Meadowlark Lemon Dies; Harlem Globetrotters Icon Was 83

No cause of death has been announced as of this writing.

Lemon is one of only five Globetrotters to have their numbers retired since the team was founded in Chicago in the 1920s. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades.

Don’t care. Well, I care, but I still love Meadowlark Lemon because literally no one who ever met him came away without a smile.

He averaged 325 games per year during his prime, still smiling with humility after his achievements, at the end of the day, making people happy with his work.

A born-again Christian, Lemon became an ordained minister in 1986 and eventually settled in Scottsdale where he ran his Meadowlark Lemon Ministries, Inc., in an effort to reach out to youthful offenders. At the age of 11, Lemon first caught a glimpse of the Globetrotters through a news reel, which opened his eyes to a new world of possibility and potential.

While he was famous for his slapstick comedy, half-court hook shots and no look, behind-the-back passes, off the court he made a name for himself starring in commercials and cartoons. The touring exhibition team, which is still active today, is known for its practical jokes, slick basketball handling and incredible on-court stunts. They played games every and anywhere they could.

Lemon did more than basketball, and was also in movies, talk shows, and even Scooby Doo. Lemon joined the Globetrotters in 1954 after a stint in the U.S. Army, and quickly became the team’s key player and featured attraction.

He missed a game in 1955 because of food poisoning in Germany, but that was the last one.

He ended up as arguably the team’s most popular player, playing an average 325 games a year for 24 years. “I was able to watch history”.

“He was a true showman, and always taught me to leave a crowd wanting more, and I can say that’s exactly how I feel right now”.