Difference between revisions of "Harlem Globetrotters" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:Harlem_Globetrotters.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Eugene "Killer" Edgerson of the Harlem Globetrotters goes up for a layup.]]
  
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{{for|the animated television series|Harlem Globetrotters (TV series)}}
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The '''Harlem Globetrotters''' are an [[Exhibition game|exhibition]] basketball team that combines [[wikt:athleticism|athleticism]] and [[comedy]] to create one of the best-known [[sports entertainment]] franchises in the world. Over the years, they have played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 118 [[countries]].
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{{Infobox Sports team
 
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| color1        = Red
 
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| color2        = Navy
 
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| logo          = Globetrotters logo.png
 
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| pixels        = 70px
 
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| founded      = 1926
 
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| league        = Independent
 
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| history      = New York HarlemGlobetrotters<br/>1928-1929 <br/> Harlem Globetrotters<br/>1929-present
 
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| arena        = traveling
 
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| city          = [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]]
 
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| colors        = Red, White, & Blue
 
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| owner        = [[Mannie Jackson]]
 
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| coach        = [[Henry Clark (coach) |Henry Clark]]<br/>[[Tellis Frank]]<br/>[[Charles Harrison]]<br/>[[Clyde Sinclair]]<br/>[[Mike St. Julien]]
 
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| championships = &ndash;
 
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| titles        = &ndash;
 
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| cheerleaders  =
 
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| dancers      =
 
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| mascot        = [[Globie]]
 
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}}
 
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The '''Harlem Globetrotters''' is an [[Exhibition game|exhibition]] basketball team that combines [[wikt:athleticism|athleticism]] and [[comedy]] to create one of the best-known [[sports entertainment]] franchises in the world.  
 
  
−
Created by [[Abe Saperstein]] in 1927 in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Illinois]], the team adopted the name ''[[Harlem]]'' because of its connotations as a major [[African-American]] community. Over the years they have played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 118 [[countries]], mostly against deliberately ineffective opponents, such as the [[Washington Generals]] (1953–1995) and the [[New York Nationals]] (1995–present).
+
Created by [[Abe Saperstein]] in 1927 in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Illinois]], the Globetrotters were originally a serious competitive team, beating the premier professional team, the [[Minneapolis Lakers]] (led by [[George Mikan]]), for two years in a row in 1948 and 1949. In the 1950s, the Globetrotters added comic routines, involving amazing coordination, skillful passing and dribbling, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and trick shots, until they became known more for [[entertainment]] than [[sports]]. Their warm-up routine, done to the tune of [[Brother Bones]]' whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," became their hallmark.
 +
 
 +
Known as the "Clown Princes of Basketball," the Globeterotters drew large family crowds who marveled at the antics of [["Meadowlark" Lemon]], [[Jerome James]], [[GooseTatum|Reece "Goose" Tatum]], and [[Fred "Curly" Neal]]. Future [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] greats like [[Wilt Chamberlain|Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain]] and [[Connie Hawkins|Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins]], also played with the team. 
 +
{{toc}}
 +
During the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to their world touring, the Globetrotters were featured in numerous [[television]] series and specials, including appearances in live-action variety shows and several [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoons. In 2002, the team was inducted into the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]].
  
−
[[Brother Bones|Brother Bones']] [[Whistling|whistled]] version of "[[Sweet Georgia Brown]]" is the team's signature song.
 
 
==Early history==
 
==Early history==
−
There is no clear consensus as to the very beginnings of the Globetrotters. The official history <ref>[http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/news/tl_1920s.html Globetrotters formation] Official web site</ref> contains several details which are clearly untrue, such as the team being organized in 1926 in the Savoy Ballroom, which opened in 1927. <ref>[http://chicago.urban-history.org/sites/ballroom/savoy.htm Opening of Savoy Ballroom, Chicago]</ref> What is clear is that the genesis of the Globetrotters takes place in the South Side of Chicago in the 1920s, where all the original players grew up. Most, if not all of the original players attended [[Wendell Phillips High School]]. When the Savoy Ballroom opened in November of 1927, one of the premier attractions was the [[Savoy Big Five]], a basketball team that played exhibitions before dances. In 1928, several players left the team in a dispute over bringing back other players who had left the team. That fall, several players led by Tommy Brookins formed a team called the "Globe Trotters" which would tour southern [[Illinois]] that winter. A white man named [[Abe Saperstein]] became involved with the team, though to exactly what extent is unclear. In any event, by 1929 Saperstein was touring Illinois and Iowa with his basketball team, called the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters." Saperstein decided to pick Harlem as their home city since Harlem was considered the center of African-American culture at the time, and an out of town team name would give the team more of a mystique. [http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=1,7,1,1,18] After four decades of existence, the Globetrotters played their first "home" game in Harlem in 1968.
+
[[Image:Lemon_Ford.gif|thumb|200px|left|Globetrotters player [[Meadowlark Lemon]] presenting a ball signed by the team to First Lady [[Betty Ford]] in 1974.]]
 +
The Globetrotters emerged from the South Side of [[Chicago]] in the 1920s, where all the original players grew up. Most, if not all of these players attended [[Wendell Phillips High School]]. Several of the players were members of the [[Savoy Big Five]], a team that played exhibitions before dances when the [[Savoy Ballroom]] opened in November 1927. In 1928, several players left the team in a dispute over bringing back other players who quit the team earlier. That fall, player Tommy Brookins formed the "Globe Trotters," which toured southern [[Illinois]] throughout the winter.
  
