Earl "The Goat" Manigault
From Hoopedia
Earl Manigault was born in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in Harlem, New York. He grew up playing basketball and practiced constantly. He would attach weights to his ankles to make him stronger so he could jump higher.
Early Years
By the time he was in high school, Earl was known as "The Goat" because of his quiet demeanor. When asked what his name was, the person thought he said Earl Nanny Goat, so he called him "The Goat". He was mentored by Holcombe Rucker (after whom Rucker Park is named).
Manigault was famous for his street basketball abilities. He could double dunk (he would dunk it and catch it with the other hand while still in the air and dunk it again). He was alleged to be able to touch the top of the backboard to retrieve quarters and dollar bills. He was only 6'2" but the ankle weights he wore as a child helped him to build up tremendous jumping ability. He once reverse dunked 36 times in a row to win a $60 bet. It was rumored that Earl had a 52-inch vertical leap. But as to prove dunking wasn't the only thing he had going for him, he would practice hundreds of shots day after day, making him a deadly long-range shooter as well. Earl played with some of the best players of his day, such as Earl Monroe, Connie Hawkins and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. When Kareem finished his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and had his number retired at the Los Angeles Forum, he was asked who was the greatest player he had played with or against. After a long silence, Kareem answered 'It would have to be Earl "The Goat" Manigault,' much to the amazement of everyone.
Earl set the New York City junior high school record for scoring with 57 points in a game in the late 1950s. While attending Benjamin Franklin High School, Earl's life took a fateful turn when he began associating with the wrong crowd. He started using drugs and skipping classes. He was the star of his high school team and seemed destined for greatness in the National Basketball Association. Earl was eventually kicked out of school after being caught smoking marijuana. He finished high school at a private academy in North Carolina. This is where he met the mother of his first child. Before attending high school in North Carolina, Earl did not know how to read.
College and After
After high school, Earl was courted by at least 75 colleges offering scholarships. Earl chose Johnson C. Smith University, an historically black college in North Carolina. He only lasted one semester because of his grades and because he believed he was not getting adequate playing time.
Earl returned to Harlem and developed a heroin addiction. Earl served 16 months (1969-1970) in prison on a drug possession conviction and another two-year term (1977-1979) for a failed robbery attempt so he could buy heroin. After his second prison term, Earl quit heroin and started the "Walk Away From Drugs" tournament for kids in Harlem. He worked at this tournament until his death from heart failure in 1998, aged 53.
Many people believe he belongs in the Basketball Hall of Fame despite a bad start in life. But what has hurt his chances even more is the fact that he was never able to play professional ball. He tried out for the ABA Utah Stars but was released. He was such a legend in Rucker Park, that it was renamed after him as "Goat" Rucker Park.
