My board name makes it obvious, but...

[pearl31]

...while watching the 'Requiem' documentary last night I was literally almost in tears (of joy/nostalgia/awe) during the Pearl sequences. Hearing the reverie of people like Tranghesie, Pinckney and Mullin, and gazing upon the video. Oh lord, the video. He was, and remains, the most electrifying basketball player I've ever had the pleasure of watching.
Pearl Washington, ladies and gentlemen. Pearl Washington.

 

[Toga]

Do you recall the high school all-star game he played in? Was on national TV. To say it was like watching a man among boys would be a massive understatement.

 

[pearl31]

Do you recall the high school all-star game he played in? Was on national TV. To say it was like watching a man among boys would be a massive understatement.

Yeah, I had never seen that footage before and I absolutely loved the interview with Al McGuire - "We'll have to call it the Pearl Dome!" while Pearl flashes his million-dollar smile

 

[RandygoCuse]

Pinckney seems like a cool cat.

 

[Ghost]

Pinckney seems like a cool cat.

I loved Pinckney in that - I think I could listen to him, Mullens, and some of the others players talk about their experiences all day. That could be a 10 hours special and I would tune in. I found them more interesting than the coaches (and that's not a slight to the coaches - the whole thing was well done).

It's also great when you hear them talk about hearing of some 8th grader (before the internet, etc...)...just kind of cool imagining all that from when you were a kid.

 

[Ghost]

...while watching the 'Requiem' documentary last night I was literally almost in tears (of joy/nostalgia/awe) during the Pearl sequences. Hearing the reverie of people like Tranghesie, Pinckney and Mullin, and gazing upon the video. Oh lord, the video. He was, and remains, the most electrifying basketball player I've ever had the pleasure of watching.
Pearl Washington, ladies and gentlemen. Pearl Washington.

It's funny because having come along a few years after Pearl (the first games I remember vividly were 87) I don't know if it translates how good Pearl was in those clips. What was your assessment of that? Better than he looked, clips portrayed his game well?? Ewing looked like a monster, especially blocking all those shots against UNC and the HS clips...Pearl looked great, but not the magician/speedster I sort of always imagine him being.

 

[jvbj01]

Pearl was magnificent. I actually saw him play for San Jose against the Santa Barbara Islanders in the CBA before he hung it up. Surely one of my all time favorites. I love to see him at the games.

 

[RF2044]

It's funny because having come along a few years after Pearl (the first games I remember vividly were 87) I don't know if it translates how good Pearl was in those clips. What was your assessment of that? Better than he looked, clips portrayed his game well?? Ewing looked like a monster, especially blocking all those shots against UNC and the HS clips...Pearl looked great, but not the magician/speedster I sort of always imagine him being.

Pearl was the best ball handling point guard we've ever had--that includes Jonny Flynn. He was a bigger guard, but could go coast to coast faster than just about anybody we've had. Sick handle, absolutely sick. I have a game I've watched about 100 times on tape from the BET against Georgetown, and he would take the ball one on five, dribble around his back and between his legs and shred the whole Georgetown press by himself without slowing down.

He used hit barrel chest to initiate contact en route to the basket, and finished well in traffic.

If there was a downside to Pearl, it was that he took plays--and sometimes even games against lesser competition--off. But when the bright lights were on there was nobody better than Pearl. I personally think Sherman Douglas was a superior lead guard, and The General's accomplishments speak for themselves. He was kind of like the anti-Pearl in some ways. Not quite the same raw talent, but a harder worker and a guy who wanted to destroy the opposition at all times. But Pearl was a pretty damn special player.

Damn, what a handle...

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

It's funny because having come along a few years after Pearl (the first games I remember vividly were 87) I don't know if it translates how good Pearl was in those clips. What was your assessment of that? Better than he looked, clips portrayed his game well?? Ewing looked like a monster, especially blocking all those shots against UNC and the HS clips...Pearl looked great, but not the magician/speedster I sort of always imagine him being.

Pearl wouldn't beat you with speed, jumping ability, or even athleticism in general. He simply had the ball, and often his defender, on a string. He knew how to get head and shoulders by you, to beat you to a spot and then elevate when no one else did. He also had great court vision and sense. He knew where his guys were at all times, and he always had a plan, or at least options. But he had that confidence, that swagger, that grew as the game went on, and was overwhelming at times down the stretch.

