Description
Book Synopsis Earl The Twirl Cureton was never a star player in the NBA, but then again, few people will ever be a celebrity athlete. Earl''s story, instead, is about a life on the fringes of the league during its Golden Era of the ''80s and ''90s. A teammate of Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Michael Jordan, Charles Oakley, Muggsy Bogues, Hakeem Olajuwon, and others, Earl was a part of seven NBA teams in his twelve-season career. He won two championships during his career, first in 1983 with the Philadelphia 76ers, and then in 1994 with the Houston Rockets.And yet, as a professional basketball journeyman, every day was a struggle.
Growing up in Detroit during race riots, Earl worked hard and became a standout player at the University of Detroit.A 6'' 9 center in the pros, he battled with Karem Abdul-Jabbar in back-to-back NBA Finals. While many people know the stories of big names like Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, few understand the life of a player on the outskirts of the lea
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Foreword by Julius "Dr. J" Erving
- Foreword by Isiah Thomas
- Preface by Jake Uitti
- Introduction by Earl Cureton
- 1. Houston: Champions
- 2. Hello, My Name Is Earl
- 3. Big Man on Two Campuses
- 4. Playing Alongside My Idol
- 5. The '83 Championship Team
- 6. What Now? Italy?!
- 7. Building the Bad Boys
- 8. Running from the Bulls
- 9. Sinking with the Clippers
- 10. The Sting of the Hornets
- 11. Back to Italy?
- 12. Playing Everywhere
- 13. Judith and Houston
- 14. My First Horrible Injury
- 15. Retired
- 16. Master P and Dennis Rodman
- 17. Becoming an Ambassador
- 18. Final Reflections
- Coda
- Index
