Fan favorite of the Harlem Globetrotters, Meadowlark Lemon, passed away at the age of 83, but the cause of death has not been revealed. Meadowlark Lemon knew how to play basketball and bring laughter to millions while doing it. He was called the “Clown Prince of basketball” playing in over, 16,000 games and he brought smiles and joy to audiences throughout the world. When the name Harlem Globetrotters was said, Meadowlark Lemon came into almost everyone’s mind. Meadowlark Lemon’s wife, Dr. Cynthia Lemon confirmed that he passed away at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was born in the area known as Jim Crow South and was raised by his aunt and uncle because his parents went their separate ways. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life until he was 11-years-old. At that time, he saw a newsreel featuring the Harlem Globetrotters. Meadowlark Lemon wrote in …show more content…
That dream was realized when at the age of 22 in 1954, Meadowlark was out of the Army, he joined the famed team shortly after team member, and Reece Tatum retired. Meadowlark was a skilled basketball player, but his dream included the chance to entertain people, not just play basketball. “My destiny was to make people happy,” Lemon said in 2003 when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Only five Globetrotters had their numbers retired and Meadowlark Lemon was one of them. The Harlem Globetrotters began in the 1920s in Chicago and Meadowlark joined in 1954 and played until 1979. However, basketball wasn’t his only talents, as he appeared on television shows and specials during that time. He appeared in the movie "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" and he was on ABC's Wide World of Sports," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine.” He even had a cartoon that he voiced as himself in "The Harlem Globetrotters," and he did an episode in the cartoon, “Scooby