−
The first star player of those early Globe Trotters (the name would be merged into one word later on) was Albert "Runt" Pullins, an adept dribbler and shooter. Soon he would be joined by 6'4" Inman Jackson, who played center and had a flair for showboating. They would originate the two roles that would stay with the 'trotters for decades, the showman and the dribbler.
+
Exactly how [[Abe Saperstein]] became involved with the team is unclear. However, by 1929 Saperstein was the team's manager and promoter, touring Illinois and Iowa with the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters." Saperstein picked Harlem as the team's "home" city since Harlem was considered the center of [[African-American]] [[culture]] at the time, and an out of town team name would give the team more of a mystique. After four decades of existence, the Globetrotters finally played their first "home" game in Harlem in 1968.
−
<ref>Green, Ben: "Spinning the Globe," pages 42-57. Amistad, 2005</ref>
 
  
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The Globetrotters were initially a serious competitive team, and despite a flair for entertainment, they would only clown for the audience after establishing a safe lead in the game.  In 1937, they accepted an invitation to participate in the [[World Professional Basketball Tournament]], where they met the [[New York Rens]] in the semi-finals in the first big clash of the two greatest all-black professional basketball teams. The Rens defeated the Globetrotters and went on to win the Tournament, but in 1940 they avenged their loss by defeating the Rens in the quarterfinals and advancing to the championship game, where they beat the [[Chicago Bruins]] in overtime by a score of 37-36.
+
[[Image:Harlem Globetrotters juggling with tree balls.jpg|thumb|Although the Globetrotters were originally a serious competitive team, today they are primarily a family entertainment attraction, featuring dazzling displays of dibbling, juggling, trick shots, comic skits involving referees and opposing players, and various other antics.]]
  
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The Globetrotters beat the premier professional team, the [[Minneapolis Lakers]] (led by [[George Mikan]]), for two years in a row in 1948 and 1949, with the Lakers winning later contests. The February 1948 win (by a score of 61-59, on a buzzer beater) was a hallmark in professional basketball history, as the all-black Globetrotters proved they were on an equal footing with the all-white Lakers.  Momentum for ending the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s color line grew, and in 1950, [[Chuck Cooper]] became the first black player drafted by an NBA team.  From that time on the Globetrotters had increasing difficulty attracting and retaining top talent.<h1/>
+
The first star player of the early Globe Trotters (the name would later be merged into one word) was Albert "Runt" Pullins, an adept dribbler and shooter. Soon he would be joined by six-foot, four-inch Inman Jackson, who played center and had a flair for showboating. They would originate the key roles that would stay with the team for decades.
  
−
[[Tony Peyton]] was the last living member of the original Globetrotters. He was inducted into the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], in 1996. He died in [[Midland, Texas]], on July 23, 2007, at the age of eighty-five.
+
The Globetrotters were initially a serious competitive team, and despite a flair for entertainment, they would only clown for the audience after establishing a safe lead in the game. In 1937, they accepted an invitation to participate in the [[World Professional Basketball Tournament]], where they met the [[New York Rens]] in the semi-finals in the first big clash of the two greatest, all-black professional basketball teams. The Rens defeated the Globetrotters and went on to win the tournament. However, in 1940, the Globetrotters avenged their loss by defeating the Rens in the quarterfinals and advancing to the championship game, where they beat the [[Chicago Bruins]] in overtime by a score of 37-36.
 +
 
 +
The Globetrotters also beat the premier professional team, the [[Minneapolis Lakers]] (led by [[George Mikan]]), for two years in a row in 1948 and 1949, with the Lakers winning later contests. The February 1948 win (by a score of 61-59, on a buzzer-beater) was a hallmark in professional basketball history, as the all-black Globetrotters proved they were on an equal footing with the all-white Lakers. Momentum for ending the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s color line grew, and in 1950, [[Chuck Cooper]] became the first black player drafted by an NBA team. From that time on, the Globetrotters had increasing difficulty attracting and retaining top talent.
 +
 
 +
[[Tony Peyton]] was the last living member of the original Globetrotters. He was inducted into the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], in 1996. He died in [[Midland, Texas]], on July 23, 2007, at the age of 85.
  
