[3], Lemon was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and attended Williston Industrial School, graduating in 1952. Alternate titles: George Meadow Lemon, Meadow George Lemon, Meadow Lemon III, The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time, The Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame - Biography of Meadowlark Lemon. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? Tatum, who had left the team around the time Lemon joined it, was a superb ballplayer whose on-court gags or reams, as the players called them had established the teams reputation for laugh-inducing wizardry at a championship level. Can stunning stats override team success for MVP? He was born on April 25, 1932, in Wilmington, North Carolina, and attended Williston Industrial School, where he graduated in 1952. Updates? He kept up an animated dialogue with other players, his own teammates and spectators during games, and it didn't seem to matter what corner of the world the Globetrotters were visiting. Shaquille O'Neal praised Lemon's ability to connect with people. Like many showmen, he never liked to advertise his age. "He changed people's attitudes about race, he changed foreigners' attitudes about America, and along the way, he made millions love the game of basketball," said Mannie Jackson, a teammate of Lemon's and former CEO of the Globetrotters. He was 83 years old at the time. Caption: Meadowlark Lemon and wife Cynthia Lemon. He mimicked a hitter in the batters box and, with teammates, pantomimed a baseball game. After leaving college at Florida A&M, Lemon was drafted into the US army and was stationed in Austria when the Globetrotters arrived on tour. But as the NBA and its competitor leagues became hungrier for the best black players, the Globetrotters emphasis on showmanship increased. This comedy basketball team features the legendary Basketball Hall of Famer himself, along with other talented basketball professionals. During his induction speech at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, Lemon said the Globetrotters caught his eye when he was just 11. A Hero in the Sports world, he used his platform to reach fans of all ages, all races and all walks of life. Jackson's reasoning? View the statistics of songs played live by Meadowlark Lemon. He imitated Tatums reams, including spying on the oppositions huddle, and added his own. In Lemons early years with the team, as the Globetrotters took on local teams and challenged college all-star squads, they played to win, generally using straight basketball skills until the outcome was assured. Why Bucks' winning streak is a true threat, Why Giannis is 'the Wilt Chamberlain of this era', MVP Ladder: Giannis, Tatum closing on Jokic. His operating philosophy: If he could just get folks he encountered to smile and laugh, he believed it would open a pathway to get them to consider other points he wanted to make, overtly or not. The famous clown Prince of Basketball died on December 27, 2015, in Scottsdale, Arizona. When he joined the team, the Globetrotters were still better known than the Knicks and the Boston Celtics and played for bigger crowds than they did. But perhaps more remarkable than the streak itself was the fact that it ended at all, given that the Trotters opponents by then were generally forbidden to interfere with passes to Lemon in the middle or to interrupt the familiar reams. The coaches in Sacramento and Milwaukee take home the honors for February. "But that didn't stop us from putting the comedy in there.". As the civil rights movement gained momentum, the players antics on the court drew criticism from outside for reinforcing what many considered to be demeaning black stereotypes, and Lemon drew criticism from inside. Stats; Teams; Players; NBA Power Rankings; Draft; Trade Tracker; TrueHoop; Transactions; Salaries; Odds; Awards; Tickets; Why Lemon's legacy is more than . SI.com looks back at the basketball great, who brought laughter and kindness to the masses. He was known as the Clown Prince of Basketball. [7][8] He then matriculated at Florida A&M University, but was soon drafted into the United States Army and served for two years in Austria and West Germany. The Globetrotters said on Twitter that they'd dedicate the team's 90th anniversary tour to Lemon and former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Marques Haynes, who died in May. As a boy in Wilmington, he learned basketball at a local boys club; he told The Hartford Courant in 1999 that he was so poor that he practiced by using a coat hanger for a basket, an onion sack for a net and a Carnation milk can for a ball. ", "Meadowlark Lemon, "Clown Prince" of Harlem Globetrotters, dead at 83", "Wilt spoke of regrets, women and Meadowlark. [14] He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.