Shortly after the Baltimore Bullets used the second general choose within the 1967 NBA draft on him, Earl Monroe joined the crew for a sequence of preseason practices. Throughout these classes, he confirmed off the no-look and behind-the-back passes that earned him nicknames reminiscent of “Earl the Pearl” and “Black Jesus,” however his teammates had been unprepared and sometimes dropped the ball.
In some unspecified time in the future, Monroe was pulled to the aspect by Bullets coach Gene Shue.
“He stated, ‘Look, Earl, your passes are actually good, however they’re not prepared for them. So perhaps you shouldn’t go it to them,’” Monroe recalled Tuesday afternoon. “So I stated, ‘Oh, you need me to shoot it?’ And he stated, ‘I’d fairly see you shoot it than throw the ball away.’ In order that was the most effective piece of recommendation that he gave me.”
Monroe credited that counsel with serving to him develop right into a flashy showman who grew to become a four-time All-Star, an NBA champion in 1973, and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Famer.
“Gene Shue for me was so essential in my profession as a result of at a time when an African American wasn’t allowed to play that type of basketball within the NBA, Gene Shue allowed me to play my recreation,” Monroe stated. “He actually made it potential for me to change into who I ultimately grew to become to be.”
Mr. Shue, a Baltimore native who graduated from Towson Catholic Excessive Faculty and the College of Maryland earlier than taking part in and training within the NBA for a mixed 33 years, died Sunday at his house in Marina Del Ray, California. Mr. Shue, who was 90, had beforehand suffered from melanoma.
Born seven days earlier than Christmas in 1931, Mr. Shue grew up within the Govans neighborhood because the third of 4 youngsters. He advised The Solar that his household lived on welfare and that he didn't personal a basketball as a baby. He additionally stated he grew up rooting for the Baltimore Bullets and Buddy Jeannette.
Former Maryland Legal professional Common J. Joseph Curran Jr. grew up with Mr. Shue in Govans and stated Mr. Shue grew to become a prolific basketball participant in a neighborhood that had already despatched George “Bucky” Kimmett to Towson State Lecturers Faculty and John St. Leger to the College of Richmond.
“We had some excellent gamers, however Gene was the most effective,” stated Mr. Curran, who's one 12 months older than Mr. Shue was.
Mr. Curran, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland, stated his pal’s ardour for basketball refused to be discouraged.
“On winter nights, Gene would stand up with a shovel and shovel off a half courtroom, after which we’d all go up and play half-court video games even within the wintertime,” Mr. Curran stated. “That’s all we had.”
Mr. Curran stated Mr. Shue by no means needed to search far for taking part in companions.
“Whenever you performed half-court video games, you wished to be on his aspect as a result of they used to win rather a lot,” he stated with fun.
Towson Catholic’s determination to close down in 2009 shocked and disillusioned Mr. Shue, a 1950 graduate. He advised The Solar that attending the varsity helped put together him for school.
“I've nice reminiscences of that place,” he stated. “The nuns had been improbable. It was a small group and also you wished to be there. Typically I needed to hitchhike from my house in Govans, but it surely was price it.”
Mr. Shue’s path to Maryland was not easy. He initially wished to play for well-established packages reminiscent of Loyola Faculty and Georgetown, however he was turned away by the Greyhounds and positioned on the waitlist by the Hoyas.
Mr. Shue then opted to play for the Terps, however didn't obtain a scholarship till his senior 12 months in 1953-54. He labored odd jobs reminiscent of cleansing the basketball courtroom to assist alleviate prices.
Regardless of that rocky begin, Shue and coach Bud Millikan lifted Maryland to its first 20-win marketing campaign with 23 in 1953-54, its first nationwide rating, which peaked at No. 13 in 1953-54, and membership to the Atlantic Coast Convention. When Shue graduated in 1954, he had rewritten each scoring file and developed into the varsity’s first high-profile NBA prospect.
Mr. Shue, a 6-foot-2 taking pictures guard, was chosen by the Philadelphia Warriors because the third general choose of the 1954 NBA draft. However after simply six video games, he was shipped to the New York Knicks.
After the 1955-56 season, Mr. Shue was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons, who moved to Detroit for the 1957-58 season. With the Pistons, he earned appearances in 5 consecutive All-Star Video games and helped the franchise attain the playoffs 5 occasions.
In 1959-60, Mr. Shue averaged 22.8 factors and 5.5 rebounds, led the league in whole minutes with 3,338, and ranked second in free-throw share at .872 en path to being named to the All-NBA first crew. The next season, he averaged 22.6 factors, 6.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds and shot a career-high 42.1% from the sphere for a spot on the All-NBA second crew. And in 1960-61, he averaged 19.0 factors and 5.8 assists.