 
===Finding success===
 
===Finding success===
−
[[Image:Lemon_Ford.gif|left|thumb|150px|Globetrotters player [[Meadowlark Lemon]] presenting a ball signed by the team to First Lady [[Betty Ford]] in 1974.]]The Globetrotters gradually worked comic routines into their act until they became known more for [[entertainment]] than [[sports]]. The Globetrotters' acts often feature incredible coordination and skillful handling of one or more basketballs, such as passing or juggling balls between players, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and making unusual, difficult shots.
+
[[Image:WiltChamberlain.jpg|thumb|Wilt Chamberlain in his Globetrotter days.]]
  
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Among the [[Player (game)|player]]s who have been Globetrotters are [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] (National Basketball Association) greats [[Wilt Chamberlain|Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain]], [[Connie Hawkins|Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins]] and [[Nathaniel Clifton|Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton]], as well as [[Marques Haynes]], [[Meadowlark Lemon|George "Meadowlark" Lemon]], [[Jerome James]], former [[Temple University|Temple]] coach [[John Chaney]], and [[Goose Tatum|Reece "Goose" Tatum]]. Another popular team member in the 1970s and 1980s was [[Fred "Curly" Neal]] who was the best dribbler of that era of the team's history and was immediately recognizable due to his shaven head.  [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Baseball Hall of Famers]] [[Bob Gibson]], [[Ferguson Jenkins]] and [[Lou Brock]] also played for the team at one time or another.  In 1985, the Globetrotters signed their first female player, Olympic gold medalist [[Lynette Woodard]], and their second, [[Joyce Walker]], just three weeks later.
+
The Globetrotters gradually worked comic routines into their act until they became known more for [[entertainment]] than [[sports]]. Their acts often featured incredible coordination and skillful handling of one or more basketballs, such as passing or juggling balls between players, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and making various kinds of trick shots. Their choreographed warm up routine, to the tune of Brother Bones' whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," became the team's signature.  
  
−
Because virtually all of its players have been [[African American]], and because of the buffoonery involved in many of the Globetrotters' [[skit]]s, they drew some criticism in the [[Civil Rights]] era. The players were derisively accused of "Tomming for Abe," a reference to [[Uncle Tom]] and white owner [[Abe Saperstein]]. However, prominent civil rights' activist [[Jesse Jackson]] came to their defense by stating, "I think they've been a positive influence... They did not show blacks as stupid. On the contrary, they were shown as superior."
+
Among the well-known [[Player (game)|player]]s who have been Globetrotters are [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] (National Basketball Association) greats [[Wilt Chamberlain|Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain]], [[Connie Hawkins|Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins]], and [[Nathaniel Clifton|Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton]], as well as [[Marques Haynes]], [[Meadowlark Lemon|George "Meadowlark" Lemon]], [[Jerome James]], former [[Temple University|Temple]] coach [[John Chaney]], and [[Goose Tatum|Reece "Goose" Tatum]]. Another popular team member in the 1970s and 1980s was [[Fred "Curly" Neal]], who was the best dribbler of that era of the team's history and was immediately recognizable due to his then-unusual shaven head. [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Baseball Hall of Famers]] [[Bob Gibson]], [[Ferguson Jenkins]], and [[Lou Brock]] also played for the team at one time or another. In 1985, the Globetrotters signed their first female player, Olympic gold medalist [[Lynette Woodard]], and their second, [[Joyce Walker]], just three weeks later.
  
−
==Modern era==
+
Because virtually all of its players have been [[African-American]], and because of the buffoonery involved in many of the Globetrotters' [[skit]]s, they drew some criticism in the [[Civil Rights]] era. The players were derisively accused of "Tomming for Abe," a reference to [[Uncle Tom]] and white owner [[Abe Saperstein]]. However, prominent civil rights' activist [[Jesse Jackson]] came to their defense by stating, "I think they've been a positive influence... They did not show blacks as stupid. On the contrary, they were shown as superior."
−
[[Image:Harlem_Globetrotters.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Eugene "Killer" Edgerson of the Harlem Globetrotters goes up for a layup]]
+
 
