The Greatest Basketball Player you've never heard of 

Don Cheadle played him in a biopic years ago! "Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault". Heckuva story!

A lot of cities in the USA have stories like these. In the late 80s i moved from Detroit to Lansing. I lived 4 blocks from St. Cecelia where Pros came to play in the summer...so i know greatness when i see it. Anyways I run across thiis one Brother named Forrest Bouyer.about 6 feet.. Vertical was 45 inches...He was so dominant he could take any 4 guys and beat any 5 guys. saw him one time embarrass a starting Junior college team...with me and 3 other guys. Good thing about his story. The streets lost him...he went back to school...graduated at 28 and now is a successful Financial advisor and there arent too many brothers in that field. Saw him the other day at a Pro Am basketball game...hes got a limp now..hes 56......but damn he could play. Much like all Playground legends u had to see him play...and even then u couldn't believe what u saw sometimes. league Advisor

Another one to look up is Ronnie Fields, Chicago Farragut. Played w Kevin Garnett. I had the honor of playing against him in HS. He was never the same after accident.

The greatest in every sport most likely never played professionally. The fastest man. The highest jumper. The strongest. The most agile. The best arm. The best shooter. The best hands. The best feet. And so on and so on.

Earl was my great-uncle. Super proud of what he managed to do.

I kid you not. You can literally find the video on the internet with Kareem saying the opposite of this. He said dude was overrated. Didn't have a jump shot or couldn't pass the ball. He said that he was just a highflyer.

This story reminded me of the best basketball player I ever played against. Around 1980. It was in North Carolina’s Central Prison in Raleigh in a tournament where outside teams came there to play. The player was just called “Hollywood”. About 6’-3”. The last play he made against us he came down on fast break with ball, palmed it, fake pass to right then passed it to team mate under basket, hitting him in the head. Third quarter, coach removed him from game. 57 points. He was in prison for armed robbery. His prison mates worshipped him. Never saw or heard about him since.

He was only 53😮. RIP Goat. Watched the movie with don cheadle playing him as a kid. Great movie and cautionary tale.

I had a good friend who played on Manigault's high school team, and the stories he told me about Earl. My friend has passed away too, but you can tell that the things that were said about Goat were true. He caused a lot of excitement in Harlem, even to this day he is respected as the number 1 street legend coming out of NY.

Back home in harlem...the ruckers park was always LIT...!!!..I miss those days...

No disrespect but every level has their GOAT's. But if you you didn't reach the top, you can't make the claim. Thousands of playground legends who dont even make a high school team... high school phenoms that flame out in college... college stars who cant hang in the pros... guys who make the NBA and never even crack the rotation. Always remember; "everybody is the man in their own hood."

In my opinion, the reasons why you likely never heard of many of these men are the following: basketball wasn't truly a passion, their attitudes toward structure and conformity, or the street life was too strong in them. Even Magic Johnson once said that many of the guys he played with growing up were better than he was.

Met earl in the early 90s at Rucker truly inspired others coming out of NY

Saw Rebound as a kid...had nothing but respect for Goat ever since!

Being sportsman is not just the talent, it's way of life.

This story is for me a huge tragic loss for the game. I'm sad since more than 20 years, the moment where I discovered the story of the great Earl.

I knew a lot of Earl Manigault older than me and younger than me and I tried to reach out to the younger ones but then streets had a stronger hold on them and it's sad

To me his purpose in life was to show people that even as gifted as he was at basketball.....his real purpose was to show young people that you can overcome your addiction..... Much love.....I too have overcome my addiction to heroin .....rip to the real goat of recovery ✌️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏

Earl lived on 111st between Lenox and 8th ave.i played basketball tournaments at west 4st, Guacho,, King Towers, and few others. I came off the bench. But the experience was fun.

I had the honor of meeting him before he passed... I played at the goat in 1997

Charles Chism is a person that I grew up with that was an extremely talented athlete that excelled in basketball. In fact he excelled in all sports but like Manigault drugs and poor academics kept him off the radar. I'm sure there's a lot of sad stories like this for every successful one.

I grew up with Earl in Harlem NY in the 60' & 70's! everything is this video is true!!!!

Great piece

Great story, and way to reach back and help other kids.

I lived in Harlem & played on Earl Manigault Goat Basketball courts. He would always have on ankle weights & his Each one Teach one tee shirts.

