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Harlem Globetrotters
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About
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, and comedy. Over the years they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 122 countries and territories. Brother Bones's whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" is the team's signature song, and their mascot is named Globie. The team plays over 450 live events worldwide each year.
Origins
The genesis of the Globetrotters occurred on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, in the 1920s, where all the original players were raised. Most of these players also attended Wendell Phillips High School. The official history contains several details which seem contradictory, such as the team being organized in 1926 in Chicago's Savoy Ballroom, which opened in 1927. When the Savoy Ballroom opened in November 1927, one of the premier attractions was the Savoy Big Five, a basketball team that played exhibitions before dances. Hinckley, Illinois, was home to the first Harlem Globetrotters road game on January 7, 1927. 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" that toured Southern Illinois that spring.
Abe Saperstein became involved with the team as its manager and promoter. By 1929 Saperstein was touring Illinois and Iowa with his basketball team called the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters." Saperstein selected Harlem, New York City, New York, 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. After four decades, the Globetrotters played their first game ever in Harlem in 1968.
Legends
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From http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/harlem-globetrotter-legends
- "BIG" FRANK WASHINGTON - "Big" Frank Washington, a high-flying 6-foot-5-inch center, was a member of the first Harlem Globetrotter team to trek around the world in 1952. He played with the Globetrotters from 1946 to 1960 and traveled on six world tours with such...
- "SWEET" LOU DUNBAR - Throughout his illustrious career, fans across the world adored "Sweet" Lou Dunbar's on-court comedy routines and shared his love of the game. Now he is passing that love and considerable knowledge on to a new generation of Globetrotters as...
- "WEE" WILLIE GARDNER - A 6-9 silky smooth forward, "Wee" Willie Gardner was one of the first players signed by the Harlem Globetrotters prior to the 1954 season at the age of 19. The young phenom from Indiana quickly made an impact with the Globetrotters, helping the...
- BERNIE PRICE - One of professional basketball's original pioneers, Bernie Price became just the 14th person to receive the distinguished Harlem Globetrotter Legends award at Rosemont Horizon in Chicago on Feb. 26, 1999. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Price...
- BILLY RAY HOBLEY - Billy Ray Hobley was posthumously honored by the Globetrotters with the team’s “Legends” award when the Globetrotters played in Hobley’s adopted hometown of New Orleans on Feb. 13, 2011.
- BOB KARSTENS - Bob Karstens was the third Caucasian to play for the Harlem Globetroters (the others were founder Abe Saperstein and Bunny Leavitt), but Karstens had the rare distinction of being the first Caucasian player to be under contract with the team....
- BOBBY JOE MASON - Bobby Joe Mason’s career with the Harlem Globetrotters spanned from 1962 to 1976. During his tenure with the Globetrotters, he was named MVP of the 1962 College Series and was a part of the popular television series "Harlem Globetrotter...
- CARL HELEM - Carl Helem, who helped transform the Harlem Globetrotters into the global presence they are today, became the 14th person to receive the distinguished Harlem Globetrotters "Legends" Ring on Dec.
- CHARLES "TEX" HARRISON - Known during his playing days as one of the quickest Harlem Globetrotters, Charles "Tex" Harrison was an outstanding dribbler and rebounder during his 18 years as a player for the team. He became a Globetrotter...
- CONNIE HAWKINS - One of the great ball handlers and leapers in basketball history, a forerunner to Julius Erving and Michael Jordan at swooping to the basket, Connie Hawkins played four magical seasons with the Harlem Globetrotters in the 1960s.
- DAVID "SMOKEY" GAINES - David “Smokey” Gaines, who traveled the world from 1963-1967 as a standout guard with the Harlem Globetrotters, was the 24th person in team history to be honored with the prestigious “Legends” RIng.
- FRED "CURLY" NEAL - One of the truly magical dribblers and shooters in basketball history, Curly Neal captured the imagination of fans all over the world, playing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries as a key member of the Harlem...
