RIP: Meadowlark Lemon

[JavaMan]

George "Meadowlark" Lemon, the basketball star who entertained millions of fans around the world with his antics as a longtime member of the Harlem Globetrotters, died Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 83.

Lemon played 24 seasons and by his own estimate more than 16,000 games with the Globetrotters, the touring exhibition basketball team known for its slick ball-handling, practical jokes, red-white-and-blue uniforms and multiyear winning streaks against overmatched opponents.

He also was one of a handful of Globetrotters whose fame transcended sports, especially among children during the team's heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. Lemon was immortalized in a Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series and appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," episodes of "Scooby Doo" and many national TV commercials.

[LINK]

 

[PalPa]

Sad news. I was fortunate enough to see him play a few times. He was a wizard with the basketball

 

[VAMike23]

A life well lived -- just think how much joy and how many smiles he gave to kids (and adults) all over the world over those many, many years.

A great legacy. RIP Meadowlark

 

[Scud49]

He was incredible - just pure joy with a basketball. RIP Meadowlark.

 

[meyers7]

So sad. He was quite the entertainer. Made the best Harlem Globetrotters ever.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I never saw him in person but always loved him on TV. He was an amazing entertainer. RIP!

 

[todbo]

I was a kid in Richmond, Virginia, in the 1950's, when my parents got front row seats at a Globetrotters' game at the Arena. Meadowlark Lemon came rushing over to us after performing some outrage on a member of the Washington Generals and shook my hand. His wide smile and his joyous aura have stuck with me for over a half century.

 

[VAMike23]

I was a kid in Richmond, Virginia, in the 1950's, when my parents got front row seats at a Globetrotters' game at the Arena. Meadowlark Lemon came rushing over to us after performing some outrage on a member of the Washington Generals and shook my hand. His wide smile and his joyous aura have stuck with me for over a half century.

Great memory , thanks for sharing that ! Meadowlark was all about joy - no better example than that.

 

[Bestiarius]

Many years ago I was outside Marie Callender's restaurant in Los Angeles on a beautiful evening when Meadowlark made a grand entrance by driving up in a lemon yellow Rolls Royce convertible. He was decked out in a matching yellow zoot suit and a gigantic yellow panama hat. All this accompanied by the biggest smile on earth. Impossible not to like the guy.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I loved Meadowlark Lemon and I had a Harlem Globetrotters lunchbox with his prominent image on it when I was in elementary school. He will be missed.

 

[BroadwayVa]

George "Meadowlark" Lemon, the basketball star who entertained millions of fans around the world with his antics as a longtime member of the Harlem Globetrotters, died Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 83.

Lemon played 24 seasons and by his own estimate more than 16,000 games with the Globetrotters, the touring exhibition basketball team known for its slick ball-handling, practical jokes, red-white-and-blue uniforms and multiyear winning streaks against overmatched opponents.

He also was one of a handful of Globetrotters whose fame transcended sports, especially among children during the team's heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. Lemon was immortalized in a Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series and appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," episodes of "Scooby Doo" and many national TV commercials.

[LINK]

Meadowlark (name given by the Globe trotters) Lemon --great Player and great preacher. His take on the apostles (JC and the boys) was one every young adult should read--everyone had issues or feet of clay---he called them HUMAN. Something everyone tends to forget--and that mistakes are human--and all humans make mistakes.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I loved Meadowlark Lemon and I had a Harlem Globetrotters lunchbox with his prominent image on it when I was in elementary school. He will be missed.

He was a talent ---said his pix on billboards in NC was replaced by Mickael Jordan--. Quit college after a few weeks---poor guy should have known how he'd turn out--lesson for all.