Monroe, himself a Hall of Famer, said it was important for him to be there to escort Barnett, another graduate of a historically Black college whose induction was long overdue.

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.

Monroe was a man of many nicknames, including The Pearl, Black Jesus, Black Magic, and The Lord’s Prayer. He was a legend of street ball, the NBA, and, of course, Knicks lore.

At a young age, NBA Kareem Adbul-Jabbar learned why Hall of Famer Earl Monroe was known as "Black Jesus." The summer before he got to UCLA, Abdul-Jabbar participated in a pickup game against Monroe.

The network has a full lineup of programming planned for Black History Month beginning on February 1 which will feature the airing of a new documentary on NBA Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe.

As a senior in 1966-67, Monroe led Winston-Salem State University to an NCAA Division II title while averaging 41.5 points per game. Monroe, who turned 80 on Nov. 21, 2024, later went on to a hall ...