Dwayne Alonzo "Pearl" Washington (January 6, 1964 – April 20, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He was a 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 190 pounds (86 kg) guard.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | January 6, 1964 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | April 20, 2016 (aged 52) The Bronx, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, New York) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Syracuse (1983–1986) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1986: 1st round, 13th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1986–1991 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 1, 31 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1986–1988 | New Jersey Nets | ||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Miami Heat | ||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Rapid City Thrillers | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | San Jose Jammers | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Early life
editWashington grew up in the Brownsville section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, where he acquired his nickname as an eight-year-old in a taunting comparison to Earl "the Pearl" Monroe.[1] He was a playground phenomenon from Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, and was rated as the number one overall high school player in the United States in 1983.[2]
College career
editWashington brought his flashy play to Syracuse University and the Carrier Dome. "The Pearl" was the master of the "shake and bake", in which he would leave his defensive opposition standing still while he drove by them for a layup. Utah Jazz point guard and NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton named Washington as the toughest player he guarded at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials training camp.[3]
Professional career
editNew Jersey Nets (1986–1988)
editWashington was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the first round (13th pick) of the 1986 NBA draft. In two seasons with the Nets he averaged 9 points per game.[4]
Miami Heat (1988–1989)
editIn 1988 the Miami Heat selected Washington in their expansion draft. He played 54 games for the Heat before being released.[5]
Rapid City Thrillers and San Jose Jammers (1989–1991)
editFollowing Washington's release from Miami, Washington played for the Rapid City Thrillers and San Jose Jammers in the Continental Basketball Association.[6]
Personal life
editWashington had surgery on August 27, 2015, at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse to address a malignant brain tumor.[7] He died on April 20, 2016, at the age of 52.[8]
References
edit- ^ Vecsey, George. "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; The Pearl Fits In At Syracuse", The New York Times, March 9, 1984. Accessed December 5, 2007. "This part of the legend does survive: Washington admits that when he was 8 years old at the Howard Housing Project in Brownsville, his elders asked him: Who do you think you are, the Pearl?"
- ^ "hot". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "John Stockton on the Dan Patrick Show (Full Interview) 6/20/14". YouTube.
- ^ "Former Syracuse great Pearl Washington dies". ESPN.com. April 20, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Heat Releases Pearl Washington". The New York Times. June 30, 1989. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ 1991–92 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 329
- ^ Red, Christian; Armstrong, Kevin (August 31, 2015). "Syracuse basketball star Dwayne 'Pearl' Washington has malignant brain tumor: report". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- ^ "Former Syracuse basketball star Pearl Washington dies at 52". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- Syracuse Orange bio