Harlem Globetrotter legend Fred “Curly” Neal has died at the age of 77, a story first reported by HBCU Gameday.
Neal, born on May 19, 1942, was born in Greensboro, N.C. where he attended Greensboro-Dudley High School before becoming an All-CIAA guard at Johnson C. Smith averaging 23.1 points per game.
“It is with tremendous sorrow that Johnson C. Smith University shares the recent passing of Fred “Curly” Neal, a 1975 alumnus who was a former member of the Harlem Globetrotters and the Golden Bulls basketball team. Rest in peace.” The school said in a statement on Twitter.
It is with tremendous sorrow that Johnson C. Smith University shares the recent passing of Fred "Curly" Neal, a 1975 alumnus who was a former member of the Harlem Globetrotters and the Golden Bulls basketball team. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/DLarKzX6l4
— Johnson C. Smith U. (@JCSUniversity) March 26, 2020
In 22 seasons (1963-85) with the Harlem Globetrotters, Neal played in over 6000 games in 97 countries.
His number “22” was retired on February 15, 2008 and is only the fifth in the team’s history to have his number retired. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame the same year.
