Syracuse Basketball Legend Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington Dies at 52

I've been a Syracuse University basketball fan my whole life. I remember the Louie and Bouie show with  Louis Orr and Roosevelt Bouie.

However the memories of a teenage fan will be like many that are my age and that is the man they call 'Pearl.' He's Dwayne 'Pearl' Washington. He was smooth but that's not why they called him that.

He got the nickname when he was eight years old with the comparisons made between Dwayne and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. He was the master of the "shake and bake" and brought flash to the Carrier Dome.

In the summer of 2015 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery. During this past season which saw the Syracuse Orange making it all the way to the Final Four.

The players honored Washington by wearing warmup shirts with "Pearl" and "31" inscribed on them.

Coach Jim Boeheim said the Pearl was the most exciting player he'd ever seen play even today and that no one meant more to their basketball program than Dwayne "Pearl" Washington.

Thank you Pearl and RIP.