Death of Syracuse legend Pearl Washington mourned by coaches, fans
By Jason Parker
Everyone from fans to coaches and media members are mourning the passing of Syracuse basketball legend Pearl Washington, who passed away Wednesday.
When the book is written on the history of college basketball in the 1980s, especially involving the Big East Conference, the name Pearl Washington will be either at the top or not far from it. After a successful prep career in Brooklyn where he was the top recruit in the country, Washington stayed in his home state and signed to play with the Syracuse Orange.
For four seasons, Washington was one of the must see players at a time when the Big East had Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Chris Mullen (St. John’s) and Ed Pinckney (Villanova) and was establishing itself as the premier conference in all of college basketball.
Wednesday, Dwayne “Pearl” Washington lost his battle with a brain tumor that he had been dealing with for less than a year. He was 52 years old. Across social media, everyone from his former coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim, to fans to even media members mourned the loss of a college basketball legend:
There was no better guy and there’s nobody who has meant more to our basketball program than Dwayne Washington.#CuseFamily
— Jim Boeheim (@therealboeheim) April 20, 2016
When I was growing up in New York, Pearl Washington was a city legend. Went to Cuse and became a star. Few were ever more fun to watch. #RIP
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) April 20, 2016
Pearl Washington will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have seen him play at Syracuse. https://t.co/ZM1758Pfm1
— Tim Ring (@timringTV) April 10, 2016
The only time mom allowed me to cut class in HS was to come home to watch Pearl play afternoon games in Big East tourney! #PearlWashington
— L.GeorgePhotography (@LGeorgephotos) April 20, 2016
Pearl Washington spent the first two seasons of his NBA career close to home as a member of the New Jersey Nets (who, ironically, now play near Washington’s boyhood home in Brooklyn) before playing one season with the Miami Heat.
Though he didn’t have much success in the NBA, Pearl Washington was a playground and college legend who will be remembered as one of the best to ever step on a college court and pick up a basketball.
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