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Roland99

(53,342 posts)
Thu Mar 26, 2020, 03:22 PM Mar 2020

EDIT: Now w/a nice little video. Harlem Globetrotters Legend Fred 'Curly' Neal Dies at Age 77

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2883223-harlem-globetrotters-legend-fred-curly-neal-dies-at-age-77

Harlem Globetrotters legend Fred "Curly" Neal died Thursday. Mannie Jackson, who once owned the Globetrotters, confirmed Neal's death to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.

He was 77.

According to the team's official website, Neal made more than 6,000 appearances across the country from 1963-85. The Globetrotters retired his No. 22 jersey in 2008, and he was the fifth person at the time to receive the honor.

TMZ Sports provided a statement from Globetrotters general manager Jeff Munn: "We have lost one of the most genuine human beings the world has ever known. His basketball skill was unrivaled by most, and his warm heart and huge smile brought joy to families worldwide. He always made time for his many fans and inspired millions."





My grandfather took me and a friend of mine to go see them at Freedom Hall back in the late 70s. Amazing talent and amazing people in general.




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EDIT: Now w/a nice little video. Harlem Globetrotters Legend Fred 'Curly' Neal Dies at Age 77 (Original Post) Roland99 Mar 2020 OP
Loved his work on Scooby-Doo greenjar_01 Mar 2020 #1
He was my favorite when I was a kid. I'm sad to hear the news. nt chowder66 Mar 2020 #2
Same here GreenPartyVoter Mar 2020 #4
Me Too ProfessorGAC Mar 2020 #8
I loved watching him and meadowlark lemon texasfiddler Mar 2020 #3
I had a pair of his basketball shoes. panader0 Mar 2020 #5
Rest in peace shenmue Mar 2020 #6
Oh man, loved him/them when a kid. Remember the all white team they always beat -- Wash Generals. Hoyt Mar 2020 #7
Remember when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on the team that beat the Globetrotters for the 1st time ever? Roland99 Mar 2020 #10
Missed that one, or more likely dementia. I bet that was a great, fun game. Hoyt Mar 2020 #11
I met him when I was about nine years old or so. (late 70s) Pacifist Patriot Mar 2020 #9
Aww, goddamn it... Dennis Donovan Mar 2020 #12
I remember him and Meadowlark Lemon Kaleva Mar 2020 #13

ProfessorGAC

(64,425 posts)
8. Me Too
Thu Mar 26, 2020, 03:44 PM
Mar 2020

Saw them twice. Once, I was around 13. The other time, I was in college.
His dribbling skills were stunning!

panader0

(25,816 posts)
5. I had a pair of his basketball shoes.
Thu Mar 26, 2020, 03:34 PM
Mar 2020

The Globetrotters played in Sierra Vista years ago. Actually Ft. Huachuca,
home of the Buffalo Soldier. They stayed in a Motel 6 (?) while they were
here. I guess they get a new pair of shoes for each game. Anyway, I knew
one of the maids who cleaned his room and most of the guys left their shoes
behind. Size 13. At the time I was size 12, but the shoes were fine with two
pairs of socks. My feet have spread out a bit in my old age (69), like my forehead,
and I now wear 13's. But the shoes are long gone.
Meadowlark Lemon liked this area--there's a street named for him in town.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
7. Oh man, loved him/them when a kid. Remember the all white team they always beat -- Wash Generals.
Thu Mar 26, 2020, 03:43 PM
Mar 2020

At least they were all white in 60s.

Pacifist Patriot

(24,647 posts)
9. I met him when I was about nine years old or so. (late 70s)
Thu Mar 26, 2020, 03:45 PM
Mar 2020

I only had the vaguest notion of who he was, so I couldn't figure out why the other kids with me were going gaga. He just showed up at a summer camp I was attending and played basketball with a group of us. After the game he showed us how to mix our crappy lemonade with crappy iced tea to make a drink that was suddenly palatable as a result. I've never thought of that as an "Arnold Palmer" to this day. It'll always be the drink that bald basketball player made. LOL! He signed some autographs, high-fived us, and left. Didn't make a grand entrance or exit, and to this day I have no idea why he was there. The camp counselors didn't make a big deal of it either. It was just something he did.

I got to see the HGT perform a few years later. Then I knew why the other kids went gaga.

RIP

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