Before I begin, shout out to my guy, Don Chach. This idea was inspired by his post on Pablo Sanchez. It got me thinking. There is another legend that needs to be recognized for his greatness. The best that never was, Stretch Monroe. I hope the folks that run the Basketball Hall of Fame do the right thing because Stretch Monroe needs to be enshrined immediately.
When you think basketball in New York City, what do you think of? It sure as shit isn’t the Knicks. The Nets haven’t been in Brooklyn long enough to be the go-to spot for basketball in NYC. When you think of basketball in the city, you think Rucker Park. The man who runs the court there, Stretch Monroe. Undefeated… never lost! Good look trying to win The Soul in the Hole tournament.
Monroe never got the chance he deserves in the NBA. Day after day, Stretch kicks the shit out of every opponent who tries to challenge him. Even at the age of 46, Stretch still runs the court. Every year, he gets a little older but also a little wiser. Stretch Monroe is so elite that he has an O+ blood type.
Stretch would have likely gone down as the best center in NBA history. He makes Nikola Jokic’s passing ability look like a goldfish next to a shark. Monroe would have been a center the NBA has never seen before. Skyhooks like Kareem, dribbling ability like Kyrie Irving, and savvy skill that the NBA has never really seen before.
The center position is dying. They have less of an impact in today’s game than ever before. Stretch would have changed that narrative. 6-foot-11, 247, and an athletic lean frame. Stretch has always been an athletic rim runner. He could have a career in distance running if that’s the path he wanted to take. He would have fit perfectly in the league today.
Stretch’s value would have never been questioned. His best ability? That depends on what you like. Are you a vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry ice cream kind of guy? Have you see a center that can dribble through his legs? Have you seen a center collect 20 blocks in a game? Have you seen a center attempt a sky hook and collect the miss with a behind the legs dunk? That’s the kind of guy we’re talking about with Stretch Monroe.
Today, Stretch resides in Brooklyn as a school teacher. He still runs the court at Rucker Park. Monroe made his name in NBA Street two who often made people question whether Dr. J was trying to look like Stretch. There are a lot of NBA Street legends out there Biggie Little, White Water, Osmosis, Dime, Bonafide, etc. Nobody runs shit quite like Stretch Monroe. He’s a living legend even if he never played in the NBA.