I mean, there are a million stories like this. We all know several people that had much potential but threw it away for drugs. 😶

I grew up blocks from the playground where earl held the goat tournament at 99th and Amsterdam. They eventually named it for him, goat park. I used to play ball there in the 70s, but I was better at the parks paddleball courts. RIP earl

So true…idk about the Earl part but the next MJ, a better MJ, whatever, is or was bagging groceries instead of playing in the NBA. WE ALL can name that guy right now if called upon to do so. Everyone’s seen one in their time. -Mine was named Ezekiel Ellis. Zeke. Had to tape the top of his left shoe so he’d know left from right. But could spring spring!! Had a beautiful athleticism, smooth, natural, strong as Zion, and fast as you’ll ever see. Expelled from school in 10th grade. Was a FREAK tho.

The real GOAT legend 🙏🏾⛹🏾🏀

Man I wish I could have seen the guys play at the Rucker back then

I grew up with a buddy who lettered in basketball and football in high school. He received offers from multiple colleges, visited a few of them, had it narrowed down to two, then got caught selling cocaine. Got locked up and never took advantage of the opportunities he had been given. Sad.

There are tons of unsuccessful stories to each successful one. Allen Iverson could had easily been one, but with a caring mother who helped seek out the best help for her son made his life a dream come true.

I grew up with a guy who ambidextrous . that was very athletic he was a gymnast (flipping off trampoline power boxes, 1 story houses )played baseball basketball and football and graduated a year early from Highschool. He wanted to be a dope boy from the suburbs. Now he’s serving 35yrs

Joey hammonds is the man at ruckers no contest

A TRUE LEGEND

Shout out to Charleston, SC!

Awesome job on this video! 👏

Kareem didn’t claim him as the GOAT, but calling him GOAT was referring to his nickname. Kareem said he was best player his size in NYC history. Manigault had NO scholarship offers from Duke and Carolina. He went to Laurinburg to improve his grades so he go to JC Smith. If you cannot play organized ball, you can’t be called the greatest. His athleticism was incredible and legendary, but that doesn’t make him the greatest hooper of all team.

Michael has mental toughness over these unground legends which makes him the GOAT.

God rest your soul Sir ✝️ peace and respect to your family

His story breaks my heart because of the wasted potential

Heard a lot of stories about the GOAT growing up in that area. The dude is a street legend that is unparalleled. There are a few real street legends in New York. Pearl Washington, Earl Monroe, Connie Hawkins. Dr. J. come the closest but this guy is a true street legend.

For every Michael Jordan, there are 1000 Earls. Every sport is littered with what-ifs, but, that's sort of the thing: in order to be the *actual* GOAT, you have to overcome the what-if. That may come down to luck and opportunity, but, that's life.

I knew the goat personally and I had the opportunity to play for his tournament in Manhattan .straight legend

Those first images of a playground are from Dr J, not Manigault.

The Goat didn’t even play in the NBA” . They lost me right there , but I kept on watching the video. They got me back!!

Actually, that's where the GOAT came from. The players called him the Goat because they couldn't pronounce his last name. It stuck.

This is the first person to be called the Goat.Earl Manigault

great video brother!

Jordan And Kobe used To Take quarters Off The Back Board My Good Man

Glad you did a story on him e.m is a legend!!

There's an entire movie about him

His story still breaks my heart and makes me wonder,'What if?' Drug addiction is a powerful disease.

Nothing more limitless than unfulfilled expectations. Oh the infinite potential of what-ifs

They made a movie about him called “Rebound” starring Don Cheadle.

This is wild

Earl wasn’t the one supposedly snatching money off the top of backboards…that was Jumpin’ Jackie Jackson. Remember in the movie “Rebound” when Earl blocked Wilt Chamberlain’s shot by pinning it to the backboard? Well, Earl didn’t do that either…that was Jumpin’ Jackie too. 🤷🏾‍♀️

He was the best school yard player ever.

Picture at 1:15 is Hook Mitchell. Oakland Born Streetball Legend

I know how this man feels personally.

My dad played against him growing up and Kareem.

Earl was phenomenal.

We all knew someone like earl, a few guys in my house school made it to the NFL when I am ask whose the best football player I have ever play against, I always mention this homie of mine, He was Randy Moss reincarnated ran a 4.29 at 6'4 can catch everything and physical but just like earl, He could not stop smoking weed long enough to tried out. Now dude is working in a warehouse making 14 dollard an hour. I guess it was worth it.

I was raised in harlem almost 40 years now granted earl was one of the best street ball players ever. I spoke earl before he passed away and he told their was nobody in harlem,the bronx or brooklyn that could stop joe hammond. This came out of earls mouth.