Ray Scott, who spent his rookie season in 1961-62 with Mr. Shue after the Pistons chosen the 6-9 energy forward-center with the fourth general choose, stated his former teammate “wasn’t quick, however fast.”
“As a participant, he was a really well-schooled participant with all the photographs,” Mr. Scott stated. “I keep in mind how laborious he labored after apply simply on his personal particular person recreation, and that was not a lot the case in these days. They shut arenas and auditoriums down as quickly as apply was over to save lots of on electrical energy and stuff, however Gene was an expert. He was that man within the locker room who set the instance as an expert, as an All-Star, and as a frontrunner.”
However after the 1961-62 season, Mr. Shue was despatched again to the Knicks. And in 1963, he was traded to the Baltimore Bullets, for whom he performed one 12 months earlier than retiring.
Mr. Shue then shifted to teaching the place as a 35-year-old newcomer, he took over a Bullets crew with a 4-21 midseason file en path to a 16-40 mark. Two years later, he guided the group to the NBA’s finest file (57-25), which was additionally the Bullets’ first successful season. He led the franchise to 2 extra 50-win campaigns (50-32 in 1969-70 and 52-30 in 1972-73) and a 1970-71 look within the NBA Finals, the place Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks cruised to a four-game sweep for the championship.
Mr. Monroe stated a operating joke among the many crew’s guards to rookies was that they needed to play towards Mr. Shue to make the regular-season roster.
“Gene was nonetheless in fine condition,” Mr. Monroe stated. “So that you needed to get out and play with him. I keep in mind a man named Barry Orms who performed with us. He stated, ‘Gene is carrying me out!’ I stated, ‘Effectively, you’re going to must exit and foul him. Simply preserve fouling him.’ Barry should’ve fouled him sufficient as a result of he made the crew.”
However Mr. Shue resigned June 8, 1973, citing a discomfort with the group’s transfer from Baltimore to Landover. Seven days later, he signed a two-year contract to succeed Kevin Loughery and coach the Philadelphia 76ers.
4 years after the franchise had misplaced an NBA-record 73 video games, Mr. Shue guided the 76ers to a 50-32 file in 1976-77 that ended with a sequence loss to Invoice Walton and the Portland Path Blazers within the NBA Finals. He was fired by new crew proprietor Fitz Dixon six video games into the 1977-78 season.
After lower than two seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, Mr. Shue returned to the Bullets — who dropped the Baltimore designation for Washington — after signing a three-year contract on Might 27, 1980, to exchange Dick Motta. In six seasons, he led the franchise to 3 playoff appearances (1981-82, 1983-84 and 1984-85).
Former Washington Bullets taking pictures guard Kevin Grevey, who spent three seasons with Mr. Shue, stated his former coach thrived when drawing up performs throughout timeouts.
“I believe that’s when he had essentially the most enjoyable,” Mr. Grevey stated. “It was type of like sandlot soccer. He would draw a play on the ground and say, ‘How do you guys really feel about this one? I believe so-and-so has a bonus, so let’s trick them.’ And he beloved doing that. And when it labored, it gave us a whole lot of confidence in our coach and his play calling.”
Mr. Shue’s last teaching foray, which started on Might 21, 1987, took him again to the Clippers, whom he helmed for lower than two seasons. His teaching profession included a regular-season file of 784-861, a playoff mark of 30-47, and NBA Coach of the Yr honors in 1968 and 1981.
Mr. Scott credited Mr. Shue’s teaching prowess with serving to him seize the NBA Coach of the Yr in 1975 when he led the Detroit Pistons.
“I used to be complimented by God to place me in Gene’s presence,” Mr. Scott stated. “He was a terrific man, a terrific ballplayer. He taught me how to consider basketball, how to consider the sport. He was in my view a rare man, and we’re going to overlook him.”
Mr. Shue additionally served as basic supervisor of the 76ers for lower than two years. He was inducted into Maryland’s Corridor of Fame in 1991 and was unsuccessfully nominated 5 occasions for the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame.
Mr. Shue additionally developed into a reputable golfer and tennis participant. Mr. Grevey stated Mr. Shue usually used athletic pursuits exterior basketball to create bonds together with his gamers.
“I at all times felt just like the third wheel a whole lot of occasions as a result of he could be together with his girlfriend, and he would say, ‘Come on, Kevin, be part of us,’” he stated. “Coaches didn’t do this again then. He simply wished to get to know every certainly one of his gamers on the crew. Taking part in tennis with me or using bikes with one of many different guys or jogging a path on the highway with one other participant, he was at all times interacting together with his gamers. They had been vital to him, and it was his manner of attending to know us on a private degree.”
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