There are countless memorable sports nicknames, but Earl Monroe's "the Pearl" is one of the most recognizable in NBA history. The Philadelphia native earned that nickname due to his on-court effectiveness and flashy style of play, using 360 spins, head fakes, switching shooting hands mid-air, and more moves to dominate defenders.
Monroe was drafted No. 2 overall by the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) out of Winston-Salem State University in 1967. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder won the Rookie of the Year award in 1968 and received All-NBA First Team honors in 1969.
Monroe led the Bullets to the NBA Finals in 1971, but they got swept by a Milwaukee Bucks team that had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor at the time) and Oscar Robertson. Baltimore then traded him to the New York Knicks the following season, where he spent the rest of his career.
Monroe led the Knicks to a title alongside fellow Hall of Famer Walt Frazier in 1973, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. He retired after the 1979-80 season.
Earl Monroe's Strategy Behind the Style
© Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
Although Monroe's game was built on flashy moves, he was still patient. For example, his pump and head fakes would get defenders out of position, but he had to wait for their reactions before shooting or driving past them.
One of Monroe's most famous quotes addresses that patience, which applies to basketball and life in general.
