Earl the Twirl

<p> 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.</p><p> 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 league. This is Earl's own story a unique perspective on the trials of a journeyman player: non-guaranteed contracts tryouts and cuts playing overseas coming back from injury and the looming right of first refusal.</p>