Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon dies at age 83

He was the 'Clown Prince' of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Dec 28, 2015

He was the ‘Clown Prince’ of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Meadowlark Lemon, who joined the legendary basketball team in 1954 and brought comedic showmanship to the team in the way only he could until 1978, has recently passed away. He was 83-years-old.

It is not yet clear what the cause of death was, but Lemon’s wife, Cynthia Lemon, confirmed his death to the New York Times.

Lemon was born in 1932, and from the age of eleven, he wanted to join the Globetrotters. He had seen them play on a newsreel and knew that was the life he wanted for himself. He eventually realized that dream and played more than 16,000 games with the Globetrotters, earning his ‘Clown Prince’ nickname in the process because of his hilarious antics.

After leaving the Globetrotters, Lemon turned his attention to religion and became a full-time minister, setting up Meadowlark Lemon Ministries in Arizona.

In 2003, Lemon was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.