Earl The Pearl: My Story

( 1 )

Overview

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe is a basketball legend whose impact on the game transcends statistics, a player known as much for his unorthodox, “playground” style of play as his championship pedigree. Observers said that watching him play was like listening to jazz, his moves resembling freefloating

improvisations. “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 ...

See more details below
Hardcover
$6.28
BN.com price
(Save 77%)$27.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Earl The Pearl: My Story

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • NOOK Devices
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$12.49
BN.com price
(Save 43%)$21.99 List Price
Note: This is a bargain book and quantities are limited. Bargain books are new but may have slight markings from the publisher and/or stickers showing their discounted price. More about bargain books

More About This Book

Overview

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe is a basketball legend whose impact on the game transcends statistics, a player known as much for his unorthodox, “playground” style of play as his championship pedigree. Observers said that watching him play was like listening to jazz, his moves resembling freefloating

improvisations. “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.”

Traded to the New York Knicks before the 1971–72 season, Monroe became a key member of the beloved, star-studded 1972–73 Knicks team that captured the NBA title. And now, on the 40th anniversary of that championship season—the franchise’s last—Monroe is finally ready to tell his remarkable story.

Written with bestselling author Quincy Troupe (Miles, The Pursuit of Happyness) Earl the Pearl will retrace Monroe’s life from his upbringing in a tough South Philadelphia neighborhood through his record-setting days at Winston-Salem State, to his NBA Rookie of the Year season in 1967, his tremendous years with the Baltimore Bullets and ultimately his redemptive, championship glory with the New York Knicks. The book will culminate with a revealing epilogue in which Monroe reflects on the events of the past 40 years, offers his insights into the NBA today, and his thoughts on the future of the game he loves.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

By the time Earl Monroe was in high school, he was a local basketball legend; in college, he was a two-time All-American; in the NBA, he was Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star, and a slam-dunk Hall of Fame. Behind all the accolades and the "Earl the Pearl" nickname is a Philadelphia youngster who became not only a superlative hoops star, but also a humble, publically spirited adult. This autobiography, co-written by the equally legendary Quincy Troupe, lends new perspectives on a famed, high-playing man.

Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780594575252
  • Publisher: Rodale Press, Inc.
  • Publication date: 4/23/2013
  • Pages: 448
  • Sales rank: 137689
  • Product dimensions: 6.20 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 1.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Earl Monroe

EARL MONROE is one of the greatest and most beloved players in basketball history. Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and named to the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list in 1996, Monroe left an indelible stylistic mark on the game of basketball. He lives in New York City.

QUINCY TROUPE is the author of seventeen books including Miles: The Autobiography of Miles Davis (with jazz legend Miles Davis) and The Pursuit of Happyness (with Chris Gardner), which was a New York Times bestseller for 40 weeks. He lives in New York City.

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 1 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)
Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Earl Monroe played basketball on a different level than mere mor

    Earl Monroe played basketball on a different level than mere mortals, with jaw-dropping skill that glued me to my TV. I remember his battles with Clyde Frazier who was one of the top guards in the NBA. Earl explains how he attained such a high level of play and in the process conveys a message that many youths today can benefit from.

    Earl Monroe was not the greatest athlete in the world. He couldn't jump like Dr. J, didn't have the size or strength of Wilt Chamberlain or the speed and quickness of Calvin Murphy. What he had was a good head on his shoulders. He also had a loving mother who supported him and fueled his competitive spirit.

    On the playgrounds of Philadelphia, Earl watched other players and listened to what they said. He and his friends shared their knowledge to help each other improve, often passing along knowledge learned from older players. Earl tweaked different moves to fit his own abilities and practiced them until they became instinctive. He followed his mother's advice of keeping a notebook listing everyone who was better than him and seeking them out as competition. If he got beat, he figured out why, adjusted his game, and came back better than before. Once he could finally beat a player on his list, he crossed their name off and moved on to someone else. He became the best player on the playgrounds in Philadelphia.

    When he played organized ball, he listened to what his coaches said and integrated those fundamentals, such as screening and moving without the ball. His coach at Winston Salem State University, Clarence Gaines, made him sit the bench his first year of college even though he was the best player on the team. Earl didn't like that but he benefited from observing the rhythm of the game and thinking of how he could best impact the game on rare occasions that he saw playing time. He got better every year at Winston Salem and graduated after winning a national championship while leading the nation with 42 points per game and shooting over 60 per cent from the field.

    Earl refers to this recurring process of watching, listening, practicing, and testing new moves against top competition as the "science of the game" approach. Indeed as the great philosopher of science Karl Popper once said, "Good tests kill flawed theories; we remain alive to guess again". The scientific approach was Earl's way of life and he kept at it even after winning NBA rookie of the year. For example, he played in the Baker league during the NBA off-seasons, which was less scripted than NBA games and allowed him to test new moves against top professionals. He developed such a diverse repertoire that he could adjust to any style of play and be successful. He made the necessary adjustment and became an NBA champion after he was traded from the Bullets to the Knicks.

    I was surprised at how open and honest the book was in terms of Earl's personal life. I watch Earl sometimes when he is a commentator on Knicks telecasts and he is more reserved in that venue. Earl doesn't hold back in this book and allows readers to really get to know him. One point that floored me was that Earl has endured 30 operations as a result of his basketball playing days. His mother taught him not to complain about things like that and he lives life to the fullest. Although he may not realize it, he continues to inspire.

    Steve Watkins, Author of "Finding a Rhythm: Basketball Scoring Fundamentals Based on Science"

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)