[13][15]. When the Globetrotters won two games against the Minneapolis Lakers, then one of the NBA's premier teams, in 1948 and '49, Lemon was still in high school. "[The Globetrotters] did not show blacks as stupid," he explained. By that time he had been ordained as a minister, with a divinity degree from Vision International University, California. His first marriage was with Willie Lemon in the 1960s. His first marriage, to the former Willye Maultsby, ended in divorce. [24] In his last years, he took up residence in Scottsdale, where his Meadowlark Lemon Ministries, Inc. is located. Meadow Lemon III [1] (April 25, 1932 - December 27, 2015), [2] known professionally as Meadowlark Lemon, was an American basketball player, actor, and Christian minister (ordained in 1986). Lemon also received the John W. Bunn Award in 2003 for his outstanding lifetime contributions to basketball. L ike a crazed captain at the helm of a ship, Meadowlark Lemon could take over a court and steer a crowd into the throes of laughter. Meadowlark Lemon, the virtuoso shot maker and court jester known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball" during his barnstorming 24-year run with the Harlem Globetrotters, was a man who deserves to be . Nuggets top Grizzlies in clash of West's best, Celtics fumble 28-point lead in stunning loss to Nets, Brunson's arrival unleashed Randle, Knicks, Kia MVP Ladder: Bucks' run bolsters Giannis' bid. He was 83. In between, the league became thoroughly accommodating to black players, competing with the Globetrotters for their services and eventually usurping the Trotters as the most viable employer of top black basketball talent. At that point the Globetrotters could still compete with NBA teams; although the pro league integrated in 1948, most teams adhered to an unwritten rule, using two blacks at home, three on the road, and four when youre behind. What followed was a run, by his calculations, of more than 16,000 straight games that took him to places he never could have imagined. Heather Nauert reports from New York. 36, other Globetrotters to have their numbers retired are Wilt Chamberlain (13), Fred "Curly" Neal (22), Haynes (20) and Reece "Goose" Tatum (50). 45 Save(s), After his career as a professional basketball player, actor, and ordained minister, Lemon had a net worth of $2 million before his death. RIP Meadowlark Lemon your friendship,knowledge and wisdom will be missed my friend. in 1979, Lemon guest-starred in an episode of the NBC television anthology series $weepstake$. Kevin Durant shows no signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates. Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the games elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. "He was an incredible entertainer and brought happiness and lifelong memories to millions around the world. In front of 15,000 people, Lemon played for a quarter-and-a-half and scored 12 points. Few athletes have impacted their sport on a worldwide level more than Meadowlark Lemon. [11] He played with that team until 1983, then moved on to play with the Shooting Stars from 1984 to 1987. He was 83 years old at the time. They performed their most entertaining ballhandling tricks, accompanied by their signature tune, Sweet Georgia Brown, on The Ed Sullivan Show.. He was also featured in the Grammy-nominated video Fun & Games, an interactive instructional video produced by Optical Programming Associates and Scholastic Productions in 1982. "We showed people we could get down on them, and it felt good," Lemon said with a smile and a happy sigh. ft. of basketball history. ESPN's Ian Fitzsimmons and Mike Golic share their memories of Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon, who passed away at the age of 83. Lemon attended historically black Florida A&M college in 1952 but was drafted into the Army before he could finish. As news spread Monday of Lemon's passing, plenty of past and present NBA players paid their respects. After Saperstein died in 1965, the team changed hands several times, and in 1978, according to Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters (2005), by Ben Green, Lemon was dismissed after a salary dispute. The Legendary Meadowlark Lemon, Basketball Hall of Famer, Harlem Globetrotter, Actor, Author, Speaker, Motivator, Veteran and Minister was an Ambassador of Goodwill who spent his life bringing JOY, HOPE and INSPIRATION to millions of people around the world. Of course, Lemon