George “Meadowlark” Lemon
Basketball
Inducted: 1975
- Born in Lexington, SC, 1933, raised in Wilmington, NC
- All-state basketball and football player at Williston High School, 1952
- Enrolled at Florida A&M in 1952 but was drafted by U.S. Army; discharged in 1954
- Member of the Harlem Globetrotters from 1953–1976, 1993
- Unusually skilled ball handler and natural comedian, proved one of the most popular Globetrotters
- Became known as the Clown Prince of Basketball
- Performed in more than 5,000 games, perfecting such tricks as the basketball–medicine ball switch and the rubber-armed free throw
- After rift with Globetrotters, started rival teams Meadowlark Lemon’s Bucketeers and Shooting Stars, but neither was a success
- Made brief comeback with Globetrotters in 1993 and acted in movies and television before entering the ministry
