If you were a fan of Big East basketball then you tuned in for must see TV when Syracuse played on Tv because Dwayne the Pearl Washington was going to put on a show. His pro career never lived up to the promise of his college career but without a doubt he was one the biggest and the best the Big East ever produced.
Washington grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, where he acquired his nickname as an eight-year-old in a taunting comparison to Earl “the Pearl” Monroe.
He was a playground phenomenon from Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, and was rated as the number 1 overall high school player in the United States 1983. He brought his flashy play to Syracuse University and the Carrier Dome. The Pearl was the master of the “shake and bake”, in which he would leave his defensive opposition standing still while he drove by them for a layup.
Washington was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the 1st round (13th pick) of the 1986 NBA draft. In two seasons with the Nets he averaged 9 points per game. In 1988 the Miami Heat selected him in their expansion draft. He played 54 games for the Heat before being released. Following his release, Washington played for the Rapid City Thrillers and San Jose Jammers in the Continental Basketball Association.
Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday spotlights a Big East Legend …Dwayne “The Pearl” Washington.
| Career history | |
|---|---|
| 1986–1988 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1988–1989 | Miami Heat |
| 1989–1990 | Rapid City Thrillers (CBA) |
| 1990–1991 | San Jose Jammers (CBA) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 1,660 (8.6 ppg |
