The Legends of WSSU Basketball - CBS Sports -...

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Clarence E Gaines 152-153 1967 National Championship 154-155 Millennium Club 156-157 “Black Magic” Earl Monroe 158-160 The Legends of WSSU Basketball 151

Transcript of The Legends of WSSU Basketball - CBS Sports -...

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Clarence E Gaines 152-153 1967 National Championship 154-155 Millennium Club 156-157 “Black Magic” Earl Monroe 158-160

The Legends of WSSU Basketball

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OFFICIAL ’08-’09

Clarence E. Gaines 1923-2005WSSU Hall of Fame Head Basketball Coach

48 Seasons (1946-1993)

Fifth All-Time Winningest NCAA Coach (828-447)

Clarence E “Big House” Gaines, Sr was born in Paducah, Kentucky, May 21, 1923, to Lester and Olivia Bolen Gaines He attended the public schools of Paducah and graduated in 1941, as class salutatorian, from Paducah’s Lincoln High School He excelled academically, played basketball, was an All State football player, and played trumpet in the school band

Although he qualified academically to attend numerous colleges and universities “Jim Crow” segregation and a suggestion by the family physician (a schoolmate of legendary Morgan State University football coach, Eddie Hurt) caused young Gaines to enroll at Morgan State University in 1941

It was upon his arrival at the Baltimore, Maryland campus that Gaines received the nickname he is widely known by -- “Big House ” According to oral accounts the school’s business manager took one look at the 6 ft 3in , 265lb Gaines and declared: “Boy, I never seen anything bigger than you but a house ”

While at Morgan State Gaines received recognition as an All-American football player and participated on the basketball and track teams Gaines graduated from Morgan State in 1945 with a B S degree in Chemistry intent on furthering his education and attending dental school His college coach, Eddie Hurt, recommended he temporarily go to Winston-Salem Teachers College in Winston-Salem, NC, to become the assistant coach to Brutus Wilson (a Morgan State graduate) who coached all sports at the small southern college

Upon Wilson’s departure to Shaw University in 1946, Gaines became the head football and basketball coach, athletic director, trainer, and ticket manager Gaines coached football from 1946-1949 In 1948 Gaines was named CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) “Football Coach of the Year” after leading the RAMS to an 8-1 season Beginning in 1949 Gaines only coached basketball, and served as athletic director In 1950 Gaines received his masters degree in education from Columbia University

In 1950 Gaines married the former Clara Berry, a Latin language teacher in the (Winston-Salem) Forsyth county public school system They are the parents of two children, Lisa Gaines McDonald, a private business consultant and Clarence Edward Gaines, Jr , a scout for the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls

Due to his proficiency as an athletic coach, teacher and humanitarian, Gaines has received numerous awards: CIAA Basketball Tournament Outstanding Coach Award; 1953, 57, 60, 61, 63, 66, 70, 77; CIAA Hall of Fame Inductee, 1975; NAIA Helms Hall of Fame Inductee, 1968; N C Sports Hall of Fame, 1978; CIAA Basketball Coach of the Year, 1957, 61, 63, 70, 75, 80; NAIA District 26 Outstanding Coach Award, 1975-78; Paul Robeson Award, 1980; Winston-Salem Urban League Family of the Year Award, 1973; Order of the Long Leaf Pine (N C ); and the Silver Buffalo Award (Boy Scouts of America) etc

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During Coach Gaines’ 47-year tenure as coach and athletic director at Winston-Salem State University he coached former WSSU and professional basketball greats Cleo Hill (first African-American from an historically Black college and university to be drafted #1 by the National Basketball Association -- St Louis Hawks, 1961) and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and all star performer) of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks

In 1967, as a result of his guidance and the all around play of future National Basketball Association All-Star Vernon Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, the Winston-Salem State College, men’s basketball team won the 1967 National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division II Basketball Championship -- the first historically Black college to win a national championship Subsequently, Gaines was named the NCAA Division II (1967) College Coach of the Year In 1982 Gaines was recognized for his contribution to basketball by being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (named in honor of the inventor of basketball James Naismith)

