COVINGTON When Carl Helem traveled from Kentucky to Chicago in 1948 to try out for the Harlem Globetrotters, he didnt expect to make the famous basketball team, much less become one of its most honored members. I saw all these ballplayers, 75 or 80 of them, trying to make a 12-man team, Helem said. Yet Helem a native of Horse Cave in Hart County not only made the squad but made enough of an impact to be honored recently with the Globetrotters Legends award, given to only 13 other Globetrotters so far. After a luncheon at the Metropolitan Club in Covington, Helem received his Legends ring during a Globetrotters game in Cincinnati. Ashland Inc. also honored Helem, who worked on the maintenance and security staffs at Ashlands Catlettsburg refinery for 35 years, retiring in 1990. Helem and his wife, Jacquelyn, still live in Ashland. Helem, 74, played for the Globetrotters from 1948 to 1955, after helping Horse Cave High School win two state basketball titles and playing at Tennessee State University. While Helem was with the Globetrotters, the team played the nations top college seniors, and twice defeated the world champion Minneapolis Lakers. They didnt think much of the Globetrotters, Helem recalled. They thought we were all clowns. We could play, he said. They found that out. Helem might not be as well known as Fred Curly Neal or Meadowlark Lemon, but his time with the Globetrotters who dubbed him Kingfish saw the team expand its popularity. The team went overseas for the first time in 1950, and it was during Helems career that the familiar Sweet Georgia Brown became the teams theme song. This season the organizations 74th the Globetrotters feature two teams that began touring the nation this week. One team was at the luncheon that honored Helem. Players had traded their red, white and blue uniforms for coats and ties, and there were no flashy plays in response to pass the salt. But players and coaches alike welcomed the chance to recognize a former Globetrotter who paved the way for todays team. Its great that they honor the older players, said Sammie Haley; he and his twin brother, Simeon, are rookie Globetrotters who played basketball at the University of Missouri. Head coach Charles Tex Harrison played with Helem in the 1950s and was glad to honor his role in making the Globetrotters a worldwide attraction. Your name will appear as a testament to carrying on this great legacy, he told Helem. Although he was surprised to be tagged a legend, Helem said the honor brought back fond memories of his playing days. After all these years, I still miss them, he said, telling the current Globetrotters to keep up the good work.