Globetrotters Meadowlark Lemon Dies at 83 [VIDEO]

Meadowlark Lemon, whose amazing hook shots, no-look passes and comic timing were legendary features of the Harlem Globetrotters for nearly a quarter-century, died Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 83.

Born George Lemon in North Carolina in 1932, he joined the team in 1954 after a stint in the army. In few years, he took over the role of central showman, taking over from the aging Goose Tatum, the team's long-reigning clown prince.

Lemon spent more than 22 years with the Globies, leaving in 1978. He eventually formed his own barnstorming squads, Meadowlark Lemon's Bucketeers, the Shooting Stars and the Harlem All-Stars.

Lemon, who claimed to have played in more than 16,000 games in over 100 countries, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.