Involved in numerous professional and civic activities, in addition to his duties as athletic director, coach and instructor, Gaines was President of CIAA Basketball Coaches Association, 1972-76; NAIA District Chairman, 1966-72; President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, 1989; Co-founder of the Winston-Salem Youth Baseball League, Inc ,1960; Patterson Avenue YMCA Board of Management, 1969-1971; Experiment in Self Reliance Board of Directors, 1987; Winston-Salem Automobile Club (AAA) Board of Directors, 1986; founder and former administrator of the Winston-Salem State University National Youth Sports Program and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees and President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, 1989 Other activities include membership in Sigma Pi Phi Boule and Omega Psi Phi fraternities, Boy Scouts of America, Forsyth County Heart Association, United States Olympic Committee, Model Cities Recreation Committee, Rotary Club of Winston-Salem and basketball consultant for the United States Air Force (Germany, England, Mexico)

Upon his retirement as basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University in 1993, Gaines had amassed a win/loss record of 828-446, making him the winningest active basketball coach in NCAA history, and the second winningest collegiate basketball coach behind the University of Kentucky’s late Adolph Rupp However, following University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith’s 877th career win in March 1997, coach Gaines became the third winningest basketball coach in NCAA history behind only Adolph Rupp (2nd), and Dean Smith (1st)

Gaines was eventually surpassed by longtime friend Jim Phelan of Mt St Mary’s University (formerly Mt St Mary’s College the name change took place on June 8th, 2004), placing him fourth all-time in wins in NCAA Basketball history before Bobby Knight passed both Phelan and Gaines in 2005, moving “Big House” to fifth-place all-time.

Clarence Gaines passed away on April 18th, 2005 He is survived by his lovely wife Clara and two children, Lisa and Clarence, Jr Gaines’ legacy at Winston-Salem State University and in the college basketball world are surely to never be forgotten

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OFFICIAL ’08-’09

By: Bill Schrader

Evansville, IN – Winston-Salem State College, led by all-time collegiate scoring leader Earl Monroe, was shunned all season as one of the nation’s top small-college basketball teams

The Rams couldn’t be denied in the 1967 NCAA College Division tournament however, defeating sixth-ranked Akron University, second-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan and fifth-ranked Southwest Missouri en route to the national title

Those who had any reservations about the ability of Monroe saw them disappear as he went on a five-game scoring binge of 34, 49, 29, 23 and 40 points to win the Most Valuable Player Award hands down

When the regular season drew to a close, Winston-Salem had lost only once in 27 games, winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic championship Monroe was averaging 43 points per game to close in on the single-season scoring record

Passed Up By Experts

This wasn’t convincing enough for the experts, who never ranked the Rams higher than eleventh in the polls

The oversight became obvious in the Midwest Regional tournament at Akron as Winston-Salem started its title march by disposing of the sixth-ranked Zips, 88-80, behind Monroe’s 49-point performance

The fitting climax came in the championship game as the Rams disposed of Southwest Missouri, 77-74 Monroe contributed 40 points to the title victory

Seven professional scouts were on hand to reaffirm the previous evaluations that Monroe was one of collegiate basketball’s “blue chippers” as an All-America choice of The Sporting News for 1967 Nothing he did dissuaded them

Monroe had some very talented teammates, but just the same the Rams were the closest thing to a “one man team” to win the coveted small-college championship

This stemmed from the coaching philosophy of Clarence “Big House” Gaines: “When you need it, give it to the money man ”

Rams Stage Rally

That’s just what Winston-Salem did in the championship game as the Rams came from behind to overtake Southwest Missouri in the closing minutes Monroe tallied 16 of the 21 points scored in the last ten minutes, including two clutch free throws with 25 seconds remaining to insure the win

Southwest Missouri had come close to spilling Winston-Salem with a zone defense that shut off the four other Rams’ starters and aggressive rebounding that stifled a usually productive fast break

With the front line of Danny Bolden, Don Carlson and Lou Shepherd hauling down 29 rebounds, Southwest Missouri had a 39-32 edge on the boards

In the 82-73 semifinal victory over defending champion Kentucky Wesleyan, the Rams’ 6-6, 230-pound sophomore center, Bill English, dominated the defensive boards to trigger the fast break, so Monroe was content to play the role of feeder and floor leader.

