I think everyone knows an Earl Manigault--a guy who was superbly gifted, yet wasted his talents.
Earl "The Goat" Manigault was a New York streetball legend, and that's saying a lot because they've had more than their fair share of hoops legends. Played by Don Cheadle, we got to see his limitless potential. With minimal application he probably could've gone to the NBA and perhaps even landed a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, like so many Black men growing up in the ghettos of America, he was bit by the drug bug. He got hooked on heroin and it sucked his life away. I'd almost prefer to see a man gunned down than to see him succumb to a drug addiction.
Earl managed to kick his habit and do something positive though his college and professional hoop dreams were over. As the ending credits noted, he organized "The Goat Walk Away From Drugs Tournament" and had been running it for 25 years as of 1996. And maybe, just maybe this was a better outcome than his going pro, because who knows how many lives he positively affected through his tournament.
Earl "The Goat" Manigault was a New York streetball legend, and that's saying a lot because they've had more than their fair share of hoops legends. Played by Don Cheadle, we got to see his limitless potential. With minimal application he probably could've gone to the NBA and perhaps even landed a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, like so many Black men growing up in the ghettos of America, he was bit by the drug bug. He got hooked on heroin and it sucked his life away. I'd almost prefer to see a man gunned down than to see him succumb to a drug addiction.
Earl managed to kick his habit and do something positive though his college and professional hoop dreams were over. As the ending credits noted, he organized "The Goat Walk Away From Drugs Tournament" and had been running it for 25 years as of 1996. And maybe, just maybe this was a better outcome than his going pro, because who knows how many lives he positively affected through his tournament.