Hubert Ausbie obit

Longtime Harlem Globetrotter, Arkansas basketball legend Hubert ‘Geese’ Ausbie dies at 88

Add Yahoo as

 He was not on the list.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Harlem Globetrotter legend and Arkansas native Hubert "Geese" Ausbie has died, officials announced on Monday. He was 88 years old.

Ausbie was born in Crescent, Oklahoma, on April 25, 1938. He was one of eight children and the youngest son of Bishop and Nancy Ausbie.

After graduating from high school in 1956, Ausbie accepted a basketball scholarship from Philander Smith College in Little Rock, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

During his time at Philander Smith College, Ausbie was named to the all-conference team in 1959, was selected to several All-American basketball teams, and finished the year as the third-leading scorer in the nation.

Ausbie would join the Globetrotters the year after he graduated. He would be given the nickname "Geese," despite being called "Goose" his whole life, because there was already another man called "Goose" on the Globetrotters, Reece "Goose" Tatum.

"Because of his basketball skills and natural flair for visual humor, Ausbie was known as the 'Clown Prince of Basketball' for his entire playing career with the Globetrotters, which continued until his retirement as a player in 1985," the Encyclopedia of Arkansas said.

Ausbie was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1995. His jersey number, No. 35, was retired by the Globetrotters in 2017 during a halftime show at Simmons Bank Arena.

The Harlem Globetrotters announced Ausbie's death on social media on Monday morning and released the following statement:

"'Geese' exemplified everything the Globetrotters are known and recognized for, and he set the standard that our stars live by today. He was a true Global Ambassador who combined unrivaled showmanship with trademark athleticism and an immeasurable social impact. His commitment to community, and an unquenchable desire to make the world around him better live on in our history.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and his millions of fans, and supporters, all over the world. 'Geese' was not just a Hall of Fame Globetrotter, he was a Hall of Fame person, and his legacy of love, joy and happiness continues to live on."