−
During the 1970s and 1980s, the team was controlled by [[Metromedia]] and, in addition to their touring and playing the [[Washington Generals]] or the [[New York Nationals]], were featured in numerous [[television]] series and specials, including appearances in live-action variety shows and several [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoons (''see "Media" section below'').  
+
==Streaks==
 +
[[Image:Harlem Globetrotters dribbling 04.jpg|thumb|300px|A Globetrotter puts on a dribbling exhibition against a member of the New York Nationals.]]
 +
After losing to the [[Washington Generals]] in 1962, the Harlem Globetrotters only lost two more games in the next 38 years (12,596 games). Usually they played a "stooge" team owned by [[Red Klotz]], which also appeared as the [[Boston Shamrocks]], [[New Jersey Reds]], [[Baltimore Rockets]], or the [[Atlantic City Seagulls]]. On January 5, 1971, they [[New Jersey Reds#Beating the Harlem Globetrotters|lost]] in [[Martin, Tennessee|Martin]], [[Tennessee]] in overtime to the New Jersey Reds; the 100-99 score ended a 2,495 game winning streak.
  
−
After a period of decline the Globetrotters franchise was purchased by former team member [[Mannie Jackson]] in 1993, and its fortunes revived again. In 2002 the team was inducted into the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]].
+
In addition to their hundreds of exhibition games, the Globetrotters have faced some competitive action since the mid-1990s. On September 12, 1995, they lost 91-85 to [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]]'s All Star Team in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]], ending a run of 8,829 straight victories going back to 1971. The 48-year-old Abdul-Jabbar scored 34 points. The Globetrotters won the other 10 games during that European tour.
  
−
To try to offset the criticism that they do not play "real basketball," in recent years the Trotters have scheduled games against college teams and pickup teams like [[Magic Johnson]]'s All Stars with varying results. This renews a tradition of playing [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams, which the Globetrotters did during the 1950s.
+
They immediately went on another winning streak of 1,270 games before losing 72-68 to the [[Michigan State University]] Spartans on November 13, 2000. On February 27, 2006, the Globetrotters extended their overall record to exactly 22,000 wins. Their most recent loss came on March 31, 2006 when they went down 87-83 to the NABC College All-Stars to bring their loss tally to just 345&mdash;still a winning percentage of 98.5 percent.
  
−
The Harlem Globetrotters visited [[Pope John Paul II]] at the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] in November of 2000 and named the Pontiff an Honorary Harlem Globetrotter.  More recently the Harlem Globetrotters visited troops in Iraq where they played in a series of matches in local courts.
+
The Globetrotters claim all their exhibition games are "real, competitive" contests.
  
−
Even though they have adopted the moniker "Harlem," today's Globetrotters are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The team has often left their home base in Phoenix to trot around the globe.
+
==Modern era==
 +
During the 1970s and 1980s, the team was controlled by [[Metromedia]] and, in addition to their touring and playing the [[Washington Generals]] or the [[New York Nationals]], they were featured in numerous [[television]] series and specials, including appearances in live-action variety shows and several [[Hanna-Barbera]] cartoons.  
  
−
==Winning streaks and rare defeats==
+
After a period of decline, the Globetrotters franchise was purchased by former team member [[Mannie Jackson]] in 1993, and its fortune revived again. In 2002, the team was inducted into the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]].
−
{{further|[[New Jersey Reds#Beating the Harlem Globetrotters|New Jersey Reds]]}}
 
−
After losing to the [[Washington Generals]] in 1962, the Harlem Globetrotters only lost two more games in the next 38 years (12,596 games).  Usually they played a "stooge" team owned by [[Red Klotz]], which also appeared as the [[Boston Shamrocks]], [[New Jersey Reds]], [[Baltimore Rockets]], or the [[Atlantic City Seagulls]]. On January 5, 1971 they [[New Jersey Reds#Beating the Harlem Globetrotters|lost]] in [[Martin, Tennessee|Martin]], [[Tennessee]] in overtime to the New Jersey Reds; the 100-99 score ended a 2,495-game winning streak.
 
  
−
In addition to their hundreds of exhibition games, the Globetrotters have faced some competitive action since the mid-1990s. On September 12, 1995, they lost 91-85 to [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]]'s All Star Team in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]] ending a run of 8,829 straight victories in going back to 1971. The 48-year-old Abdul-Jabbar scored 34 points. The Globetrotters won the other 10 games during that European tour.
+
To offset the criticism that they do not play "real basketball," in recent years the Trotters have scheduled games against college teams and pickup teams like [[Magic Johnson]]'s All Stars with varying results. This renews a tradition of playing [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams, which the Globetrotters did during the 1950s.
  
