A native of Greensboro, NC, Curly Neal was a CIAA All Conference player at Charlotte’s Johnson C. Smith University while in route to winning a league title that season. Passed over by The NBA, Curly eventually landed with The Harlem Globetrotters, and the rest is history! NBA Legends, such as former Detroit Piston Isiah Thomas credit Neal as having inspired their game. And analysts credit his ball handling and long-distance shooting as the precursors to stars like Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving. At the peak of Globetrotter Fame, Curly entertained the television world and gained notoriety as their games were aired on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” The team was featured in segments on classic shows like “The Love Boat,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “Gilligan’s Island,” and “The White Shadow.” Bigger than that, they had their own comic books and their own cartoon series with “Scooby-Doo Meets the Harlem Globetrotters.” As a member of The Harlem Globetrotters, Curly Neal played in games in 97 countries all over the globe-including games in Moscow during The Cold War. His superb ball-handling skills, comedic routines, long distance shooting, and ability to slide on his knees across the floor-without losing his dribble were truly amazing to watch and earned him acclaim in the hearts of millions. Fred “Curly” Neal was inducted into The CIAA Hall of Fame in 1986, inducted into The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, and that same year saw his #22 Jersey retired and hung in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. An honor that has only been bestowed upon four others including Wilt Chamberlain, Meadowlark Lemon, Reece “Goose” Tatum, and Marques Haynes. We will NEVER forget you Fred “Curly” Neal…
May 19, 1942-March 26, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/sports/basketball/curly-neal-dead.html
https://goldenbullsports.com/news/2020/3/26/mens-basketball-jcsu-alum-and-harlem-globetrotters-legend-fred-curly-neal.aspx
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28958864/globetrotters-legend-fred-curly-neal-dies-77
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/texas/article/Harlem-Globetrotters-great-Curly-Neal-dies-at-77-15159612.php
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