Hubert 'Geese' Ausbie, Harlem Globetrotters Legend, Dies at 88

Hubert "Geese" Ausbie, a Harlem Globetrotters legend, died on November 8, 2026, at the age of 88. The Globetrotters marked his passing in a statement that called him one of the most influential and remarkable players in team history.

From Oklahoma to Little Rock

Ausbie was born in Crescent, Oklahoma, on April 25, 1938. He starred at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, where he was among the leading scorers in the nation in his senior year. His scoring at the college level drew attention well beyond Arkansas, and it set up a choice between several professional paths.

Chosen from more than 500 players

In 1961, Ausbie was chosen from an open tryout of more than 500 players to join the Harlem Globetrotters. His wife Awilda had written numerous letters about his play to team founder Abe Saperstein, and those letters helped bring him to the founder's attention. Ausbie had also been offered contracts by NBA teams and by Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs. He joined the Globetrotters instead, beginning a playing career with the team that lasted more than two decades.

The Clown Prince of Basketball

Ausbie played for the Globetrotters from 1961 to 1985 and performed in more than 100 countries. He was known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball" for his work as an entertainer on the court. After Meadowlark Lemon left in 1978, Ausbie became the team's lead entertainer, a role he held for the rest of his playing years. His playing career ended in 1985, when he retired as a player after 24 years with the team.

The Globetrotters remembered him in their statement. "It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Hubert 'Geese' Ausbie, one of the most influential and remarkable players in Harlem Globetrotter history," the team said. The statement added: "'Geese' exemplified everything the Globetrotters are known and recognized for, and he set the standard that our stars live by today."

Honors and a return as head coach

Ausbie was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He received the Globetrotters Legends ring in 1994, and he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1995. In that same year, 1995, he returned to the Globetrotters as the team's head coach. The Globetrotters retired his number 35 jersey on January 31, 2017, in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Family

Ausbie was married to Awilda Ausbie for 61 years, until her death in 2020. She had played a direct part in the start of his Globetrotters career, through the letters she wrote to Saperstein before the 1961 tryout. Ausbie's career, from a small college in Little Rock to courts in more than 100 countries, closed with his death on November 8, 2026, at age 88.