True legend on the ruff side of the mountain./ JABBAR name him the best he every played with ..them 6 Feet trophies were heavy has hell true Harlem legend.. watch the movie Rebound ..they should have filmed the movie in Harlem … 🏀🌎

I remember watching rebound back in the day

I think there is a pretty strong consensus that Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond. Ages ago ESPN in around 1980 televised a lot of the Rucker Park games, and I got to see Hammond score an incredibly nasty 72 points. Like Manigault he had problems with drugs, and in fact turned down an opportunity to sign a contract with the LA Lakers around 1972. They were going to sign him without ever seeing him play, either in person or on film. Wilt had played some pck up games with Hammond and the LAKER FRONT OFFICE that he had just seen the most talented player he'd ever seen. He had a number of legendary games, but the wildest was missing the first half of a game, only to show up for the second half, in which he scored 50 points against Dr. J. But Hammond was making so much money selling drugs he wasn't interested in playing basketball professionally. So while I think Hammond would probably get voted the #1 street player of all time, Manigault is in in the top three, along with Hammond and Herman "Helicopter" Knowings. He got the nickname from the way he would wave his bizarrely long arms around. Bernard King said Knowings was the greatest leaper he ever saw, and watched him in person do the dollar in change trick off the top of the back board. I think, though I could be wrong about whether or not this is still the case, Hammond is the only street player to be the subject of an advertising campaign by a major athletic shoe company. I don't remember which company (Nike, maybe?), but I remember the really cool T-shirts they had at the time, which merely had a photo of Hammond jumping up, with the words alongside the image reading merely, "The Destroyer." I'll have to check out the movie with Don Cheadle.

What is Eric LaSalle from the '90s show ER doing in that picture lol

Is that the guy from E.R. in the yellow shirt?

That's nuff praise

It's really a tragic story, but can't call him the Goat as i never saw him compete at the highest level. He was obviously athletic and exciting to watch but that's not enough to be coined the GOAT.

Need a remake

Is that the ‘Soul glow’ guy?!

He got the nickname because back then NYC playground ball was considered some crazy peak of competition unmatched elsewhere and if they really thought he was the best ever in that "arena," it makes sense...

Man used grab money off the top off the back board

They made a movie about him

We've known this true story for decades.

If everyone had parents like MJ maybe MJ would just be top 20 all time . Hats off to great parents who made their children be the best version of themselves!

Just like the story demetrius hook mitchell

Hook from Oakland Ca. is a great candidate as well

Having a hard time believing a 6'1 dude could grab a quarter off the top of the backboard, insane vertical or not...

I grew up with a guy named Sammy Chu, only 5-6" but he can dunk it from the free throw line as well as shooting using both his left and right hand, he's the goat, no doubt about it. No video to show, but trust me!

Knew who it was before I clicked. 👍🏾

Earl stated in an interview on CNN that he could NOT touch the top of the background and that it was #playgroundlegend. *He stated that nobody could reach 13 feet which is the top of the backboard.*

I heard of him...as a matter of fact they made a movie about him

I once scored 175 points in a HS basketball game. That was only in a half too, because I left to go play football where I passed for 500 yards, 10 td, ran for 6 tds.

When Kareem says he was one of the best you better listen.

I remember the movie

A vision not actioned is auctioned

Da true G.O.A.T 💯🙏

I remember the movie base on him.

For those that don’t know, he has a movie about his life made my HBO that’s amazing

If you felt you had to say “the greatest basketball player never played in the NBA” then I know you not from, or ever spent no significant time in the hood 💯

1:40 he was trying to make that but felt a certain way when he didn’t then the HALF COURT ALLEY-OOP came!! 👀

The streets no joke😢

Some things are just playground myths. A 6’1” guy isn’t grabbing a quarter off the top of the backboard unless he’s standing on a car.

So he was the greatest street baller because his skills couldn't translate to college so one could assume that they wouldn't have translated to the NBA and apparenly he wasn't coachable. Meanwhile Kareem was great at street ball, in college, and his skills translated accorss the board. Earl was a gifted player but I wouldn't say that he's a goat just a street legend. The best part about this story is that he overcame his addiction.

“For shmoking marijuana” 🤣

The best street BB Player :Maybe!!. He was not the best organized player. He failed at college and he failed at betting a pro contract. Life kicked his ass.

Joe Hammond scored 50 points in a HALF against the Dr and other NBA players at Ruckers. When offered a chance to play for the Lakers he declined because he was making more money selling drugs on the street.