On the playgrounds and high school courts of Philadelphia, the flashy young guard earned himself a nickname for his uncanny ability to invent shots: They called him “Thomas Edison.”
As a pro, however, Earl Monroe answered to a different nickname: The Pearl. In four full seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, he never averaged less than 20 points per game. The second overall pick in the 1967 draft, Monroe was ready to move on from Baltimore in 1971. The Knicks were the lucky suitors, trading for the guard and pairing him with another All-Star, Walt Frazier. Together they took on still another nickname: they were the “Rolls Royce” backcourt.
#NYK70 | 1971: Knicks Trade for Earl "The Pearl" Monroe to Form "Rolls Royce" Backcourt