 

[capeorange]

Pearl was awesome. I remember the seeing the Graham incident but not JB's presser afterwards, it really refreshed my dislike/hatred for all things hoya and all referees named Froggy Paparo.

I hope we never renew the SU vs hoyas suck series, only the mid major team will benefit.

 

[pearl31]

It's funny because having come along a few years after Pearl (the first games I remember vividly were 87) I don't know if it translates how good Pearl was in those clips. What was your assessment of that? Better than he looked, clips portrayed his game well?? Ewing looked like a monster, especially blocking all those shots against UNC and the HS clips...Pearl looked great, but not the magician/speedster I sort of always imagine him being.

I don't know man, maybe it's just my misty-eyed nostalgia, but the vids of Pearl make him look as good as or even better than watching him back in the day.
Like VT said, there simply aren't any guards around these days with a handle that approaches Pearl's.
Aside from Diego Maradona (no, I don't care what kind of person he was/is or what he's done since his playing days), The Pearl is without question my alltime sports hero.

 

[mark79]

Had maybe the greatest left hand for a right handed player that I ever saw. If you watch tapes of him on a fast break he preferred dribbling with his left over his right. He had such control of that sick crossover. What a handle.

 

[HakAttack]

 

[pearl31]

 

[TinyManInside]

Pearl was definitely a great, electrifying individual player, no doubt.

But for as good as he was, he never made it past the SW16, had no jump shot, and was a terrible pro.

Give me Sherman Douglas over Pearl 9 times out of 10.

 

[pearl31]

Pearl was definitely a great, electrifying individual player, no doubt.

But for as good as he was, he never made it past the SW16, had no jump shot, and was a terrible pro.

Give me Sherman Douglas over Pearl 9 times out of 10.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, even when the opinions are wrong

 

[RF2044]

Awesome.

Two things: #1, Pearl really knew how to finish using glass.

#2, for those wondering about how good his handle was, check out how he busted the vaunted Georgetown defense, shredding them at both ~3:50 mark and the 4:50 mark.

Unbelievable.

 

[Ghost]

Pearl was definitely a great, electrifying individual player, no doubt.

But for as good as he was, he never made it past the SW16, had no jump shot, and was a terrible pro.

Give me Sherman Douglas over Pearl 9 times out of 10.

Was the jump shot what kept him from being a good pro?

 

[jdubs30]

His inside-out move that he does with 1 hand is second to none.

The funny thing, watching those vids you'd think "it doesn't look that hard"...but it's incredibly difficult to replicate what he did.

 

[pearl31]

you'd think "it doesn't look that hard"...but it's incredibly difficult to replicate what he did.

many, many, many have tried...

 

[RF2044]

His inside-out move that he does with 1 hand is second to none.

The funny thing, watching those vids you'd think "it doesn't look that hard"...but it's incredibly difficult to replicate what he did.

I remember a recruiting newspaper article back when we signed Mike Hopkins out of Mater Dei / California. He said that he grew up loving Syracuse because of the Pearl, and he used to go out to the driveway, park, or gym and try to duplicate some of the moves he watched Pearl do... but he could never get them quite right.

Damn straight!


For the record, as much as I love Pearl, I agree 100% with Mason above. Sherman was better, and I'd prefer him to lead my team out of the two. That doesn't detract from Pearl's greatness, however.

 

[RF2044]

Was the jump shot what kept him from being a good pro?

I'd say that it was [1] work ethic and [2] general lack of explosive athleticism.

 

[rstone7727]

Handle - Pearl
Shot - Sherm
BB IQ - Sherm
Court Vision - Pearl
Style - Pearl
Making other players better - Sherm

I don't know which player was better, I'm just happy I lived to see both of them.

 

[Ghost]

That video is fantastic. Thanks 4 posting it.

The G'town clips RF referenced - definitely worth a look.

 

[MGP]

I remember his announcement with Al McGuire at halftime of the NBC game of the week (had to be DePaul, they were on every Saturday back then). My avatar is a photo I took of Dwayne at SU Media Day at Manley his Freshman year (I was about 14). Hard to describe, he just had "it". Never knew what you were going to see next. Most unique and exciting player I can remember. He did play to the lights though. If there was one negative about his college days, it was consistency. Still my fave...