He scored 24 points as 6-1 senior guard Eugene Smiley hit 27 and English contributed 22

The defense that Southwest Missouri threw at Winston-Salem drew accolades from Gaines

“That’s the best we’ve been defensed all year” he said “Anytime we’re up against a team that uses its three good rebounders like Southwest Missouri did, we’ve got problems ”

Losers Boast Balance

Southwest Missouri, which also finished second in the national tournament in 1959, had balanced size across the front line with Shepherd, 6-7; Carlson, 6-6, and Bolden, 6-4

Bolden and Shepherd were also big offensive guns with 27 and 20 points, respectively

If Southwest Missouri Coach Bill Thomas had to do it over again, he wouldn’t change a thing

“Just one basket or one rebound in the last minute and a half could have made the difference,” he said “We had the opportunity We just didn’t capitalize on it ”

“One Man Team” Earl Monroe Leads Winston-Salem State To TitleRams’ 1967 National Championship

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Thomas said his defensive strategy was to stick to the zone and send two men after Monroe as often as possible

“I thought we played Monroe well ” He added “You’re just not going to shut him off

Rams’ All-America Breaks Collegiate Scoring Record

With 40 points in Earl Monroe’s final game, the Winston-Salem senior brought his season’s scoring total to 1,329 points, the most ever piled up by any college player

The previously recognized mark of 1255 was Bevo Francis of Rio Grande in 27 games in 1954

Monroe, an All-America choice of The Sporting News, achieved his total of in 32 games

The MVP of the NCAA’s College Division finals, Monroe was named to the all-tournament team along with Danny Bolden and Lou Shepherd of Southwest Missouri and Sam Smith and Dallas Thornton of Kentucky Wesleyan

1967 National Championship Team RosterLite DarkNo. No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown22 23 Ernest Brown G 5’11” 180 Sr Bronx, NY

42 43 William English F 6’6” 230 So Salem, VA

14 13 David Green G 5’11” 165 So Washington, D C

20 21 Vaughn Kimbrough G 5’11” 165 Fr Washington, D C

50 51 John Lathan C 6’7” 200 Fr Charlotte, NC

44 45 John Michaels F 6’4” 180 Fr Winston-Salem, NC

10 15 Earl Monroe G 6’4” 180 Sr Philadelphia, PA

32 31 James Reid C 6’6” 210 Sr Lenoir, NC

40 41 Eugene Smiley G 6’1” 190 Sr Newark, NJ

04 03 Steven Smith G 5’9” 160 Sr Philadelphia, PA

34 35 Johnny Watkins F 6’3” 185 Jr Badin, NC

Head Coach: Clarence “Big House” Gaines

1967 Championship Record (31-1)

WSSU Team Opp. Result

84 High Point 89 L 103 Livingstone 69 W 112 Fayetteville State 97 W 115 North Carolina College 96 W 103 Delaware State 69 W 113 Morgan State 97 W 94 Bethune-Cookman 79 W 105 Johnson C Smith 84 W 101 Wilberforce 100 W 140 Fayetteville State 95 W 107 Norfolk State 95 W 98 Elizabeth City State 91 W 98 Johnson C Smith 94 W 103 Elizabeth City State 94 W 87 North Carolina A&T 85 W 75 North Carolina College 68 W 99 Delaware State 81 W 87 Johnson C Smith 81 W 119 Saint Augustine’s 93 W 104 North Carolina A&T 93 W 110 Saint Augustine’s 95 W 117 Norfolk State 113 W 115 Livingstone 77 W 92 Akron 84 W 114 Hampton 73 W 100 Johnson C Smith 93 W 82 North Carolina A&T 105 W 71 Baldwin Wallace 56 W 88 #6 Akron 80 W 72 Long Island University 64 W 82 #2 Kentucky Wesleyan 73 W 77 #5 Southwest Missouri 74 W

