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Meadowlark Lemon

Moved From The Court To The Pulpit

In 1971, Lemon became both a coach and player for the Globetrotters, and his relationship with teammates began to slowly unravel. Playing both roles proved problematic, as petty jealousies and contract disputes popped up. Things turned so sour he quit in 1978.

Where Is He Now?

Lemon resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife, Cynthia. His organization, Meadowlark Lemon Ministries, is based there. Besides traveling around the United States preaching, Lemon hosts a weekly talk show for the Trinity Broadcasting Network, aptly titled, "The Meadowlark Lemon Show." On the program, he interviews athletes who attribute their skills to God.

In 2002, the 70-year-old Lemon began making plans to hit the basketball court again. He'd calculated that he'd played in nearly 10,000 games—but not quite. He organized a tour of the Meadowlark Lemon Harlem All-Stars to help him achieve his goal of playing 10,000 professional games. For an NBA player to achieve that feat, he would have to play 100 games a year for 100 years.

Following his retirement from the Globetrotters, Lemon received offers from Hollywood, and in 1979 appeared in The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh. In the film, he starred as a basketball-playing reverend alongside Philadelphia 76ers star Julius Erving. He also landed a spot on the TV sitcom "Hello, Larry" (1979 and 1980), where he played an aging athlete.

Sometime around 1979, Lemon formed his own basketball comedy act, called the Bucketeers. Former teammate Wilt Chamberlain joined the Bucketeers from time to time, although they still struggled financially and folded around 1982.

By the mid-1980s, Lemon had a new career as a jetsetting evangelist. As an ordained minister of a Christian non-denominational church, Lemon began traveling around the country talking about God. He also took a brief break from the ministry in 1993 for a 50-game "comeback" season with the Globetrotters. He also remarried and has ten children, three of them adopted.

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Famous Sports StarsBasketballMeadowlark Lemon Biography - Inspired By Globetrotters As Child, Excelled At Football, Basketball, Chronology, Tries Out For Globetrotters - CONTACT INFORMATION, SELECTED WRITINGS BY LEMON: