Globetrotters’ Frank “Curly” Neal Dies At Age 77

Fred “Curly” Neal of the beloved Harlem Globetrotters passed away Thursday, March 26, 2020. He died at his home in Houston; he was 77.

Interesting Facts

Curly was one of the most well-known and definitely well-loved members of the Harlem Globetrotters. Bobby Milton, the Globetrotters’ coach, saw his bald head and promptly nicknamed him “Curly”. He played in over 6,000 exhibition games, mostly against the Washington Generals. He was known for dribbling the ball all over the basketball court, often on his knees, and not losing control. His trickery and love of fans, alongside Meadowlark Lemon and Geese, aided the Globetrotters to become a regular feature on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. It wasn’t long until these men appeared on TV shows, always accompanied by their theme music “Sweet Georgia Brown”. These Globetrotters made dribbling a show.

Growing Up Years

Frederick Neal was born on May 19, 1942, in Greensboro, NC. He did receive honors playing in college, but he was not drafted in the NBA. He was offered a job with the Globetrotters. Humble beginnings did not deter this man as he learned how to entertain the fans while bettering his basketball skills.

Other Credits

Jeff Munn, the Globetrotters’ general manager, said, “He always made time for his many fans and inspired millions.” ^[1] Neal was one of the players who taught Isiah Thomas “how to dribble”. Curly took dribbling to a whole new level.