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