knew even by the time he ended his 10,000-plus games with the Globetrotters in 1978 that some folks derided the team and his on-court comedy bits as dated at best and a traveling minstrel show at worst. -- Meadowlark Lemon, the virtuoso shot maker and court jester known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball" during his barnstorming 24-year run with the Harlem Globetrotters, was a man who deserves to be remembered for being ahead of his time as much as a product of his time. Hall of Famer Meadowlark Lemon, who thrilled audiences for 22 years as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters and continued to play well into his 70s, died Sunday. Phil Taylor Dec 28,. But as time went on, for the fans who came to see them, the outcome was no longer the point. Julius Randle's big night and go-ahead, clutch triple sinks the Heat to secure a tough road win for the Knicks in Miami. Lemon wasn't even the Trotters' most famous player. Despite being with his own touring team, Lemon returned to the Globetrotters, playing 50 games with them in 1994. By the end of his antic-filled run after he took over for Goose Tatum as the Globetrotters' chief showman, Lemon was best known for stunts such as the half-court hook shots he regularly sank and tossing a bucket full of what turned out to be confetti. In an era where all the offensive numbers are relatively inflated, can stunning stats overwhelm team success? When he left, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were about to enter the N.B.A. reddit In 1988, he moved on to "Meadowlark Lemon's Harlem All Stars" team. Doctor Doss was just 15 years old when he first saw me play in his hometown of Cairo, Egypt, with the Globetrotters. 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Meadowlark Lemon (Meadow George Lemon), basketball player, born 25 April 1932; died 27 December 2015, Undisputed star of the Harlem Globetrotters, the team that brought barnstorming basketball as entertainment to the world, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Lemon lived in Scottsdale. He is one of only five Globetrotters to have their numbers retired since the team was founded in Chicago in the 1920s. Through it all, Lemon became an American institution like the Washington Monument or the Statue of Liberty whose uniform will one day hang in the Smithsonian right next to Lindberghs airplane, as the Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray once described him. Statistics; Cookie statement . "When they got to the court, they seemed to make that ball talk, and I said, 'That's mine. If one can be guided by his abilities in the church, then Lemon was undoubtedly a born-again Christian. As a professional baller, Lemon stands tall at 191 cm (6ft 3in). But it was his charisma and comic bravado that made him perhaps the most famous Globetrotter. Harlem Globetrotter legend Meadowlark Lemon in action in 1977 - Daily Mail Daily Mail 2.22M subscribers 607K views 4 years ago Basketball great Meadowlark Lemon passed away aged 83 at his. "I'm amazed at the love the world has for Meadowlark Lemon," said Mannie Jackson, who introduced Lemon at his Hall of Fame ceremony. Shaquille O'Neal was among those reacting to the news of Lemon's death on Twitter. Copyright 2023 NBRPA. Lemon appeared alongside Fred "Curly" Neal, Marques Haynes and his other fellow Globetrotters in a live-action Saturday-morning television show, The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine, in 19741975, which also featured Rodney Allen Rippy and Avery Schreiber. Meadowlark Lemon was a star for with the Harlem Globetrotters for two decades. Tue 29 Dec 2015 12.14 EST. Each stunt was completed with a cackling, trash-talking strut, as if he were entertaining himself as much as the fans. As the relationship didn't work out, they end up with divorce in 1977. [huiTre] tMd^ steam. On Jan. 5, 1971, the Globetrotters were beaten in Martin, Tenn., by an ordinarily more obliging team, the New Jersey Reds. Perhaps the most well-known and beloved member of the Harlem Globetrotters, Lemon played in more than 16,000 games 7,500 consecutively for the Globetrotters in a career that began in 1954 and lasted until 1978. Isiah Thomas tweeted that he would miss Lemon as an adviser, conversationalist and friend. Starting with their Kansas City Stars developmental team in 1954, Lemon progressed so quickly that he became the big teams star clown when Goose Tatum left in 1955. So Lemon enlisted and, while . steam. [3][4] For 22 years, he was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. Not only was he the leading figure in what some thought to be a