Earl Cureton

Earl Cureton (September 3, 1957 – February 4, 2024) was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Twirl", he played college basketball for the Robert Morris Colonials and Detroit Mercy Titans. Cureton was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the third round of the 1979 NBA draft. He won an NBA championship with the 76ers and the Houston Rockets, and also played in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, and Toronto Raptors. He also played in multiple countries overseas.

Early life Cureton was born in Detroit on September 3, 1957, After his first year, they transitioned from being a junior college, and he played in the Colonials' first season in NCAA Division I in 1976–77, Cureton was required by NCAA rules to sit out a year due to the transfer, when Vitale left for the Detroit Pistons and was replaced by Smokey Gaines. Detroit finished ranked No. 20 on the season. Cureton had a stellar senior season in 1979–80, averaging 19.9 points and 9.1 rebounds, and was inducted into the Detroit Mercy Titans Hall of Fame in 2007. They retired his No. 24 in 2020. He stayed with Detroit another year before signing with the 76ers in 1980. and the 76ers eventually swept the series.

After three seasons with Philadelphia, Cureton failed to agree to a contract with the team. He briefly played in Italy for Scavolini Pesaro and Simac Milano before signing with the Detroit Pistons for the 1983–84 season, He also played for the New Haven Skyhawks of the United States Basketball League in 1991, hoping to return to the NBA.

From 1991 to 1993, Cureton played in the LNB Pro A (Tours B.C.) in France, the Venezuelan SuperLiga, and the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional in Mexico. After not receiving any offers from the NBA or Europe, he joined Magic Johnson and his traveling all-star team. They stopped touring in March 1994, and Cureton joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association. Following eight games with the Skyforce, but he blew out the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee and was troubled by some nerve damage.

In 1996, Cureton played six months with a Buenos Aires team in Argentina's Liga Nacional de Básquet. At age 39, he finished his career with the Toronto Raptors (1996–97), Cureton played 674 NBA regular games in his career, including 137 starts, averaging 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game.

Cureton started the 2003–04 ABA season as an assistant coach for the Long Beach Jam. He was elevated to head coach in November 2003 and went on to guide the Jam to the ABA championship and was named the ABA Coach of the Year. and was also a broadcaster for the Detroit Pistons. This role included leading Pistons organizational outreach and community partnerships. He released his autobiography, Earl the Twirl: My Life in Basketball, in 2023,

Cureton was named the 2024 Michigan Treasure by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Cureton died "suddenly" on February 4, 2024, at the age of 66. He called his last game for the Titans the day before his death.

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