Why Earl Monroe was hailed as Black Jesus when playing basketball: “My game was basically street, and I don’t think most people were ready for that”

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From an early age, Monroe was a prominent person on the playground basketball scene in the city. He cemented himself as a star with his flashy style of play, drawing a following in the streets and being called Black Jesus.

Monroe became a basketball phenom on the streets of Philly and in college at Winston-Salem State. His brilliance helped him earn a good enough reputation to be selected as the second overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft.

“My game was basically street, and I don’t think most people were ready for that,” Monroe said on Retro NBA . “I’m going to give them a little shake, a move like that. I’m jerking, jerking, jerking, spinning.”

Monroe brought his playground style to the NBA

Earl had a unique brand of basketball as he made smooth moves from the streets effective on the court. It was probably his flamboyance or his old love for soccer, but he had the creativity to try out new combos. Back then, it was abnormal to play basketball since everyone relied on structure.

That playground style set the tone for that era’s guards to be more creative with their dribble moves and finishes around the rim. Players like Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Calvin Murphy benefited from Monroe because they also brought a similar style to the NBA, cementing themselves as star point guards.

Frazier became teammates with Monroe, making him more aware of how Earl played basketball . Since they were ball-dominant guards, people expected them to clash, but they won a championship together in the backcourt.

“Everything he did was creative. Spontaneity, everything was a spur of the moment,” Frazier said on the same Retro NBA episode.

Related: Larry Jordan talks about the perks of being MJ's brother: "I would`ve lost my license except the district attorney was a big North Carolina and Michael Jordan fan"

Monroe was still productive

His flashy style did not interfere with Monroe’s productivity. He averaged 20+ points per game multiple times in Baltimore and New York. The Pearl was a certified bucket but was also a reliable playmaker. He played as the primary point guard in Baltimore and worked well when sharing the duties with Clyde on the Knicks.

Earl had an impressive resume, winning a championship in 1973 with Frazier and Willis Reed. Monroe was also an accomplished individual star, winning Rookie of the Year, four NBA All-Star Game appearances, and an All-NBA First Team nod in 1968.

Monroe was an innovative player who deserves more praise for his contributions to the game. He and “Pistol” Pete Maravich made the flashy style acceptable in the NBA. They proved that playing a streetball style could go a long way in the NBA, as they were both superstars during their careers.

Nowadays, you can see players adopting this streetball style and becoming the best players in the league. Most people might forget Monroe’s name, but Black Jesus was the catalyst for the point guards becoming more assertive and creative in the modern era.

Related: Earl Monroe says the media destroyed Kareem's GOAT resume: "Sportswriters felt that he was arrogant"