Curly Neal’s Jersey Will Be Retired in his honor.
The Harlem Globetrotters will retire Curly Neal’s No. 22 on Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
“Curly Neal represents the purity of sport and everything that is great about the Globetrotters and the game of basketball,” Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider said in a statement. “He helped build this organization into a worldwide phenomenon, and we are proud to bestow this honor upon him. He truly personifies wholesome family entertainment and elicits fond memories for millions of fans around the world.”
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*When the Harlem Globetrotters bounce into New York next month for a show at Madison Square Garden, they’ll leave one thing behind for the history books – the No. 22 jersey of legendary player Fred “Curly” Neal.
The popular ballhandler, whose nickname comes from his trademark shaved head (a reference to Three Stooges’ Curly Howard), will be the fifth Globetrotter in the exhibition team’s 82-year run to have his jersey retired. The other four are Wilt Chamberlain (13), Meadowlark Lemon (36), Marques Haynes (20) and Goose Tatum (50).
The retirement ceremony will take place Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. as part of the Globetrotters’ current “Magic As Ever” World Tour. This special “Curly Neal Weekend” also features games at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday, Feb. 16 and Monday, Feb. 18, and at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on Sunday, Feb. 17.
Curly played in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries between the years of 1963 and 1985.
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