Earl Cureton 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.
Cureton in 2011
The 1979 NBA draft was the 33rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on Monday, June 25. In this draft, the 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players; it went ten rounds and selected 202 players.
Magic Johnson was selected 1st overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sidney Moncrief was selected 5th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jim Paxson was selected 12th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Bill Laimbeer was selected 65th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.