Dwayne Alonzo "Pearl" Washington (January 6, 1964 – April 20, 2016) was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 190 pounds (86 kg) point guard, he was best known for his college career for Syracuse University, where he was an All-American.
Early life
Washington grew up in the Brownsville section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, where he acquired his nickname as an eight-year-old in a taunting comparison to Earl "the Pearl" Monroe. He was a playground phenomenon from Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, and was rated as the number one overall high school player in the United States in 1983.
College career
Washington played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange and the Carrier Dome. "The Pearl" was the master of the "shake and bake", in which he would leave his defensive opposition standing still while he drove by them for a layup. Utah Jazz point guard and NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton named Washington as the toughest player he guarded at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials training camp.
Professional career
Washington was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the first round (13th pick) of the 1986 NBA draft. In two seasons with the Nets he averaged nine points per game.
In 1988 the Miami Heat selected Washington in their expansion draft. He played 54 games for the Heat before being released.
Following Washington's release from Miami, Washington played for the Rapid City Thrillers and San Jose Jammers in the Continental Basketball Association.
Personal life
Washington had surgery on August 27, 2015, at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse to address a malignant brain tumor. He died on April 20, 2016, at the age of 52.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | New Jersey | 72 | 61 | 22.2 | .478 | .167 | .784 | 1.8 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .1 | 8.6 |
| 1987–88 | New Jersey | 68 | 10 | 20.3 | .448 | .224 | .698 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .1 | 9.3 |
| 1988–89 | Miami | 54 | 8 | 19.7 | .424 | .071 | .788 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 1.4 | .1 | 7.6 |
| Career | 194 | 79 | 20.8 | .452 | .184 | .746 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 | .1 | 8.6 | |
