March 21, 1973; New York, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; Atlanta Hawks guard Pete Maravich (44) defends New York Knicks guard Earl Monroe (15) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

Pat Riley Says Earl Monroe Brought Showmanship To NBA

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Shandel Richardson | Last updated Nov 21, 2024 2:24 PM ET

NBA great Earl Monroe had a couple of nicknames during his playing days.

One was "Black Jesus." The other was "The Pearl."

He could do things with the ball that were considered mythical. Its no wonder why legend Pat Riley called him one of the league's first showmen in the 1970s.

"Earl could do things that other players wouldn't even attempt to do," Riley said in an interview with the NBA. "Some people would have said that what he was doing was showboating, and it wasn't. What he was doing was just getting an advantage."

"He might have been one of the first players I ever saw put the ball between their legs - not once but twice, and then do another move..."

Pat Riley on Earl Monroe's sport-changing bag

Happy 80th #NBABDAY, Earl!pic.twitter.com/FFP6CLxakm
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 21, 2024

On Thursday, Black Jesus turned 80. Many around the league took time to celebrate one of the game's greats. He won an championship in 1972-73 with the New York Knicks, was a four-time All-Star and a member of the 75th Anniversary Team.

Many of the stars from the 1980s and `90s patterned their games after Monroe, including Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Magic Johnson. Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once called Monroe the best player he's ever faced on the playground.

"He used his incredible ball-handling skills," Riley said. "I think he might have been one of the first players I ever saw put the ball between their legs - not once but twice, and then do another move and do a reverse spin move or something. He just left you standing concrete."

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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