Knicks great Monroe faces 30th post-playing surgery

Peter Vecsey
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HOOP DU JOUR

Julius Erving once said, “Ollie Taylor’s lower lip is the only fat he has on his body.”

One of scores from DeWitt Clinton High School’s celebrated leather-bound program to make it big — off the top, I can name Dolph Schayes, Tiny Archibald, Ron Behagen, Tom Henderson, Butch Lee, Steve Shepherd, Willie Worsley, Pablo Robertson, Barry Liebowitz, Ralph Kaplowitz, Gerry Harkness, Leo Gottlieb, Tom Byrnes and Tracy Morgan; just want to see if you’re paying attention — Taylor was naturally ripped without ever lifting a finger or abusing a substance.

And talk about being an outlaw of gravity! At 6-foot-2, Taylor jumped center for the University of Houston and rarely lost a tap. Early in his ABA career, I lost track of how many times off fast breaks he dunked on the domes of Artis Gilmore, Swen Nater, Zelmo Beaty, Jumbo Jim Eakins, Caldwell Jones and Billy Paultz, in practice.

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PEARL IN PAIN: Legendary Knicks guard Earl Monroe, a physical marvel during his playing days, has felt his body break down in retirement. The 67-year-old is set to undergo his approximately 30th surgery today.

As a pro, Taylor switched to the guard position and, as you can imagine considering his strength and acrobatics, wasn’t easy to trespass against ... unless you strutted a dance of destruction.

Earl Monroe’s oddball dribbling and spin-dry cycle gave everybody fits, of course, but “what people don’t realize,” Taylor told me centuries ago following a Baker League-Rucker Tournament summer all-star game at Fordham, “is how hard he hits when he backs into you. He hurts. And while your body is still stiffened up, he uses it to pivot around you and ad-lib.”

Sadly, the thousands upon thousands of abrupt stops, painful rear-enders and wicked twists — in addition to external and internal pressure to play injured, the mindset of the times when jobs were scarce and money was scant — on the toll road ravaged Monroe’s body.

Today, the 67-year-old original “Magic,” “Pearl” and “Black Jesus” will undergo his 30th sobering surgical procedure, approximates Marita Green.

“This will be his fifth on his back and neck area,” said his wife, indicating he will need at least a couple more. “He’s also had five hip replacements. Amazingly, his knees were never operated on, but he told me the other day they’re starting to bother him.”

What’s equally amazing is Walt Frazier, as far as I know, smooth operator that he is, has not once gone under the knife.

Clyde’s lone disability is his wardrobe.

* Sources say Flip Saunders’ replacement choices on the bench in Washington have been whittled down to Paul Westphal, Gilbert Arenas and Herman Cain — or maybe it’s Erica.

Saying Saunders has lost custody of the Wizards is like saying Newt Gingrich has lost control of the Republican nomination.