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Trust Your Next SHOT

A Guide to a Life of Joy

by Meadowlark Lemon with Lee Stuart

$24.95
He overcame the racial prejudice of the American South, a broken home, and the heartache of failed relationships to travel the world and play for kings, presidents, and popes.

With an incandescent smile, a repertoire of hilarious tricks, and elite basketball skills, Meadowlark Lemon, the Clown Prince of Basketball, overcame challenges – and utilized gifts – to become the iconic star of the Harlem Globetrotters.

And through his journey from childhood dreams to worldwide fame, he kept one goal in his heart: to give joy.

In his compelling new book, Trust Your Next SHOT, Meadowlark delivers loving reminiscences of his youth, hilarious stories about his days with the Globetrotters, and wise instructions for living a joy-filled life.

Beginning with his upbringing in Wilmington, North Carolina in the 1940s and continuing to his vibrant ministry of today, Meadowlark tells us to “trust our next shot.” He uses the word “SHOT” to give us a guide for life. Spirit, Heart, Opportunity, and Teamwork combine to fuel our passions, satisfy our heart’s desires, create opportunities for doing good, and help others realize their dreams.

Meadowlark instructs us never to commit “intentional fouls” in life by deliberately or knowingly hurting others. And he talks about finishing strong, helping others and giving joy.

It’s a touching and powerful book about life, love, and laughter from one of the world’s most popular and beloved entertainers.
Trust Your Next SHOT

About the Authors

Meadowlark Lemon

Meadowlark Lemon, the “Clown Prince of Basketball,” is a hero in the world of sports. His name and patented hook shot are ingrained in the memories of generations. Meadowlark was the most popular member of the most beloved sports team in history – the Harlem Globetrotters.

For more than five decades, he thrilled millions of fans with his basketball skills and slapstick comedy. A gifted athlete and hilarious comedian, he was as renowned for his famous confetti-inthe- water-bucket routine as he was for hitting hook shots from half court.

Meadowlark's “no-look, wrap-around pass” for an easy slam-dunk and his wit is unsurpassed. Los Angeles Times Sports Writer Jim Murray described Meadowlark as “…an American Institution whose uniform should hang alongside the Spirit of St. Louis and the Gemini Space Capsule in the halls of the Smithsonian Institute.”

He averaged more than 325 games a year; Meadowlark has traveled more than 5 million miles and played in more than 16,000 lifetime basketball games. His love of the game transcended all barriers and brought smiles to generations of fans in over 100 countries from Algeria to Zimbabwe. He counts Popes, Kings, Queens and Presidents among his audiences.

In 1986, he became an ordained minister and in 1998, received his Doctorate of Divinity from Vision International University.

Lee Stuart

Lee Stuart, after two previous careers – as a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper journalist with The Kansas City Star and as an executive leader of innovative business initiatives with Hallmark Cards – Lee is fulfilling a lifelong passion to write the stories of iconic sports figures like Meadowlark. Lee was a fair basketball player in his day, and he can still do a perfect impersonation of Meadowlark's high-pitched “i-yi-i-yi-yi” banter during the Globetrotters' hilarious maneuvers. Lee was the executive editor of Hoops Heaven: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the official publication of the hall's golden celebration.

He shoots 38% on hook shots in the driveway of his home in Overland Park, Kansas. He can dunk on his two sons, Don and Gene, his daughter, Maddie, and his wife, Diana ... if you set the goal at 9 feet.

Specifications

Language
English
ISBN13
978-0-9841130-4-0
Genre
Autobiography/Biography/Celebrity, Memoir, Sports
Publication Date
October 2010
Trim Size
6” x 9”, hardcover
Page Count
288
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