−
They also immediately went on another winning streak of 1,270 before losing 72-68 to the [[Michigan State University]] Spartans on November 13, 2000. On February 27, 2006, the Globetrotters extended their overall record to exactly 22,000 wins. Their most recent loss came on March 31, 2006 when they went down 87-83 to the NABC College All-Stars to bring their loss tally to just 345 - still a winning percentage of 98.5%.
+
The Globetrotters visited [[Pope John Paul II]] at the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] in November 2000, and named the Pontiff an Honorary Harlem Globetrotter. More recently, the Globetrotters visited troops in [[Iraq]] where they played in a series of matches on local courts.
  
−
The Globetrotters claim all its exhibition games are "real, competitive" contests.<ref>[http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/news/faq.asp#4 Globetrotters FAQ] official web site</ref>
+
Today's Globetrotters are based in Phoenix, Arizona.
  
 
==Harlem Globetrotters in films and television==
 
==Harlem Globetrotters in films and television==
−
The Harlem Globetrotters have featured in several of their own films and television series over the years;
+
The Harlem Globetrotters have been featured in several of their own films and television series over the years:
−
*''[[The Harlem Globetrotters (film)|The Harlem Globetrotters]]'', a 1951 feature film starring [[Whitney Rumsey]] and other Globetrotters, also featuring Thomas Gomez, Dorothy Dandridge, Bill Walker, and Angela Clarke. Young Bill Townsend drops out of college to join the famous independent Trotter team. He also finds romance along the way. "Goose" Tatum and fancy dribbler Haynes were the star players of the Globetrotters at the time and Saperstein was the owner. Tatum, Haynes, Babe Presley, Ermer Robinson, Duke Cumberland, Clarence Wilson, Pop Gates, Frank Washington, Ted Strong and other current team members appear in the film as themselves. Also featured is a lot of actual game footage (three times against the Celtics with [[Tony Lavelli]] and Big Bob Hahn), including their famous "Sweet Georgia Brown" warm-up routine. (Along with making the film, the team toured Major League Baseball stadiums that year and went on their first tour of South America).
+
*''[[The Harlem Globetrotters (film)|The Harlem Globetrotters]]'', 1951 feature film starring [[Whitney Rumsey]] and other Globetrotters, also featuring Thomas Gomez, Dorothy Dandridge, Bill Walker, and Angela Clarke. Featured players included Tatum, Haynes, Babe Presley, Ermer Robinson, Duke Cumberland, Clarence Wilson, Pop Gates, Frank Washington, Ted Strong, and others. Also featured is a lot of actual game footage—three times against the Boston Celtics—including their famous "Sweet Georgia Brown" warm-up routine.  
 
* ''[[Go, Man, Go]]'', a 1954 sequel, starring [[Dane Clark]] as [[Abe Saperstein]] and [[Sidney Poitier]] as [[Inman Jackson]].
 
* ''[[Go, Man, Go]]'', a 1954 sequel, starring [[Dane Clark]] as [[Abe Saperstein]] and [[Sidney Poitier]] as [[Inman Jackson]].
−
 
 
* ''[[Harlem Globetrotters (TV series)|Harlem Globetrotters]]'', a [[Hanna-Barbera]] [[Saturday morning cartoon]], broadcast from September 12, 1970 to May 1973. Originally broadcast on [[CBS]], and later re-run on [[NBC]] as ''The Go-Go Globetrotters''.
 
* ''[[Harlem Globetrotters (TV series)|Harlem Globetrotters]]'', a [[Hanna-Barbera]] [[Saturday morning cartoon]], broadcast from September 12, 1970 to May 1973. Originally broadcast on [[CBS]], and later re-run on [[NBC]] as ''The Go-Go Globetrotters''.
−
 
+
* ''[[The Super Globetrotters]]'', a second animated series created by Hanna-Barbera for [[NBC]] in 1979.
−
* Coach Reeves of the TV series [[The White Shadow]] persuades the Harlem Globetrotters to prevent his team's winning streak from going to their heads.
+
* ''[[Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World]]'', a 2005 documentary featuring interviews with the Globetrotters, NBA coaches, and fans such as [[Bill Cosby]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Phil Jackson]], and [[Henry Kissinger]].
−
 
+
*''[[Hardwood]]''. Former Globetrotter Mel Davis was the subject of this short documentary. It was directed by his son, [[Hubert Davis (filmmaker)|Hubert Davis]]. This film was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject]] in 2006.
−
* ''[[The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine]]'', a 1974 live-action Saturday morning variety show starring the Globetrotters which featured comedy skits, blackout gags, and educational segments. The show was produced by Funhouse Productions and Yongestreet Productions for CBS.
 