discomforting resurrection of the minstrel show, he was also, by far, the highest-paid Globetrotter, and his teammates associated him more with management than with themselves. Though skilled enough to play professionally, Lemon instead wanted to entertain, and his dream of playing for the Globetrotters began after watching a newsreel of the all-black team at a cinema house when he was 11. Born in 1932, Meadow George Lemon III -- he lengthened his name after joining the Globetrotters -- didn't have money for a basketball when he was young, so he rigged up a makeshift hoop in his backyard in Wilmington, N.C. Meadowlark Lemon with Betty Ford - 1974 in the White House.gif 386 600; 70 KB. Meadowlark Lemon Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Position:Guard- Forward Height:6-6 Weight:220 lbs Born:April 25, 1932 High School:Wiliston High School, Wilmington, North Carolina College:Florida A&M Draft:Undrafted Association(s):In Memoriam Jerseys Worn Harlem Globetrotters Career Pro Statistics News Omissions? They became television stars, hosting variety specials and playing themselves on shows like The White Shadow and a made-for-TV Gilligans Island movie; they inspired a Saturday morning cartoon show. Tatum had worked with the dribbling maestro Marques Haynes, Lemon had Curly Neal; they became the sporting equivalent of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. MVP Ladder: Can 'stat padding' bolster campaign? He played for the Globetrotters during the team's heyday from the mid-1950s to the late-1970s, delighting fans with his skills with a ball and a joke. When he came to America he became a. Many sources say he was born in Wilmington, N.C., but The Wilmington Star-News reported in 1996 that he was born in Lexington County, S.C., and moved to Wilmington in 1938. That was something that was always in style, no matter what era you happen to be from. After all, the team they beat every night, most often called the Washington Generals, was predominantly white. Meadowlark Lemon Net Worth and Cause Of Death After his career as a professional basketball player, actor, and ordained minister, Lemon had a net worth of $2 million before his death. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? During the almost 25 years that he was the undisputed star of the Harlem Globetrotters, the most successful barnstorming sports outfit in history, they reached the zenith of their worldwide popularity. and propel it to worldwide popularity. Lemon ended up becoming arguably its most popular player, a showman known as much for his confetti-in-the-water-bucket routine and slapstick comedy as his half-court hook shots and no-look, behind-the-back passes. The latter was with him until the day he died. His wife is Dr. Cynthia Lemon (3 March 1994 - 27 December 2015) ( his death) ( 2 children), Willye Maultsby (1955 - 1977) ( divorced) ( 5 children) Meadowlark Lemon Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Words of inspiration? After playing thousands of games for the Globetrotters, Lemon left the team in 1980 to form one of his Globetrotters impersonators, the Bucketeers, with whom he played until 1983, before joining the Shooting Stars from 1984 to 1987. 30 replay(s), 48 Goal(s), "[6] Fellow Wilmington great Michael Jordan called Lemon a "true national treasure" and a personal inspiration in Jordan's youth. He averaged 325 games per year during his prime, that luminous smile never dimming. Legendary Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon dies at 83. Globetrotters bring their entertainment to millions of fans around the world with more than 400 . It is his ten children who mourn the legend, including Richard, George, Beverly, Donna, Robin, Jonathan, Jamison, Angela, Crystal, and Caleb. Whatever ill feelings arose during Lemons Globetrotter days, they were drowned out by his celebrity and the affection with which he was received all over the world. He received his doctorate in Divinity from Vision International University in Ramona, California in 1988. Full of wisecracks and wise moves, Lemon became the "Clown Prince of . Meadowlark Lemon, who has died aged 83, was billed as the Clown Prince of Basketball, but deserved to be called its king . MeadowLark Lemon: Player Mon 2/6 Stats Mon 2/6 Availability; Name Opp FPts Pts Reb Ast Stl Blk Status; Chris Paul. Nancy Reagan During a Photo Op. The song was produced by Dubarri, and released on Casablanca NB 969 in March, 1979. A gifted athlete with an entertainers hunger for the spotlight, Lemon, who dreamed of playing for the Globetrotters as a boy in North Carolina, joined the team in 1954, not long after leaving the Army. He was among the best high school players in the state, but failed an audition with the Globetrotters when they played in the nearby city of Raleigh. Meadowlark Lemon, the Globetrotters crown prince for a quarter century, was miked up for all those wins over the Washington Generals and always hilarious even though his pranks, tricks and. Various aspects of Lemon's background remain in dispute. 