Hall of Famer and Knicks legend Earl Monroe sat down with SportsJam host Doug Doyle to talk about his new book "Earl the Pearl: My Story" and his early days in South Philly.
Monore played for two NBA teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. 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".
Earl was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he became a playground legend from an early age. He was a standout player at John Bartram High School and then rose to prominence at then-Division II Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.
After being drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and becoming a star player, Monroe was traded to the New York Knicks in 1971, and formed what was known as the "Rolls Royce Backcourt" with eventual fellow Hall of Famer Walt "Clyde" Frazier. The Knicks would go on to win the 1973 NBA Championship.
A four-time NBA All-Star, Monroe retired after the 1980 season due to serious knee injuries, which had plagued him throughout his career. Monroe had his number 15 jersey retired by the Knicks on March 1, 1986.
Monroe is also a huge jazz fan and during this edition of SportsJam with Doug Doyle the legendary hooper talks about his friendship with trumpeter Miles Davis.
Click above to hear the interview with Earl Monroe.