−
 
 
−
* ''[[The Super Globetrotters]]'', a second animated series created by Hanna-Barbera for [[NBC]] in 1979. It featured the Globetrotters (now including new squad members [[James "Twiggy" Sanders]], [[Nate Branch]] and [[Louis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar]]) as undercover [[Superhero|superheroes]], who would transform from their regular forms by entering magic portable lockers carried in [["Sweet Lou" Dunbar]]'s [[Afro]], or in a basketball-shaped medallion. Although the Super Globetrotters would first attempt to take on the villain with standard comical heroics, things would almost always be settled with a basketball game.
 
−
[[Image:SuperGlobetrotters.jpg|right|thumb|''The Super Globetrotters'' (1979)]]
 
−
 
 
−
* ''[[The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island]]'', a 1981 made-for-TV film featured the Globetrotters alongside [[Bob Denver]] and the rest of the cast of ''[[Gilligan's Island]]''.  The film's plot follows the first animated series' formula to a degree with a conflict that ends with an unusual basketball game against an opposing team made up of robots.  The Globetrotters decide to play with standard moves in the first half and fall hopelessly behind in points until the Professor advises the team to use their comedic style of play to win, which hopelessly confuses the machines.
 
−
 
 
−
* ''[[Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World]]'', a 2005 documentary featuring interviews with the Globetrotters, NBA coaches and fans such as [[Bill Cosby]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Phil Jackson]] and [[Henry Kissinger]] — himself an honorary Globetrotter — and including photos of the Globetrotters with [[Pope John Paul II]].
 
−
 
 
−
===Other appearances===
 
−
Former Globetrotter Mel Davis was the subject of the short documentary ''Hardwood'', directed by his son, [[Hubert Davis (filmmaker)|Hubert Davis]]. This film was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject]] in 2006.
 
−
 
 
−
A contestant on the April 6, 2007, episode of the NBC game show ''[[Identity_(game_show)|Identity]]'' correctly identified "Stranger" #12 as being Eugene Edgerson.
 
−
 
 
−
The Harlem Globetrotters have made multiple appearances on the animated show ''[[Futurama (TV series)|Futurama]]''. These episodes feature fictional Globetrotters like [[List of recurring non-robot characters from Futurama#Ethan "Bubblegum" Tate|Ethan "Bubblegum" Tate]] (played by [[Phil LaMarr]]). In the 31st century, it seems that the Globetrotters have a planet all their own, and in the episode "[[Time Keeps on Slippin']]," the  Globetrotter Homeworld challenges Earth to a basketball game (for absolutely no stakes beyond the shame of defeat). At one point in the series, "Bubblegum" declares everyone in the room an honorary Globetrotter.
 
−
 
 
−
The Harlem Globetrotters have also appeared in a special [[Scooby Doo]] episode called "Scooby doo meets the Harlem Globetrotters."
 
−
 
 
−
==Retired numbers==
 
−
The Globetrotters have retired four numbers to date:
 
−
*13 - [[Wilt Chamberlain]]; March 9, 2000
 
−
*20 - [[Marques Haynes]]; January 5, 2001
 
−
*36 - [[Meadowlark Lemon]]; January 5, 2001
 
−
*50 - [[Reece Tatum]]; February 8, 2002
 
−
 
 
−
==Notes==
 
−
{{reflist}}
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
*''Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters'', by Ben Green (2005). HarperCollins Publishers
+
* Green, Ben. ''Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters''. Amistad, 2006. ISBN 9780060555504
−
 
+
* McKissack, Fredrick. ''Black Hoops: The History of African Americans in Basketball''. Scholastic Press, 1999. ISBN 9780590487122
−
==See also==
+
* Menville, Chuck. ''The Harlem Globetrotters: Fifty Years of Fun and Games''. D. McKay Co., 1978. ISBN 978-0679508030
−
*[[New Jersey Reds]]
+
* Warner Home Video. ''Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World'' (DVD), 2005. ASIN B000A59PMY
−
*[[New York Nationals]]
 
−
*[[Washington Generals]]
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
{{Commonscat|Harlem Globetrotters}}
+
All links retrieved August 1, 2017.
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* [http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com Harlem Globetrotters]
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* [http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com Harlem Globetrotters] ''www.harlemglobetrotters.com''.
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*[http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/billy_ray_hobley.htm Interview with Billy Ray Hobley]
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* [http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/billy_ray_hobley.htm Interview with Billy Ray Hobley] ''www.famousinterview.ca''.  
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* [http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/harlem_globetrotters.htm Basketball Hall of Fame profile]
 
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcAUul825CA Harlem Globetrotters on Blue Peter in 2007]
 
  
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Latest revision as of 09:11, 19 January 2024

Eugene "Killer" Edgerson of the Harlem Globetrotters goes up for a layup.

