Harlem Globetrotter and Magic man Neal was born
Fred “Curly” Neal played a key role in bringing the Magic to Orlando, forever altering the City Beautiful’s sports landscape.
On this date in 1942, Neal was born in Greensboro, N.C., and played at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte before playing 22 seasons with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Neal was a well-known star and moved to Orlando after retiring. He volunteered to help Magic cofounder Pat Williams bring the NBA to Central Florida.
“We were just getting the expansion effort started in June of 1986 when Curly approached me and said, ‘Anything I can do to help, just give me a call,’” Williams told the Orlando Sentinel shortly after Neal’s death on March 27 at the age of 77. “Well, we sure took advantage of that. Whenever we would have a public gathering or announcement, we’d roll out Curly. We eventually hired him as our first community ambassador.
“Curly was one of a kind. He could light up any room. Just hand him a basketball and he would go to work. He would put on an abbreviated show à la what he had done for years as a Globetrotter. And it would absolutely delight people, get kids excited and he always left the place with people feeling good about themselves and feeling good about the Magic.”
Neal’s nickname poked fun of his shaved head. He played in more than 6,000 exhibition games for the Globetrotters from 1963 to 1985, mostly against the Washington Generals. He was an elite ball-handler who mesmerized fans.
The New York Times recalled how Neal dribbled all over the court, frequently sliding on his knees while never losing control of the ball no matter how close he was to the hardwood. Then he would bounce the ball through a flailing defender’s legs near the free-throw line and dribble in for an uncontested layup to finish off the move. He also boasted elite shooting skills, making him one of the Globetrotters’ biggest and most marketable stars.
He was frequently described as a humble superstar who seemed to always be smiling, traits that endeared him to Orlando. Along with convincing the Orlando community to put down deposits for Magic season tickets before Orlando even had an NBA franchise, Neal was up for any community event. He visited schools and senior centers, delighting crowds by spinning the basketball and giving out hugs.