About the Book Earl The Twirl Cureton was never a star player in the NBA, but then again, few people will ever be a celebrity athlete. Earls 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. 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 Earls 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. -Provided by publisher-- Book Synopsis Earl The Twirl Cureton was never a star player in the NBA, but then again, few people will ever be a celebrity athlete. Earls 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. 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 Earls 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. About the Author The late Earl Cureton was a Detroit-born two-time NBA champion with the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets and worked as an ambassador for the Pistons. Jake Uitti is a Seattle-based writer from New Jersey. His work has been featured in Vanity Fair, The Guardian, The Nation , and Interview .