Meadowlark Lemon, a longtime member of the Harlem Globetrotters who became a ubiquitous pop culture presence in the 1970s and ’80s, died Sunday (Dec. 27) in Scottsdale, Ariz. of undisclosed causes.
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After attending Florida A&M University, Lemon played during one of the Globetrotters’ overseas tours while serving in the Army, and requested a tryout with the team. Traveling by auto, bus, train or plane almost every night, Lemon covered almost 4 million miles to play in over 100 countries and in front of popes and presidents, kings and queens.
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Born in 1932, the Wilmington, N.C., native realized his dream of joining the Globetrotters at age 11 after watching the graceful players on a newsreel.
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Lemon was inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and to the International Clown Hall of Fame for both his contribution to the sport and his role as an entertainer. “We have lost a great ambassador of the game”, Globetrotters chief executive Kurt Schneider said in a statement.
Renowned as an ageless court magician, Lemon was one of basketball’s great showmen. “People would say it would be Dr. J [Julius Irving] or even [Michael] Jordan”.
“Very few athletes brought more joy to more people than Meadowlark Lemon”.
Otherwise known as the ‘clown prince, ‘ Lemon was a skilled player who had a penchant for attempting hook shots from half court and tricky manoeuvres in his 24 years at the club.
Lemon is survived by his second wife, Cynthia, and had 10 children. In 1993, he returned to the Globetrotters for a 50-game comeback tour. In the early years, the Globetrotters would play double-headers with National Basketball Association teams to help the National Basketball Association draw fans. He was with the Globetrotters for about 25 years and was in the team from 1954 to 1978.
Crothers also voiced Lemon on the CBS animated series, The New Scooby-Doo Movies. The touring group of basketball players are known for their skills handling of the balls, dodging and sidesteps, and humor. He was also an ordained minister and founded Meadowlark Lemon Ministries.
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“I have to keep that hook shot working”, he said.
