Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe gather at South Bronx basketball school

Former New York Knicks teammates Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe gathered at the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School in the South Bronx on Thursday morning. The New York Post reported that Bradley spoke to a packed gymnasium at the school. USA Today reported that the charter school opened a state of the art building, while The Washington Post noted that the school is designed for careers beyond the court. [1][2][4]

During his speech, Bradley spoke about his friendship and history with Monroe, calling him a former on court rival and eventual teammate. According to the New York Post, Bradley told the audience that the students were the reason that makes his heart full. Newsday reported that the two former Knicks legends reconnected while reminiscing about their 1972 and 1973 championship banner being raised 53 years ago. [1][3]

Monroe played in the NBA for 13 seasons with the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks. He won an NBA championship with the Knicks in 1973 alongside Bradley. Monroe earned the 1968 Rookie of the Year award, made four All Star appearances, and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990. [5][6][8][9]

Bradley played ten seasons for the Knicks, winning NBA titles in 1970 and 1973 and earning an All Star selection in 1973. He also won a gold medal with the United States Olympic team in 1964 and entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983. Bradley later served as a United States senator representing New Jersey from 1979 to 1997 and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000. [5][8]