17 Demo(s), privacy policy Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level. At his induction ceremony he said: My destiny was to make people happy.. Can't wait for God to see that hook shot. The Thunder forward will need surgery after injuring his left wrist on Tuesday against the Kings. We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Meadowlark Lemon. In the same year, he played Rev. Next: Nuggets top Grizzlies in clash of West's best, Next: Celtics fumble 28-point lead in stunning loss to Nets, Next: Brunson's arrival unleashed Randle, Knicks, Next: Kia MVP Ladder: Bucks' run bolsters Giannis' bid. In 2000 he received the Basketball Hall of Fame's John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. ESPN's Ian Fitzsimmons and Mike Golic share their memories of Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon, who passed away at the age of 83. During his highly successful career with the Globetrotters, the great baller played in more than 7,500 consecutive games and covered more than four million miles. Jackson once said the Globetrotters were a "positive" influence, and Jackson didn't distinguish between all those years the Globetrotters were beating the mostly white Washington Generals in exhibition games or taking on college and pro teams in legitimate competitions as early as the 1920s. Seeking basketball instruction? PG PHX . (0:46). Basketball couldnt be more fun if he was there. with help from Much like champion figure skaters and Olympic-level gymnasts, Lemon understood the magic of being a Globetrotter comes partly from making the extremely difficult look easy. "My destiny was to make people happy," Lemon said in 2003 as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the game. He missed a game in 1955 because of a bad bowl of goulash in Germany, but that was the last one he sat out. Within a few years, he had assumed the central role of showman, taking over from the Trotters long-reigning clown prince Reece Tatum, whom everyone called Goose. His website says he was born Meadow Lemon, though many other sources say his name at birth was George Meadow Lemon or Meadow George Lemon. NBRPA ANNOUNCES 2023-2024 LEGENDS HBCU SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, NBRPA Teams Up With REVOLT to Bring Players Party to 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah, ClutchPoints and NBRPA Form Content Partnership to Preserve NBA Legends Stories, Victorinox Named Title Sponsor of Inaugural Legends of Basketball Showcase Presented by Victorinox. The logo is based on D.Va Rocket League by Faze_107, Appears in He threatened referees or fans with a bucket that like as not was filled with confetti instead of water. Playing against the team's nightly foil, the Washington Generals, Lemon left fans in awe with an array of hook shots and no-look passes, and with the nifty moves he displayed during the Globetrotters' famous circle while "Sweet Georgia Brown" played over the loudspeaker. Their victory over the Minneapolis Lakers in 1948 was instrumental in integrating the National Basketball Association, and a decade later their owner, Abe Saperstein, signed a 7-footer out of the University of Kansas to a one-year contract before he was eligible for the N.B.A. This was a time when the Trotters were known for more than their comedy routines and basketball legerdemain; they were also recognized as a formidable competitive team. I said, Thats mine; this is for me. I was receiving a vision. He was 83. ALSO READ: Glenn Frey Biography Death, Funeral, Children, Wife, Family, Wiki. Apparently, his skill on and off the court did not go unrewarded, as in 2000 Lemon received the John Bunn Award, the highest award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame outside of induction. Besides legitimizing the Globetrotters as terrific players, not just showmen, the victories were often credited with the NBA's decision a year later to draft its first black player, Chuck Cooper, in 1950. Meadowlark Lemon married twice in his life. His first basket was fashioned from a coat hanger and onion sack; he used an empty tin for a ball. Meadowlark Lemon, the iconic prankster whose smooth showmanship was the hallmark of the traveling basketball troupe known as the Harlem