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OFFICIAL ’08-’09

Earl Monroe - 2,935Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1964 23 73 2 8 163 7 01965 30 211 7 0 697 23 21966 25 167 6 6 796 29 81967 32 218 6 8 1329 41 5Totals 110 669 6 0 2935 26 7

Cleo Hill - 2,488Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1958 25 - - 580 23 51959 26 - - 656 24 51960 23 - - 611 27 71961 24 - - 641 26 7Totals 98 - - 2488 25 4

Carlos Terry - 2,151Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1974 30 311 10 4 377 12 41975 28 430 15 3 444 15 81976 27 383 14 2 660 24 41977 32 343 10 7 670 20 9Totals 115 1467 11 8 2151 18 7

William English - 2,117Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1966 23 214 9 3 281 12 21967 32 312 11 6 596 18 61968 24 286 11 9 599 24 91969 27 - - 641 24 7Totals 106 812 7 6 2117 19 0

Reggie Gaines - 2,063Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1978 32 244 7 6 633 19 71979 28 232 8 3 686 24 51980 26 294 11 9 744 28 6Totals 86 770 8 9 2063 23 9

Wilfred John - 1,808Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1959 - - - - -1960 - - - - -1961 - - - - -1962 - - - - -Totals - - - 1808 -

Alex Hooper - 1,644Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1985 28 127 4 5 372 15 21986 27 116 4 2 612 22 31987 28 118 4 2 660 23 5Totals 83 361 4 3 1644 19 9

Alleggrie Guinn - 1,535Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 2003 29 65 2 2 265 9 12004 28 101 3 6 367 13 12005 30 124 4 1 468 15 62006 29 125 4 3 435 15 0Totals 116 415 3 6 1535 13 2

Sandy Smith - 1,420Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1971 23 114 5 0 559 24 31972 22 110 5 0 377 17 11073 22 - - 496 17 7Totals 67 - - 1420 21 2

Mark Clark - 1,395Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1978 28 109 3 9 228 9 61979 27 87 3 2 374 14 91980 24 131 5 5 452 18 81981 19 95 5 0 299 15 7Totals 98 422 4 3 1395 14 2

Steve Hood - 1,481Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1985 28 73 2 6 164 5 81986 26 109 4 1 350 13 41987 28 151 5 3 536 19 11988 28 104 3 7 431 15 4Totals 110 437 3 9 1481 13 5

Harold “Funny” Kitt - 1,271Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1972 25 150 6 0 443 17 81973 27 - - 233 8 61974 26 144 5 5 595 22 8Totals 78 - - 1271 16 3

The WSSU Millennium Club (1,000 pts +)156

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The WSSU Millennium Club (1,000 pts +)

Willie Curry - 1,001Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1963 28 201 7 2 570 20 31964 26 131 5 0 431 16 5Totals 54 332 6 1 1001 18 5

Kevin McCray - 1,006Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1980 25 52 2 2 269 10 71981 25 41 1 6 379 15 11982 20 71 3 6 358 13 7Totals 65 164 2 5 1006 15 5

Audly Wehner - 1,014Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 2004 27 138 5 1 395 14 62005 25 131 5 2 396 15 52006 18 88 4 8 223 12 4Totals 70 357 5 1 1014 14 4

Eugene Smiley - 1,022Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1966 24 50 2 0 155 6 71967 32 161 5 0 472 14 71968 24 140 5 8 395 6 4Totals 80 351 4 4 1022 12 8

Therman Greene - 1,052Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1981 25 78 3 1 432 17 21982 26 101 3 8 620 23 8Totals 51 179 3 5 1052 20 6

