Earl Monroe Led Knicks to 1973 Title Despite Mother’s Death, Still Carrying Pain 53 Years Later
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 9
Earl Monroe Led Knicks to 1973 Title Despite Mother’s Death, Still Carrying Pain 53 Years Later
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 9
Summary
23 points from Earl Monroe in Game 5 of the 1973 N.B.A. Finals helped deliver the Knicks’ last championship, but he skipped the Los Angeles celebration and spent the night quietly at the team hotel.
January 1973 brought his mother’s death, leaving Monroe depressed for weeks and dragging down his play during an emotionally draining season.
Red Holzman pulled Monroe aside in February and urged him to keep being himself — advice Monroe said helped him push through the grief and contribute to the title run.
More than 53 years later, Monroe says the pain from that period still lingers, adding a personal cost to one of the defining triumphs in Knicks history.