RIP Curly Neal

[Tripping William]

An iconic Globetrotter. Dude could dribble. He was 77.

[fuse]

😢😢😭😭

I recall seeing him play live, as well as the cartoon.

😭

[Bob Green]

Dude could dribble.

Understatement!

R.I.P.

[pigskindevil]

remember back in the 80s when we opened the lawndale dominoes in gboro. one of my first deliveries and the door opens and it was curly neal at the door. he was a really nice guy.

[Indoor66]

A wonderful entertainer. RIP

[miramar]

Along with Meadowlark Lemon of course.

He went to HS in Greensboro and college in Charlotte and was inducted into the NC Sports Hall of Fame the same year as ol' Roy.

[brevity]

I didn't realize Curly Neal was from North Carolina. In 2008 he was an inductee to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Their biography of him can be found here.

Quoted in part, and forgive the use of present tense:

After an outstanding career at James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., “Curly” moved on to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., where he averaged over 23 points per game and led his team to the CIAA title his senior year. He lives in Greensboro with his wife, Rose, and continues to make appearances for the Globetrotters as an “Ambassador of Goodwill.” (2008)

ETA: Crazy synergy with miramar.

[bullettoothtony]

When I was young I used to watch Wide World of Sports hoping that it would be an episode that showed the Globetrotters. And Curly Neal was my favorite player on the team.

RIP to a man I never met but who gave me plenty of fond memories as a child.

[CameronBlue]

I was introduced to both the Globetrotters and the King Charles Troupe in the same year by my Dad. RIP Curly.

[Duke79UNLV77]

My brother snagged a Curly Neal red, white, and blue sweatband that he threw out to the crowd back in the day! The Globetrotters were a big deal back then.

[TKG]

Sweet Georgia Brown.

Met him in Greensboro when I was a kid. My dad said I was mesmerized. RIP.

[TKG]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/s...neal-dead.html

A nice piece from the N.Y. Times.

[aimo]

Curly Neal was a regular at the annual Duke Children's Classic during the 80s.

[MartinNessley]

😢😢😭😭

I recall seeing him play live, as well as the cartoon.

😭

Same here! I saw him in Dorton Arena and at the time thought
if you couldn't make the Globetrotters, then you settled for the NBA.

[chrishoke]

My dad and I drove from Durham to Raleigh to see the Globetrotters in Dorton Arena when I was eight years old. We stopped and had dinner at the Angus Barn - my first time ever - on the way home. Needless to say that was a magical outing for this young tot. Curly Neal stole the show! RIP!

[Duke_92]

My dad and I drove from Durham to Raleigh to see the Globetrotters in Dorton Arena when I was eight years old. We stopped and had dinner at the Angus Barn - my first time ever - on the way home. Needless to say that was a magical outing for this young tot. Curly Neal stole the show! RIP!

Sounds like a truly amazing night at any age. Certainly incredible at 8! Kudos to your dad.

[rasputin]

I never met Curly, but when I was 11 or 12 (1968 or '69) we went to see the Globetrotters at the Greensboro Coliseum. Quite a show.

[Indoor66]

The Globies always put on a great show. I saw the several times. I remember seeing them in Hershey, PA in 1959 when they featured Wilt Chamberlain - during the year he had to sit out of the NBA after leaving Kansas. He was too young to play for Philadelphia where he was designated as a Territorial Pick as was permitted at the time.

[kako]

Another legend passes. He and Meadowlark were the Globetrotters when I was a kid, I remember watching them with Scooby-Doo. I didn't know he went to JC Smith.

RIP.

9F