Rodger Mason - 1,082Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1981 24 130 5 4 254 20 61982 26 162 6 2 236 9 01983 26 113 4 0 183 6 51984 30 150 5 0 409 13 6Totals 106 555 5 2 1082 10 2

Charlie Spell - 1,094Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1985 23 10 0 4 47 2 01986 26 53 2 0 221 8 51987 27 39 1 4 365 13 51988 28 56 2 0 461 16 5Totals 104 158 1 5 1094 10 5

Kevin “Cadillac” Vaughn - 1,138Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1982 26 250 9 6 218 8 31983 27 203 7 5 261 9 61984 30 239 7 9 315 10 51985 28 234 8 3 344 12 2Totals 111 926 8 3 1138 12 5

Donald Helton - 1,164Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1974 30 62 2 0 476 15 81975 29 46 1 6 374 12 81977 26 41 1 6 316 12 1Totals 85 149 1 8 1164 12 5

Mike Robinson - 1,150Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1977 26 199 7 7 117 6 81978 32 360 11 3 341 10 61979 28 330 11 8 341 12 21980 26 358 13 8 351 13 7Totals 112 1242 11 1 1150 10 3

Tom Paulin - 1,243Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1975 28 150 4 6 492 17 61976 30 295 9 8 751 23 0Totals 58 445 7 7 1243 21 5

Earl Williams - 1,246Year Games Reb Avg Pts Avg 1971 2 9 4 5 7 3 51972 23 401 17 4 304 13 21973 29 - - 436 15 11974 26 553 21 5 499 19 1Totals 80 - - 1246 15 6

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OFFICIAL ’08-’09

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1990); NBA champion (1973); All-NBA First Team (1969); NBA Rookie of the Year (1968); NBA All-Rookie Team (1968); Four-time NBA All-Star (1969, ‘71, ‘75, ‘77); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)

Before the arrival of “Magic” Johnson there was another “Magic” -- “Black Magic,” also known as “Earl the Pearl ” He was Earl Monroe, a dazzling ballhandler and one-on-one virtuoso who made crowds gasp with his slashing drives to the hoop

Monroe joined the NBA in 1967 and parlayed his talents into a distinguished 13-year career He was part of a changing of the guard in the NBA, arriving at a time when high scorers like Dave Bing and Jerry West were showing that the backcourt could rack up points just as effectively as the center position He finished with a career average of 18.8 ppg.

Spectators were amazed not only by the number of points that Monroe scored but also by how he scored them “The ultimate playground player,” is how Bill Bradley once described him to the New York Post He loved to spin and twist through the paint and then launch off-balance, circus-like shots in the tradition of the Harlem Globetrotters His shots went in often enough for Monroe to compile a respectable .464 career field-goal percentage and earn four All-Star Game appearances More importantly, he was a key leader on two excellent teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s-the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks

Monroe grew up in a tough South Philadelphia neighborhood As a youth he was more interested in soccer and baseball than in basketball, but by age 14 he had grown to 6-3 and had drawn the attention of school basketball coaches Although he wasn’t immediately adept at basketball, Monroe played center during most of his youth His “shake-and-bake” moves originated in the tough contests played on Philly’s asphalt playgrounds. “I had to develop flukey-duke shots, what we call la-la, hesitating in the air as long as possible before shooting,” he once explained

Monroe decided to attend Winston-Salem State, a small, historically black college in North Carolina. There he found a father figure in Coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines, a famed figure in black college sports and blossomed into a first-rate scorer. As a senior in 1966-67, Monroe led his Winston-Salem State University Rams squad to an NCAA Division II title while averaging 41 5 points A local sportswriter, the Winston-Salem Journal’s Jerry McLeese penned the phrase “Earl’s Pearls” to describe the points he tallied, and a nickname was born

Monroe, the No 2 choice in the 1967 NBA Draft, was chosen by the Baltimore Bullets, a franchise that had not enjoyed much success During his initial season the team showed little improvement, finishing in the Eastern Division cellar. Monroe, however, was a standout He was named NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 24.3 points to finish fourth in the league in scoring. In one game against the Los Angeles Lakers he tossed in 56 points

