Modified On May 25, 2010
In an interview on NBA.com with Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, we learn that the NBA Hall of Famer dabbled in magic and in standup.
I would come out and I would do slight of hand type of stuff. After we went up and found out what we were going to do for the next half, I’d come out and do some magic tricks. I remember one instance where we played the Philadelphia 76ers and Wali Jones, who was my homeboy, came out with me and I put a sword through his neck. It was always showtime with me. I did it a few times and then as the season wore on, it got to a point where we got much more serious about everything and I kind of stopped it. But everyone always remembers that about me as well as the fact that I also did stand up comedy there. I did a couple shows with guys like Pigmeat Markham and another guy named Cliff Nobles, who had a big song out during the time called, “The Horse.” So I had guys coming in from Philadelphia looking at me doing my stand up comedy act. Wes Unseld and Sonny Hill and all those guys would come in and start booing me when I was on stage doing my thing.
The occasion for the piece is the retiring of Monroe’s number by the NBA’s Baltimore franchise, making Monroe the only player in the league’s history to have his number retired by two teams.
The Male Half of the Staff recalls Monroe fondly and often emulated the guard’s syncopated, “shake and bake” dribbling and quirky playground style to limited success. Watch the Ultimate Earl Monroe Mix here (enhanced greatly by a smashing live version of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat!”):