The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism and comedy to create one of the best-known sports entertainment franchises in the world. Over the years, they have played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 118 countries.

Created by Abe Saperstein in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, the Globetrotters were originally a serious competitive team, beating the premier professional team, the Minneapolis Lakers (led by George Mikan), for two years in a row in 1948 and 1949. In the 1950s, the Globetrotters added comic routines, involving amazing coordination, skillful passing and dribbling, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and trick shots, until they became known more for entertainment than sports. Their warm-up routine, done to the tune of Brother Bones' whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," became their hallmark.

Known as the "Clown Princes of Basketball," the Globeterotters drew large family crowds who marveled at the antics of "Meadowlark" Lemon, Jerome James, Reece "Goose" Tatum, and Fred "Curly" Neal. Future NBA greats like Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain and Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins, also played with the team.

During the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to their world touring, the Globetrotters were featured in numerous television series and specials, including appearances in live-action variety shows and several Hanna-Barbera cartoons. In 2002, the team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early history

Globetrotters player Meadowlark Lemon presenting a ball signed by the team to First Lady Betty Ford in 1974.

The Globetrotters emerged from the South Side of Chicago in the 1920s, where all the original players grew up. Most, if not all of these players attended Wendell Phillips High School. Several of the players were members of the Savoy Big Five, a team that played exhibitions before dances when the Savoy Ballroom opened in November 1927. In 1928, several players left the team in a dispute over bringing back other players who quit the team earlier. That fall, player Tommy Brookins formed the "Globe Trotters," which toured southern Illinois throughout the winter.

Exactly how Abe Saperstein became involved with the team is unclear. However, by 1929 Saperstein was the team's manager and promoter, touring Illinois and Iowa with the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters." Saperstein picked Harlem as the team's "home" city since Harlem was considered the center of African-American culture at the time, and an out of town team name would give the team more of a mystique. After four decades of existence, the Globetrotters finally played their first "home" game in Harlem in 1968.

Although the Globetrotters were originally a serious competitive team, today they are primarily a family entertainment attraction, featuring dazzling displays of dibbling, juggling, trick shots, comic skits involving referees and opposing players, and various other antics.

The first star player of the early Globe Trotters (the name would later be merged into one word) was Albert "Runt" Pullins, an adept dribbler and shooter. Soon he would be joined by six-foot, four-inch Inman Jackson, who played center and had a flair for showboating. They would originate the key roles that would stay with the team for decades.

The Globetrotters were initially a serious competitive team, and despite a flair for entertainment, they would only clown for the audience after establishing a safe lead in the game. In 1937, they accepted an invitation to participate in the World Professional Basketball Tournament, where they met the New York Rens in the semi-finals in the first big clash of the two greatest, all-black professional basketball teams. The Rens defeated the Globetrotters and went on to win the tournament. However, in 1940, the Globetrotters avenged their loss by defeating the Rens in the quarterfinals and advancing to the championship game, where they beat the Chicago Bruins in overtime by a score of 37-36.

The Globetrotters also beat the premier professional team, the Minneapolis Lakers (led by George Mikan), for two years in a row in 1948 and 1949, with the Lakers winning later contests. The February 1948 win (by a score of 61-59, on a buzzer-beater) was a hallmark in professional basketball history, as the all-black Globetrotters proved they were on an equal footing with the all-white Lakers. Momentum for ending the NBA's color line grew, and in 1950, Chuck Cooper became the first black player drafted by an NBA team. From that time on, the Globetrotters had increasing difficulty attracting and retaining top talent.

Tony Peyton was the last living member of the original Globetrotters. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1996. He died in Midland, Texas, on July 23, 2007, at the age of 85.

Finding success

Wilt Chamberlain in his Globetrotter days.

The Globetrotters gradually worked comic routines into their act until they became known more for entertainment than sports. Their acts often featured incredible coordination and skillful handling of one or more basketballs, such as passing or juggling balls between players, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and making various kinds of trick shots. Their choreographed warm up routine, to the tune of Brother Bones' whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," became the team's signature.

Among the well-known players who have been Globetrotters are NBA (National Basketball Association) greats Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins, and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, as well as Marques Haynes, George "Meadowlark" Lemon, Jerome James, former Temple coach John Chaney, and Reece "Goose" Tatum. Another popular team member in the 1970s and 1980s was Fred "Curly" Neal, who was the best dribbler of that era of the team's history and was immediately recognizable due to his then-unusual shaven head. Baseball Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Ferguson Jenkins, and Lou Brock also played for the team at one time or another. In 1985, the Globetrotters signed their first female player, Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard, and their second, Joyce Walker, just three weeks later.

