| The Harlem Globetrotters are a basketball
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| | as passing or juggling balls between
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| team that combines athleticism and comedy
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| | players, balancing or spinning balls on
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| to create one of the best-known sports
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| | their fingertips, and making unusual,
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| entertainment franchises in the world.
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| | difficult shots. Among the players who
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| Created by Abe Saperstein in 1927 in
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| | have been Globetrotters are NBA (National
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| Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the
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| | Basketball Association) greats Wilt "The
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| name Harlem because of its connotations
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| | Stilt" Chamberlain, Connie "The Hawk"
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| as a leading African-American community.
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| | Hawkins and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, as
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| Over the years it has toured over 118
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| | well as Marques Haynes, George
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| countries, playing more than 20,000
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| | "Meadowlark" Lemon, Jerome James, former
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| exhibition games, mostly against
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| | Temple coach John Chaney, and Reece
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| deliberately ineffective opposition like
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| | "Goose" Tatum. Another popular team
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| the Washington Generals (1953-1995) and
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| | member in the 1970s and 1980s was Fred
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| the New York Nationals (1995-present).
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| | "Curly" Neal who was the best dribbler of
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| There is no clear consensus as to the
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| | that era of the team's history and was
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| very beginnings of the Globetrotters. The
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| | immediately recognizable due to his
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| official history contains several facts
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| | shaven head. Baseball Hall of Famers Bob
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| which are clearly untrue, such as the
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| | Gibson, Ferguson Jenkins and Lou Brock
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| team being organized in 1926 in the Savoy
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| | also played for the team at one time or
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| Ballroom, which opened in 1927.[1] What
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| | another. Another famous former player is
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| is clear is that the genesis of the
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| | comedy legend Bill Cosby who had a
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| Globetrotters takes place in the South
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| | contract with the Globetrotters when he
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| Side of Chicago in the 1920s, where all
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| | was younger.[citation needed] In 1985,
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| the original players grew up. Most, if
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| | the Globetrotters signed their first
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| not all of the original players attended
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| | female player, Olympic gold medalist
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| Wendell Phillips High School. When the
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| | Lynette Woodard, and their second, Joyce
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| Savoy Ballroom opened in November of
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| | Walker, just three weeks later. Because
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| 1927, one of the premier attractions was
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| | virtually all of its players have been
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| the Savoy Big Five, a basketball team
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| | African American, and because of the
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| that played exhibitions before dances. In
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| | buffoonery involved in many of the
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| 1928, several players left the team in a
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| | Globetrotters' skits, they drew some
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| dispute over bringing other players who
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| | criticism in the Civil Rights era. The
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| had left the team back. That fall,
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| | players were derisively accused of
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| several players led by Tommy Brookins
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| | "Tomming for Abe", a reference to Uncle
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| formed a team called the "Globe Trotters"
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| | Tom and white owner Abe Saperstein.
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| which would tour Southern Illinois that
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| | However, prominent civil rights' activist
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| winter. A white man named Abe Saperstein
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| | Jesse Jackson came to their defense by
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| became involved with the team, though to
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| | stating, "I think they've been a positive
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| exactly what extent is unclear. In any
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| | influence. (…) They did not show blacks
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| event, by 1929 Saperstein was touring
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| | as stupid. On the contrary, they were
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| Illinois and Iowa with his basketball
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| | shown as superior." During the 1970s and
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| team, called the "New York Harlem Globe
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| | 1980s, the team was controlled by
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| Trotters". Saperstein decided to pick
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| | Metromedia and, in addition to their
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| Harlem as their home city since Harlem
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| | touring and playing the Washington
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| was considered the center of
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| | Generals or the New York Nationals, were
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| African-American culture at the time, and
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| | featured in numerous television series
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| an out of town team name would give the
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| | and specials, including appearances in
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| team more of a mystique. After four
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| | live-action variety shows and several
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| decades of existence, the Globetrotters
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| | Hanna-Barbera cartoons (see "Media"
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| played their first "home" game in Harlem
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| | section below). After a period of decline
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| in 1968. The first star player of those
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| | the Globetrotters franchise was purchased
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| early Globe Trotters (the name would be
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| | by former team member Mannie Jackson in
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| merged into one word later on was Albert
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| | 1993, and its fortunes revived again. In
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| "Runt" Puller, an adept dribbler and
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| | 2002 the team was inducted into the
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| shooter. Soon he would be joined by 6'3"
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| | Basketball Hall of Fame. To try to offset
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| Inman Jackson, who played center and had
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| | the criticism that they do not play "real
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| a flair for showboating. They would
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| | basketball", in recent years the Trotters
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| originate the two roles that would stay
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| | have scheduled games against college
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| with the 'trotters for decades, the
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| | teams and pickup teams like Magic
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| showman and the dribbler. The
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| | Johnson's All Stars with varying results.
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| Globetrotters were initially a serious
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| | This renews a tradition of playing NBA
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| competitive team, and despite a flair for
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| | teams, which the Globetrotters did during
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| entertainment, they would only clown for
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| | the 1950s. The Harlem Globetrotters
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| the audience after establishing a safe
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| | visited Pope John Paul II at the Vatican
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| lead in the game. In 1940, they accepted
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| | in November of 2000 and named the Pontiff
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| an invitation to participate in the World
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| | an Honorary Harlem Globetrotter. A
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| Professional Basketball Tournament.
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| | whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown"
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| Defeating the New York Rens in the
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| | performed by Brother Bones is the team's
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| semi-finals, they advanced to the
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| | signature song. On January 5, 1971 the
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| championship game, where they beat the
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| | Harlem Globetrotters lost a game in
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| Chicago Bruins in overtime by a score of
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| | Martin, Tennessee in overtime to the New
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| 31-29. The Globetrotters beat the premier
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| | Jersey Reds as team owner Red Klotz sank
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| professional team, George Mikan and the
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| | the winning basket for a 100-99 score
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| Minneapolis Lakers, for two games in a
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| | that ended a 2,495-game winning streak.
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| row in 1948 and 1949, with the Lakers
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| | On September 12, 1995, the Harlem
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| winning the third contest. The February
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| | Globetrotters lost an exhibition game
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| 1948 win (by a score of 61-59, on a
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| | 91-85 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's All Star
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| buzzer beater) was a hallmark in
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| | Team in Vienna, Austria ending a run of
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| professional basketball history, as the
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| | 8,829 straight victories in exhibition
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| all-black Globetrotters proved they were
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| | games going back to 1971. The
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| on an equal footing with the all-white
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| | Globetrotters won the other 10 games
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| Lakers. Momentum for ending the NBA's
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| | during that European tour. They also
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| color line grew, and in 1950, Chuck
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| | immediately went on another winning
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| Cooper became the first black player
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| | streak of 1,270 before losing 72-68 to
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| drafted by an NBA team. From that time on
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| | the Michigan State University Spartans on
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| the Globetrotters had increasing
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| | November 13, 2000. A 288 game winning
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| difficulty attracting and retaining top
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| | streak was broken on November 15, 2003
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| talent. The Globetrotters gradually
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| | when the Globetrotters lost 89-88 to the
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| worked comic routines into their act
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| | University of Texas at El Paso Miners. In
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| until they became known more for
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| | addition to their exhibition games, the
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| entertainment than sports. The
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| | Globetrotters have faced some competitive
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| Globetrotters' acts often feature
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| | action since 1997. On February 27, 2006,
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| incredible coordination and skillful
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| | the Globetrotters extended their overall
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| handling of one or more basketballs, such
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| | record to 22,000 wins.
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