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 co-founder 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.