Nearly every Earl Monroe appearance on the hardwood featured ball-handling skills that no person could match. As early as his playground days in Philadelphia, Monroe was inventing moves so complex, his friends nicknamed him “Thomas Edison.”

Naturally, Monroe’s superb ball-handling skills translated well to college and professional basketball. At the college level, Monroe played for Division II Winston-Salem State University for coaching legend Clarence “Big House” Gaines. By his senior year, Monroe was averaging an astonishing 41.5 points per game and led the Rams the NCAA College Division Championship.

In 1967, Monroe was drafter by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) and began an impressive NBA career. In his first year Monroe averaged 24.3 points per game and won the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

In 1971, Monroe was traded to the New York Knicks. In New York, Monroe was teamed with legendary guard Walt Frazier, and the two became known as the “Rolls Royce Backcourt.” They became one of the most effective backcourt combinations in NBA history while leading the Knicks to the 1973 NBA championship.

Earl Monroe Speaker

There are many Earl Monroe speaker appearances for charity events and organizations. He has been included on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health, and has won awards such as the YMCA Citizenship Award and the Harlem Professionals Inspirational Award.

Earl Monroe Appearance

The Earl Monroe appearance alongside Walt Frazier represented the only backcourt to ever feature two Hall of Famers and NBA 50th Anniversary Team members.

Earl Monroe Endorsement

There has been an Earl Monroe endorsement for a restaurant in New York (“Earl Monroe’s Restauran & Pearl Club”) as well as an Earl Monroe endorsement for his own record label, Reverse Spin Records, in Yonkers, New York.