Fred “Curly” Neal and Meadowlark Lemon, L-R; Hulton Archive/Getty Images(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) — Former Harlem Globetrotters basketball star Meadlowlark Lemon has died at age 83.
The New York Times reports Lemon’s wife confirmed her husband’s passing at their home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sunday.
Lemon joined the legendary team — known as the Clown Princes of Basketball for their antics on the hardwood — in 1954, soon becoming their charismatic leader. Lemon maintained that role for 24 years, through the height of the Globetrotters’ popularity, until he left the team in 1978.
Though initially a competitive NBA team, the Globetrotters ultimately became more entertainers than serious league competitors. By the 1970s, their role was primarily that of showmen and global ambassadors, bringing laughter and dazzling play to fans around the world.
Lemon became a Christian minister in 1986, though he occasionally played into his 70s.
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