Earl Monroe

Monroe's 41.5 points per game scoring average in his senior season at Winston-Salem State remains one of the highest in college basketball history at any level.

He was famously traded from Baltimore to the Knicks in 1971 — meaning his greatest rival Walt Frazier became his teammate, forming one of the most celebrated backcourt partnerships in NBA history.

Monroe's spinning, pirouetting moves were so original that the term 'The Pearl' was coined to describe his style — smooth, rare, and impossible to replicate.

He later became a prominent music producer in New York, working in the industry long after his playing career ended.