Earl Monroe’s Bronx basketball school opens a 69,000-square-foot home

A South Bronx charter high school that pairs basketball with the careers surrounding it cut the ribbon Thursday morning on a 69,000-square-foot building. The school carries the name of Knicks great Earl Monroe: the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School.

The ceremony reunited two stars of the Knicks’ 1972-73 championship team. Bill Bradley, 83, a two-time NBA champion who later served as a U.S. senator, spoke to a packed gym about Monroe, 81, his onetime opponent and later teammate, as Monroe sat beside him.

“When you are a teammate and you go to the top, it’s a forever bond, and we did that twice,” Bradley told the students. He described his visit as one small way to tell his friend he loves him.

What the Bronx basketball charter school teaches

Since opening in 2021, the school has grown to 440 students in grades 9 through 12. Lessons go well beyond the court, with classes in broadcast, print and digital media as well as law and marketing.

Monroe said after the event that not everyone can play basketball, even though most people want to, and that the sport has plenty of other roles for those who will never be on the floor. He called the school an excellent way to stay involved in the game and get the same satisfaction as scoring.

Knicks legends celebrate a new title

Former Knicks John Starks and Stephon Marbury, Knicks superfan Tracy Morgan and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver were among the guests, with sports broadcaster Mike Greenberg hosting. Silver pointed out the timing: the Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought this past summer, their first title since Monroe’s 1973 team.

Monroe said watching the Knicks win again felt great, for him and for the city. “We’re a city of champs, so we deserve it,” he said.