Because virtually all of its players have been African-American, and because of the buffoonery involved in many of the Globetrotters' skits, they drew some criticism in the Civil Rights era. The players were derisively accused of "Tomming for Abe," a reference to Uncle Tom and white owner Abe Saperstein. However, prominent civil rights' activist Jesse Jackson came to their defense by stating, "I think they've been a positive influence... They did not show blacks as stupid. On the contrary, they were shown as superior."

Streaks

A Globetrotter puts on a dribbling exhibition against a member of the New York Nationals.

After losing to the Washington Generals in 1962, the Harlem Globetrotters only lost two more games in the next 38 years (12,596 games). Usually they played a "stooge" team owned by Red Klotz, which also appeared as the Boston Shamrocks, New Jersey Reds, Baltimore Rockets, or the Atlantic City Seagulls. On January 5, 1971, they lost in Martin, Tennessee in overtime to the New Jersey Reds; the 100-99 score ended a 2,495 game winning streak.

In addition to their hundreds of exhibition games, the Globetrotters have faced some competitive action since the mid-1990s. On September 12, 1995, they lost 91-85 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's All Star Team in Vienna, Austria, ending a run of 8,829 straight victories going back to 1971. The 48-year-old Abdul-Jabbar scored 34 points. The Globetrotters won the other 10 games during that European tour.

They immediately went on another winning streak of 1,270 games before losing 72-68 to the Michigan State University Spartans on November 13, 2000. On February 27, 2006, the Globetrotters extended their overall record to exactly 22,000 wins. Their most recent loss came on March 31, 2006 when they went down 87-83 to the NABC College All-Stars to bring their loss tally to just 345—still a winning percentage of 98.5 percent.

The Globetrotters claim all their exhibition games are "real, competitive" contests.

Modern era

During the 1970s and 1980s, the team was controlled by Metromedia and, in addition to their touring and playing the Washington Generals or the New York Nationals, they were featured in numerous television series and specials, including appearances in live-action variety shows and several Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

After a period of decline, the Globetrotters franchise was purchased by former team member Mannie Jackson in 1993, and its fortune revived again. In 2002, the team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

To offset the criticism that they do not play "real basketball," in recent years the Trotters have scheduled games against college teams and pickup teams like Magic Johnson's All Stars with varying results. This renews a tradition of playing NBA teams, which the Globetrotters did during the 1950s.

The Globetrotters visited Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in November 2000, and named the Pontiff an Honorary Harlem Globetrotter. More recently, the Globetrotters visited troops in Iraq where they played in a series of matches on local courts.

Today's Globetrotters are based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Harlem Globetrotters in films and television

The Harlem Globetrotters have been featured in several of their own films and television series over the years:

  • The Harlem Globetrotters, 1951 feature film starring Whitney Rumsey and other Globetrotters, also featuring Thomas Gomez, Dorothy Dandridge, Bill Walker, and Angela Clarke. Featured players included Tatum, Haynes, Babe Presley, Ermer Robinson, Duke Cumberland, Clarence Wilson, Pop Gates, Frank Washington, Ted Strong, and others. Also featured is a lot of actual game footage—three times against the Boston Celtics—including their famous "Sweet Georgia Brown" warm-up routine.
  • Go, Man, Go, a 1954 sequel, starring Dane Clark as Abe Saperstein and Sidney Poitier as Inman Jackson.
  • Harlem Globetrotters, a Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon, broadcast from September 12, 1970 to May 1973. Originally broadcast on CBS, and later re-run on NBC as The Go-Go Globetrotters.
  • The Super Globetrotters, a second animated series created by Hanna-Barbera for NBC in 1979.
  • Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World, a 2005 documentary featuring interviews with the Globetrotters, NBA coaches, and fans such as Bill Cosby, Samuel L. Jackson, Phil Jackson, and Henry Kissinger.
  • Hardwood. Former Globetrotter Mel Davis was the subject of this short documentary. It was directed by his son, Hubert Davis. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject in 2006.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Green, Ben. Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall, and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters. Amistad, 2006. ISBN 9780060555504
  • McKissack, Fredrick. Black Hoops: The History of African Americans in Basketball. Scholastic Press, 1999. ISBN 9780590487122
  • Menville, Chuck. The Harlem Globetrotters: Fifty Years of Fun and Games. D. McKay Co., 1978. ISBN 978-0679508030
  • Warner Home Video. Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World (DVD), 2005. ASIN B000A59PMY

External links

All links retrieved August 1, 2017.

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