Legendary Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon Dies

Beloved legendary Harlem Globetrotters player Meadowlark Lemon died Sunday at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the age of 83, his wife, Cynthia Lemon, reported.

Originally from North Carolina, Lemon always had the dream of one day playing for the Globetrotters, known for their entertaining antics during games that they played. His dream would become a reality when he was given a roster spot after serving in the Army up until 1954. After building a reputation on the team, Lemon would become the center stage player for his on-the-court jokes and later became known as the Clown Prince of Basketball.

With his clowning around, including dumping buckets of confetti on referees, he had mastered his craft of half-court hook shots and no-look-behind-the-back passes. According to the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame, he played in over 16,000 games, including 7,500 consecutive games, and averaged 350 games a year, and lasted from 1954 until his last game in 1978. After the Globetrotters, Lemon would go on to create his own teams that included the Bucketeers (1980-83), Shooting Stars (1984-87) and the Meadowlark Lemon Harlem All-Stars (1988-98).

He was awarded the John Bunn Award in 2000 for lifetime contributions to the sport and was inducted to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Photo: Portrait of American basketball player Meadowlark Lemon of the Harlem Globetrotters balancing a basketball on his finger, May 15, 1968. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)