- GOVONER VAUGHN - Govoner Vaughn joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 1960 and quickly established himself as one of the top players in the team's history. He was named MVP of the 1961 World Series of Basketball, a 20-game series against the nation's top...
- HALLIE BRYANT - Former Harlem Globetrotters standout and Indiana basketball star Hallie Bryant, who helped lead the Indiana Hoosiers to the Big Ten Conference title in 1957, was the 28th person honored by the Globetrotters with the team’s “Legends” award on...
- HUBERT "GEESE" AUSBIE - One of the most popular and recognizable Harlem Globetrotters ever, Hubert "Geese" Ausbie thrilled audiences with his awesome talent and effervescent personality around the world for 24 years. He served as the "...
- J.C. GIPSON - J.C. Gipson began his outstanding career with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1952 and wore the famous red, white, and blue for 20-plus glorious seasons. His personality, superb playing ability, and outstanding flair for showmanship made him one of...
- JACKIE JACKSON - Before the world had ever heard of Globetrotter Michael ‘Wild Thing’ Wilson, Michael Jordan, Julius Erving and Vince Carter, Jumpin’ Jackie Jackson defied gravity every time he stepped out onto the court. Jackson is considered by many to be one...
- JAMES "TWIGGY' SANDERS - One of the best known and greatest Showmen of all time, James “Twiggy” Sanders was the 27th person in the Globetrotters’ history to receive the “Legends” honor, joining the ranks of other Showmen like Reece “Goose” Tatum, Hubert “Geese” Ausbie...
- JOHN "JUMPIN' JOHNNY" KLINE - Dr. John "Jumpin' Johnny" Kline was a standout basketball leader on and off the court.
- JUNIUS KELLOGG - After graduating from Manhattan College in 1953, Junius Kellogg signed a contract with the Harlem Globetrotters. However, the 6-10 center's promising basketball career was cut short at the age of 23, when a car crash in 1954 left him a...
- LOUIS “RED” KLOTZ - Louis “Red” Klotz, who was involved in over 19,000 games against the Harlem Globetrotters as a player, coach and owner, became the first non-Globetrotter to have a jersey retired by the team when the Globetrotters honored Klotz in his native...
- LYNETTE WOODARD - Lynette Woodard became the first woman to ever play for a men's professional basketball team when she signed with the Harlem Globetrotters in October 1985, and she played with the Globetrotters until 1987. The six-foot guard was a four-time...
- MANNIE JACKSON - While Mannie Jackson was a standout player for the Harlem Globetrotters in the 1960s, his legacy with the Globetrotters and the game of basketball was as the team’s owner. Jackson became the first African-American to own a major...
- MARQUES HAYNES - Legendary Harlem Globetrotter Marques Haynes – considered by many to be the greatest basketball dribbler of all-time – passed away in Plano, Texas, on May 22, 2015, at the age of 89.
- MEADOWLARK LEMON - During 24 seasons as the "Clown Prince" of the Harlem Globetrotters, Meadowlark Lemon - who passed away in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Dec. 27, 2015, at the age of 83 - played in more than 7,500 consecutive games for the red, white, and blue. He played...
- REECE "GOOSE" TATUM - The original “Clown Prince of Basketball,” Harlem Globetrotters Legend Reece “Goose” Tatum is among a distinguished list of 10 players and coaches inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011....
- ROBERT "SHOWBOAT" HALL - One of the greatest Clown Princes in Harlem Globetrotters history, Robert "Showboat" Hall became one of the most popular players to ever wear the red, white, and blue uniform. A native of Detroit, he succeeded...
- WILLIAM "POP" GATES - In the days of the cage game, William "Pop" Gates was considered one of the nation's finest basketball players. Always a scoring threat, Gates was a complete ballplayer on offense, a defensive specialist, and a strong rebounder. The 6-2 guard/...
- WILT CHAMBERLAIN - One of the most famous and dominant players in Harlem Globetrotters history, Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain began his professional career in 1958 when the Globetrotters signed the University of Kansas standout to one of the largest contracts in...