Albersheim's 2015 June Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/7/2015
Earl Monroe could orchestrate a dazzling show on the basketball court. His twisting, spinning, faking, double-pump, and dribbling exploits made him a cult hero and earned him the nickname "The Pearl." Under Hall of Fame coach Clarence Gaines, Monroe became a collegiate star of considerable stature at Winston-Salem State winning a national championship in 1967. He averaged 41.5 ppg his senior season. Monroe would then dazzle professionally with the Bullets. He and Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld created a devastating fast break not seen before in the NBA. In 1971, Monroe joined the New York Knicks where he and Walt Frazier formed an All-Star celebrity backcourt that ultimately landed the Knicks the 1973 NBA Championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball HOF in 1990.
The blue mesh pullover garment features "New York" sewn across the chest in maroon-on-white double tackle twill and the player's number "15" applied to the front and back in the exact opposite color scheme. "MONROE" is arched above the number on the back in maroon-on-white characters, and the neck and sleeve openings are comprised of maroon-and-white elastic trim.
On the left front tail, a "cosby" manufacturer's label with a size "42" flag tag, and a New York Knicks/Sand Knit patch. This jersey displays little if no wear, so in our opinion, this could be a game issued garment but can’t be definitively sold as a gamer. Having said that, the 1979-80 season would be Earl’s last season in the NBA and his playing time was cut to 633 minutes, whereas most of his career he played between 2000-3000 minutes per season.