Earl the Pearl
Monroe in 2013
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 21, 1944 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
John Bartram (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Winston-Salem State (1963–1967) |
| NBA draft | 1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall |
| Selected by the Baltimore Bullets | |
| Playing career | 1967–1980 |
| Position | Shooting guard / Point guard |
| Number | 33, 10, 15 |
| Career history | |
| 1967–1971 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1971–1980 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 17,454 (18.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,796 (3.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,594 (3.9 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
|
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
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Vernon Earl Monroe (born November 21, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played for two teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks, during his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Both teams have retired Monroe's number. Due to his on-court success and flashy style-of-play, Monroe was given the nickname Earl "The Pearl".
Born in Philadelphia, Monroe was a playground legend from an early age. His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him "Thomas Edison" because of the many moves he invented.
Monroe rose to prominence at a national level while playing basketball at then Division II Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Under Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points his freshman year, 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and an amazing 41.5 points his senior year. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division Championship.
In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the first round of the NBA draft (second overall pick). He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award 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 third-highest rookie total in NBA history. It was also a franchise record, later broken by Gilbert Arenas on December 17, 2006.
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