For those of us who came of age in the 1970s, Fred “Curly” Neal was a hero and a role model, even if we couldn’t spin a basketball on our finger like him. On January 11, ESPN.com announced that Neal Curly will retire No. 22 on February 15 with the Globetrotters, a jersey number that Neal wore 22 times for his team. Other events that weekend include games at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on February 16 and 18 and at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. on the 17th of February.
As the 5th Globetrotter retires to his number, Curly Neal joins Meadowlark Lemon and Wilt Chamberlain in a very exclusive club.
Curly Neal Volutpat: “purity of play”
During the times my classmates and I watched the Globetrotters on television, we all had our players, especially the funny and funny Meadowlark Lemon, but there was something special about the way Curly Neal played; more often than not, as Crispus and his moves in mourning.
Kurt Schneider, CEO of the Globetrotters, seemed to agree with how we felt as children. “Neal Curl represents the purity of sport and everything great about the Globetrotters and the game of basketball,” Schneider said in a statement. he would build this organization into a universal phenomenon, and we are proud to give him this honor. He truly embodies the persona of a family-friendly entertainer and evokes fond memories for millions of fans around the world.”
Curly Neal Volutpat: “Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine”
The 1970s were a Golden Age for Saturday Morning television, so much so that the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) he used to have special budgets on the Friday night before all the new meats started. Live-action shows were also incredibly common during the 1970s as well, many popular movements like the Hudson brothers or the late Charles Nelson Reilly dressed up as a host of demented children in “Uncle Crooked”.
One of my favorites, though was “The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine” which featured Globetrotters such as Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon in comedy sketches and, of course, demonstrating their incredible skills with the basketball.
Curly Neal Adventures: Getting Animated
After the Beatles, Osmond and the Jackson 5, the Harlem Globetrotters got the lead in anime on the Saturday morning show. where Curly Neal and the guys had a series of adventures. Towards the end of the decade, the Globetrotters returned to Saturday mornings as the “Super-Globetrotters.” For this show, Curly Neal was drawn as a superhero called “Sphere Man”.
Curly Neal Rides: Thanks
We Baby Boomers rarely get the chance to say thank you to our childhood heroes, so I’m glad to see Fred “Curly” Neal getting the honor and adoration he so richly deserves.
Source:ESPN.com, “Globetrotters Retire No. 22 in Curly Neal Ride”
