Harlem All Stars
spin into the area

     Wilmington, North Carolina native Meadowlark Lemon, known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball," is by far the most beloved member of the Harlem Globetrotters. Joining the Globetrotters in 1957, Lemon played in over 16,000 games during his career with the Globetrotters, which lasted until 1979. In 1988, Lemon, acknowledging the need of comedy and reaching youth, began a spin-off team known as the Harlem All Stars. This group quickly became as popular as the original Globetrotters, traveling extensively throughout the world. They offer the same forms of comic relief to the serious sport of basketball.

     The Harlem All Stars hold a commitment to youth, offering basketball camps, which include discussions with team members, team tee-shirts and a new sense of camaraderie to those in attendance. Teaching the grueling exercise regimen, jump shots, trick shots and the pleasure of team spirit, the Harlem All Stars offered area children a special day camp at the Saylor Building on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation on Monday, Feb. 16. Later that evening, the five-man Harlem All-Stars team performed their comedy basketball routine against the Seneca Nation All-Stars team to a standing-room-only crowd.

     No one was immune to the comic relief offered by the Harlem All Stars. Members of the SN All Stars more than often found themselves tricked into cooperating with the Harlem team, ultimately losing the basketball and points on the scoreboard. SN All-Star teammate Frank John was even given "special" basketball lessons during the game. Referees found themselves being the brunt of jokes and audience members were cued on, as a means of breaking stride in the game.

     All in all, it was a night and a game to remember.

     Members of the Harlem All Stars graciously answered questions and told tales of their exploits, adding that the SN All Stars were a "fantastic group," accommodating the Harlem All-Stars' antics. This is not always the usual. This group remains largely undefeated, with only one member, Jeff Moore, recalling a loss, about 19 years prior. Many teams faced by the Harlem All Stars host an unobliging determination to win while making court action a bit tenser; this determination seems to add to the comedic environment of the game.

     This group of Harlem All Stars is centered in the Oakland, CA area, although members live throughout the United States. While most of the team members questioned the locals' ability to thrive in the cold, one member of the group, baby LeBetton Thon, with a mere 11 years as a team member, loved the area's deep freeze. Thon, when not performing with the All Stars, resides in Niagara Falls, NY, which only goes to prove: You can take the man out of Western New York, but you can't take Western New York out of the man!

     This Harlem All Stars group left Western New York to flounder in the Minnesota deep freeze. However they are looking forward to returning to the Western New York area in April.