Meadowlark Lemon Dies: 5 Things To Know About The Harlem Globetrotters Legend

Lemon is one of only five Globetrotters to have their numbers retired since the team was founded in Chicago in the 1920s. The Globetrotters were often part of the TV networks main sports weekend sports programming appearing on Wide World of Sports, Sports Spectacular, The Ed Sullivan Show and David Letterman’s talk shows.

On the court, Lemon was known for his long hook shots, no-look behind-the-back passes and clownish antics, which included surprising fans with buckets of confetti.

In 1988, he started his own team, “Meadowlark Lemon’s Harlem All Stars”.

Our thoughts are with Lemon’s friends and family during this hard time. “For me, it would be Meadowlark Lemon”.

JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: When Meadowlark Lemon joined the Globetrotters in the 1950s, the team and not the NBA was the biggest brand in professional basketball.

The only move that Meadowlark Lemon performed that I didn’t like was when the Harlem Globetrotters left the castaways stranded on Gilligan’s Island. Lemon has always been a favorite and played for the Harlem Globetrotters for 22 years. For fans of the Harlem Globetrotters from the 1960s and beyond, Lemon was synonymous with the team for more than two decades.

Fred “Curly” Neal: Played in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries from 1963-85, displaying a trademark shaved head and awesome dribbling skills. “The guy was just unparalleled”, said TyRone “Hollywood” Brown, who played for the Globetrotters from 1985-1996 and later played for Lemon’s teams.

In addition to his immeasurable basketball skill, Lemon is credited with a handful of acting roles, including several appearances as himself.

“This was in the ’50’s”, Green said, pointing out that for an African American man in Wilmington, North Carolina, like Meadowlark Lemon, 65 years ago, the opportunities for any fulfilling work were few and far between.

Lemon spent the last years of his life trying to spread a message of faith and became an ordained minister in 1986, according to his website. He would go on to the National Basketball Association where he would win world championships and become a Hall of Fame Player but Lemon was his all time favorite teammate.