A basketball player typically joins the National Basketball Association through the NBA Draft, impressing the team management in summer league or training camps or signing as a free agent. While skills and talent are crucial in NBA selection, luck also plays a part. Many basketball players gained admiration yet failed to take their talent to the NBA.
Earl Manigault was a street basketball player nicknamed “The Goat” and “The Lip.” He has played with many stars of his time, including Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Manigault is one of the greatest basketball players who never played in the NBA, confirmed by the six-time champion during his retirement in 1989.
A Look At The Early Life Of Earl Manigault
Earl Manigault was born on September 7, 1944, in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised in Harlem, New York. In the late 1950s, ‘The Goat’ scored 57 points in a game to set the NYC junior high school record. While playing for Benjamin Franklin High School, Manigault averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game in the Public School Athletic League.
Despite being a high school star and an NBA aspirant, Manigault fell prey to drugs and was expelled from school. He finished schooling at Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina, averaging 31 points and 13 rebounds per game in one year.
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Why He Was Nicknamed ‘The Goat’?
There are many theories about the reason behind his nickname, The Goat. While Manigault stated that he got the nickname due to a junior high school teacher’s pronunciation mistake, his reserved nature during his high school years earned him the Goat nickname.
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However, the widely accepted reason behind his nickname is the acronym for Greatest of All Time. During Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s retirement at the Los Angeles Forum, he was asked to name the greatest player he has ever played with or against. Kareem promptly said Manigault.
What Are The Common Myths About Earl Manigault?
While Manigault’s exact height is not confirmed, his reported height was 6’1”. He was known for his leaping abilities. Many believed his signature move was a double dunk, where he allegedly dunk the ball twice while staying in the air. This much hang time in the air seems impossible without hanging on a cable.
Another myth claims that Manigault jumped so high that he would grab dollar bills from the top of the backboard and place the changes simultaneously. With the Goat’s height, he would require over sixty inches of vertical jump to reach the top.
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Earl Manigault’s Drug Addiction
Manigault’s time at Benjamin Franklin High School was cut short after he was expelled from the school for smoking marijuana. He was enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, but left after one semester following his disputes with the coach.
Later, he returned to Harlem and became addicted to heroin. During 1969-70, he served 16 months in prison for drug possession. In 1977, he made a failed robbery attempt to buy heroin and spent another two years in prison. After serving his prison term, he left New York for a year and moved to Charleston.
How Did Earl Manigault Die?
Manigault returned to New York in 1980 after living in Charleston for a year. He started the Goat Tournament again, which featured NBA stars like Bernard King. To prevent the children in Harlem from suffering the same problems, he started the “Walk Away From Drugs” tournament.
Due to his drug addiction, he suffered serious heart problems by the late 1980s. He was on the brink of bankruptcy and was facing severe health issues. Manigault had two heart operations in February 1987. In 1998, he died at the age of 53 due to congestive heart failure at Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
In 1996, an American biographical sports drama, Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault, was released. The movie revolves around Manigault, whose character was portrayed by Hollywood actor Don Cheadle. In a New York Times article, Manigault said, “For every Michael Jordan, there’s an Earl Manigault. We all can’t make it. Somebody has to fall. I was the one.”
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Also Read: Former NBA Champion Explains Why Michael Jordan Is The “Greatest Of All Time”