Globetrotters . He cadged his first look from the Globetrotters in '54 while he was stationed in Austria and they were touring Europe. "On the contrary, they were shown as superior.". The year Lemon discovered the Globetrotters as a boy was 1943. Asked about never having played in the N.B.A., Lemon told Sports Illustrated in 2010, I dont worry that I never played against some of those guys., He added: Ill put it this way. "People would say it would be Dr. J or even [Michael] Jordan. The following year he started his own team, the Meadowlark Lemon Bucketeers, which became the Shooting Stars, then the Harlem All-Stars. [7][9], Lemon made his first basketball hoop out of an onion sack and coat hanger, using an empty Carnation milk can to sink his first 2-point hoop. 3; Jokic still tops, Triple-double win streak shows Jokic dominance, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs, Jokic, Brunson named Players of the Month, Thinking Basketball: Inside Durant's debut with Suns, 5 takeaways from Durant's debut with Suns, Brown, Budenholzer named Coaches of the Month, OKC's Williams (wrist) expected out for season, Kessler, Banchero named NBA Rookies of the Month, Giannis breaks down how he would guard himself, Jamal Murray: 'I got aggressive' to beat Grizzlies, Kia MVP Ladder: Jokic maintains No. Durant puts up efficient performance in Suns debut, Why OKC is dangerous -- this year and moving forward, Kevin Love on move to Miami, discipline & evolution, Magic's Isaac (torn adductor) out for rest of season, Kia MVP Ladder: Tatum rises to No. For me, it would be Meadowlark Lemon.. Wilt Chamberlain, who played a season for the Trotters before becoming a superstar in the National Basketball Association, called Lemon the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player Ive ever seen and he had seen Michael Jordan. (In 1978, she was arrested after stabbing him on a Manhattan street.) When you go to the Ice Capades, you see all these beautiful skaters, and then you see the clown come out on the ice, stumbling and pretending like he can hardly stay up on his skates, just to make you laugh. Stationed in Austria, he played a few games with the Trotters, who were then touring Europe, and he performed well enough to earn a tryout after he mustered out. Giannis Antetokounmpo talks with Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks about how he would guard himself, separating the greats and more. He wangled another try-out, and wound up playing on the tour. Three years later he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Though the Globetrotters were impressed, the team wasn't ready for him. 1000 Hall of Fame AvenueSpringfield, Massachusetts 01105. He played 50 games for the Globetrotters in 1994. Meadowlark Lemon, the lithe showman, jester and trick-shot genius who entertained audiences worldwide as the heart and soul of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, has died at age 83, the . (Legend has it the only one he missed before starting another streak was supposedly because of a bad bowl of goulash in Hungary.). Partly as a result, the Globetrotters became less of a competitive basketball team and more of an entertainment troupe through the 1960s and 70s. He'd sneak a ball attached to a large rubber band into games and throw a pass that would unexpectedly come snapping back to him, causing startled crowds to laugh in delight. with The Shooting Stars Basketball Team Meadowlark Lemon Curley Neal and Pete Maravich in The Cross Hall.jpg 4,000 2,684; 2.96 MB. The Great Meadowlark Lemon of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters dies at 83. The standout rookies take home the honors for the month of February. This is for me,'" Lemon reminisced. The date most frequently cited and the likeliest is April 25, 1932. Corrections? How much should team success matter in MVP race? LeBron James told reporters after the Cavs' morning shootaround Monday that Lemon was among the old-school players he has watched. He simply loved what he did with the Globetrotters. Marcus Haynes and Curly Neal laid claim to that. Team records say Lemon appeared in 7,500 consecutive games in more than 100 countries. "I was one of the most fortunate athletes that ever lived," he said. Crowds in more than 100 countries saw Lemon at the centre of the teams Magic Circle, performing tricks with the basketball to the whistled strains of their signature tune, Sweet Georgia Brown. Even in Moscow, playing in front of Nikita Khrushchev at the height of the cold war in 1959, Lemon won over a crowd at first silently puzzled by the anarchy on court, leaving them laughing and clapping for more.