NORTH CAROLINA – Native North Carolinian and legendary member of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, Fred “Curly” Neal died Thursday in his home outside of Houston, according to a tweet from the Harlem Globetrotters. He was 77.

Neal, whose nickname came from his shaved head, was born in Greensboro and graduated from Dudley High School before becoming an All-CIAA guard at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.

Neal played for the Globetrotters from 1963-85 and became the team’s primary ball-handler and trick artist.