ! Great piece again !
It is what it is ! You are right in mentioning the historical importance of Marques Haynes (former Globbie great) etc. Glad to report that Marques is still goin’ strong…
http://www.macleem.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=490
http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php/Marques_Haynes
September 30th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Dan the Man says:
Ali, Incidentally, Marques Haynes is considered the greatest ball-handler of all-time ! What it is-is what it is, and what it is-is what it seems to be !
http://www.doubledogsports.com/about.aspx
September 30th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
ali says:
dan the man,
had the pleasure of meeting marques haynes a couple years back at a journalism conference in dallas, where he spoke along with mario elie and derek harper. he still looks like he can lace ‘em up and dribble circles around people. he’s not quite 100 years old like you, but he’s closer than most.
and illest,
THE BOSTON STRANGLER! Andrew Toney is one of the most underappreciated players of all time.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Dan the Man says:
illest,
you are so right…Toney the former Ragin Cajun was unstoppable when he was unconscious ! Nothin’ but net!
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121505/index.htm
September 30th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
funkalot says:
Speaking of “Black Jesus”, supposedly there was guy named Joe Washington, from Brooklyn, circa Fly Williams, who possessed a nice handle and jimmy, that Fly himself had difficulty handling. He went by the moniker “Black Jesus”.
Does anyone have info on this dude?
September 30th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Dan the Man says:
funkalot; Speaking of Larry Spriggs: he is still playing ball in Cali-fornia in the Drew League! Back in the day seasoned vet style of ball!!!!!
We’re getting Larry Spriggs, who won a championship with Magic
http://blog.nikebasketball.com/news/wp-mobile.php?p=1176&more=1
September 30th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
PFTB says:
Ali,preach on.
I ALWAYS wondered if the Fab Five had considered a HBCU,because I know CWebb is into African -American history.I wish they had went through with it because it would’ve opened up a whole new world.
If you’ve ever watched a basketball game (or ANY sporting event for that matter)at a HBCU its a show in itself.
Used to watch games on BET in the 80’s (Va.Union w/ C.Oakley,Norfolk State w/Ralph Talley etc.)OOOOOH AND THE CHEERLEADERS.Crazy halftime shows.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
ali says:
there’s nothing quite like the atmosphere at hbcu football and basketball games. the meac conference hoops tourney in richmond and the ciaa’a in charlotte is a crazy festival. the fun extends far beyond the court.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
illest says:
c webb and juwan used to be on howards campus frequently when they played for the bullets.
PFTB….WOW THOSE HBCU GAMES ON BET IN THE 80S AND EARLY 90S!!!!!THATS WHAT UP.
October 11th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Dan the Man says:
Ali
Check out Earl talking about his style of play & career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-wUzA18lk