The Bullets’ fortunes improved after they surrounded Monroe with a strong roster that included All-Star Wes Unseld, bruising forward Gus Johnson, talented Jack Marin, and guards Kevin Loughery and Fred “Mad Dog” Carter Monroe was at the head of the pack, leading a run-and-gun attack that was fueled by Unseld’s quick outlet passes During the next three seasons Monroe averaged 25 8, 23 4 and 21 4 points, respectively, leading the Bullets into the playoffs each year

Lacking great speed and leaping ability, Monroe compensated with a feathery jump shot and a patented spin move that he initiated by bumping up against

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe

Full Name: Vernon Earl Monroe Born:12/21/44 in Philadelphia High School: John Bartram (Phila ) College: Winston-Salem (N C ) Drafted by: Baltimore Bullets, 1967 (second pick overall) Transactions: Traded to New York Knicks, 10/10/71 Nickname: The Pearl Height: 6-3; Weight: 190 lbs

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an opponent and making contact before spinning away to launch one of his unorthodox shots Most of all, Monroe made his mark with his uncanny moves to the hoop Employing a hesitation dribble or perhaps a double-pump or triple-pump fake, he would slip past mystified opponents and drop in layups.

Observers said that watching him play was like listening to jazz; his moves resembled free-floating improvisations, riffs that took off in midflight and changed direction unpredictably “The thing is, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the ball,” Monroe once admitted, “and if I don’t know, I’m quite sure the guy guarding me doesn’t know either ”

Fans and pros alike loved Monroe for his array of entertaining shots and his special flair. “Put a basketball in his hands and he does wondrous things with it,” said Bullets Coach Gene Shue “He has the greatest combination of basketball ability and showmanship ” In a New York Post interview, Baltimore teammate Ray Scott was less circumspect: “God couldn’t go one-on-one with Earl ”

In 1968-69, Monroe averaged 25.8 ppg to help the Bullets jump from last to first in their division. He also appeared in the All-Star Game for the first time, scoring 21 points and dazzling viewers with his moves The season ended abruptly, however, when the Bullets faced the Knicks in the playoffs and were buried in four straight games

At season’s end, Monroe was rewarded with a berth on the All-NBA First Team, the only such honor of his career The Bullets and the Knicks hooked up again in the 1970 playoffs, tangling in a wild seven-game division semifinal. The Knicks prevailed a second time as Monroe starred in a losing effort. He fired in 39 points in a 120-117 double-overtime loss to the Knicks in Game 1

The following year the Bullets got their revenge by overcoming the Knicks in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, taking the final game in the hostile environs of Madison Square Garden. Monroe had to wait for his first championship ring, however The Milwaukee Bucks, led by MVP Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Oscar Robertson, vanquished the Bullets in four straight games in the NBA Finals, only the second time a team had been swept in the championship series Monroe averaged 21 4 points for the season and made his second trip to the NBA All-Star Game

Monroe continued to be a key figure in the series of Bullets-Knicks playoffs that followed -- a bitterly contested, long-running saga in which the two clubs faced each other in six consecutive years from 1969 to 1974 The series offered exciting games and dream matchups, the best of all being the duel between

Monroe and the cool, stylish Walt “Clyde” Frazier Both stars had entered the NBA the same year (Frazier was drafted by the Knicks three notches below Monroe) and each was called upon to guard the other during games

Defensive wizard Frazier often battled Monroe to a standoff, but he likened guarding Monroe to “watching a horror movie ” After one skirmish Frazier marvelled, “You’d have to knock him out to stop him He gets his body between you and the ball so you can’t get at it Yet, he seems so relaxed He doesn’t show a bit of pressure ”

Amazing as he was, Monroe failed to satisfy many basketball purists, who tended to downplay his overall value Although he had led Baltimore to winning seasons and had carried his college team to a national championship, some perceived Monroe as simply a show-off who cared more about scoring baskets than about winning games

