Meadowlark Lemon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meadowlark Lemon
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Lemon in 1988
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| Born |
Meadow Lemon III
April 25, 1932 |
| Died | December 27, 2015 (aged 83) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
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| Occupation | Basketball player, actor, minister |
| Known for | The Harlem Globetrotters |
| Spouse(s) |
Cynthia Lemon
(m. 1994–2015) |
| Children | 10 |
Meadowlark Lemon (born Meadow Lemon III, April 25, 1932 – December 27, 2015) was a famous American basketball player. He was also an actor and a Christian minister. For 22 years, he was known as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters. This famous basketball team travels around the world.
Lemon played in over 16,000 games for the Globetrotters. He was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain once said Lemon was the best player ever. Michael Jordan called Lemon a "true national treasure."
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Early Life
Meadowlark Lemon was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. He went to Williston Industrial School and finished in 1952. After that, he went to Florida A&M University. Soon, he joined the United States Army. He served for two years in Austria and West Germany.
Basketball Career
Meadowlark Lemon loved basketball from a young age. He made his first basketball hoop using an onion sack and a coat hanger. He even used an empty milk can to practice shooting hoops.
Lemon first tried to join the Harlem Globetrotters in 1954. He was 22 years old. He finally became a player in 1955. He became famous for his amazing tricks and funny personality on the court.
In 1980, Lemon left the Globetrotters. He started his own teams, like the Bucketeers and the Shooting Stars. Later, he formed "Meadowlark Lemon's Harlem All Stars." Even with his own team, he returned to play 50 games with the Globetrotters in 1994.
In 2000, Lemon received the John Bunn Award. This is a very high honor from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was officially added to the Hall of Fame in 2003.
TV Appearances
Meadowlark Lemon was so popular that he appeared on many TV shows.
Animated Shows
In the 1970s, an animated version of Lemon was on TV. He was in the cartoon series Harlem Globetrotters. He also appeared in its spinoff, The Super Globetrotters. The cartoon Globetrotters were also in three episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies.
Live-Action Shows
Lemon and other Globetrotters were in a live-action TV show. It was called The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine (1974–1975).
He also appeared in a funny Burger King commercial in 1978. In 1983, Lemon was on an episode of Alice. He was also in a Charmin toilet paper commercial.
Other Work
In 1979, Lemon starred in an educational film. It was called Meadowlark Lemon Presents the World. He also joined the cast of a TV sitcom, Hello, Larry. In the same year, he played a minister in the movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. He later became a real minister himself.
Lemon also recorded a song called "My Kids." It was released in 1979.
Personal Life
Meadowlark Lemon had 10 children. Their names are Richard, George, Beverly, Donna, Robin, Jonathan, Jamison, Angela, Crystal, and Caleb.
Lemon became a born-again Christian. He became an ordained minister in 1986. He also received a special degree in Divinity in 1988. In his later years, he lived in Scottsdale, Arizona. He ran his Meadowlark Lemon Ministries from there.
Death
Meadowlark Lemon passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 27, 2015. He was 83 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Meadowlark Lemon para niños
