{"product_id":"earl-the-twirl-my-life-in-basketball-9781476693835","title":"Earl the Twirl: My Life in Basketball","description":"\u003cp\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe late \u003cb\u003eEarl Cureton\u003c\/b\u003e was a Detroit-born two-time NBA champion with the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets and worked as an ambassador for the Pistons. \u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJake Uitti\u003c\/b\u003e is a Seattle-based writer from New Jersey. His work has been featured in \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair, The Guardian, The Nation\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eInterview\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635628380434,"sku":"9781476693835","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_014c2da9-c3aa-4bb0-897c-7f88140a13cf.jpg?v=1732845130","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/earl-the-twirl-my-life-in-basketball-9781476693835","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}