Monroe never had a chance to prove his critics wrong in Baltimore On Nov 10, 1971, the unthinkable happened: Monroe was traded to the hated Knicks During the offseason he had wrangled with Bullets management over his salary, and he had considered defecting to the American Basketball Association’s Indiana Pacers

The Knicks parted with Mike Riordan, Dave Stallworth and cash to obtain Monroe New York managed to retain the core group from its 1969-70 championship team, but not everyone cheered the trade Critics questioned whether Monroe’s one-on-one style would clash with the team-oriented Knicks, who stressed defense and unselfish basketball, and whether he would fit in the backcourt alongside superstar and archrival Frazier

At first, Monroe had trouble adapting to the new system in New York. With Frazier in the driver’s seat, Monroe handled the ball less than ever He was also hobbled by battered knees and ankle problems during the 1971-72 season, limiting his playing time to 21 2 minutes per game As a result, his scoring plummeted to 11 9 ppg But during their second year together, Monroe and Frazier began to complement one another well By season’s end they looked so good together that reporters were referring to them as the “Rolls Royce backcourt ”

After finishing second in the Atlantic Division, the Knicks faced Baltimore again in the playoffs Monroe encountered signs that read, “Benedict Monroe ” Nevertheless, the Knicks defeated the Bullets in five games. In one game Monroe scored 32 points, his career high with the Knicks New York went on to conquer

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OFFICIAL ’08-’09

the Boston Celtics, who had led the NBA with 68 victories, with a dramatic 94-78 seventh-game victory in Boston The Knicks advanced to the 1973 NBA Finals and claimed the title by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Monroe tallied 23 points in the deciding game

By the end of the 1972-73 season Monroe had become a Madison Square Garden favorite Although he averaged a relatively modest 15 5 ppg that year, his moves were as dazzling as ever. Reporters noted that he played unselfishly, passing up shots when teammates had better chances at the basket He was also routinely given the defensive assignment of guarding the opposing team’s highest-scoring guard, thereby giving Frazier more freedom to make steals by patrolling the passing lanes “I’m more dedicated, sure, and a different type of player,” Monroe told HOOP magazine “With Walt Frazier around I don’t handle the ball as much But as great a team as the Knicks are, it boils down to one-on-one ”

After that championship year the Knicks began to falter Willis Reed, on injured legs, lasted one more campaign Jerry Lucas and Dave DeBusschere also retired after the 1973-74 season Bill Bradley stayed on until 1977, the same year New York traded Frazier to the Cleveland Cavaliers

During the mid-1970s, Monroe continued to be productive He posted scoring averages of 20 9 ppg in 1974-75, 20 7 in 1975-76, and 19 9 in 1976-77 Monroe was an All-Star in 1975 and 1977, but the Knicks fell into decline, missing the playoffs entirely in 1979 and 1980, Monroe’s last two seasons

Monroe retired in 1980 after averaging only 7 4 points in 51 appearances During his 13-year career he had amassed 17,454 points in 926 games, evidence of his durability despite a history of knee and leg problems

Following his retirement Monroe took his flair for showmanship into the entertainment industry He managed several singing groups, launched a record company called Pretty Pearl Records, and returned to basketball to work as a television commentator

In 1989, Monroe was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and in 1996 was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team “If for any reason someone were to remember me,” he said during an interview with HOOP, “I hope they will remember me as a person who could play the game and excite the fans and excite himself ”

There’s little doubt that anyone who saw Monroe play will ever forget him Earl the Pearl helped herald a new era in basketball, a more exciting game that showcased dazzling individual skills within a team context He proved that you could win-and have a magical time doing it

Winston-Salem State University Career Statistics

G FG% FT% Rebs RPG Asts APG Stls Blks Pts PPG

110 0 59 0 818 669 6 306 2 8 161 N/A 2,935 26 7

NBA Career Statistics

G FG% FT% Rebs RPG Asts APG Stls Blks Pts PPG

926 0 464 0 807 2,796 3 3,594 3 9 473 121 17,454 18 8

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