The Harlem Globetrotters basketball team played their inaugural game on January 7, 1927, traveling 48 miles west from Chicago to Hinckley, Illinois.
Abe Saperstein from Chicago founded the Globetrotters, stepping in to coach a team of African-American players initially called the Savoy Big Five, named after the renowned Chicago ballroom that hosted their early games.
During an era that excluded whites from professional basketball teams, Saperstein opted to highlight his team’s racial diversity by naming them after Harlem, the iconic African-American neighborhood in New York City.
Sewing their red, white, and blue uniforms (inscribed with “New York”) himself, Saperstein, the son of a tailor, made a personal contribution to the team. In that debut match, for which the Globetrotters earned $75, the players included Walter “Toots” Wright, Byron “Fat” Long, Willis “Kid” Oliver, Andy Washington, and Al “Runt” Pullins.
In their inaugural season, the Globetrotters celebrated their success by winning 101 of 117 games, introducing Midwestern crowds to a sport they had yet to witness. Serving as the owner, coach, manager, publicist, and at times even a substitute player, Saperstein put in considerable effort securing games for his team.
By 1936, the team had played over 1,000 games across states including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Washington, and the Dakotas. (They didn’t actually perform in Harlem until the late 1960s.) Their first national championship match occurred in 1939 when they faced the New York Renaissance and lost. That same year, the team began incorporating the humorous antics they later became famous for, such as ball handling tricks and comedic routines on the court. Audiences loved the entertainment, prompting Saperstein to encourage this playful behavior, but only when the team had built a solid lead.
In 1948, the Globetrotters gained added respect when they defeated the Minneapolis Lakers from the newly formed National Basketball Association (NBA). A couple of years later, the NBA abolished its “whites only” policy, starting to draft black players, which meant Saperstein had to compete for talent more vigorously.
At this point, the Globetrotters were touring internationally, delighting audiences in post-war Berlin, Eastern Europe, and Russia; they even had a performance for Pope Pius XII in Rome. Future NBA stars such as Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins, and Nat Clifton started their careers with the Globetrotters.
Following Saperstein’s passing in 1966, a group of Chicago businessmen acquired the team for $3.7 million and subsequently sold it to Metro Media for $11 million. In the 1970s, the Globetrotters peaked in popularity, although they began to see a decline in fans during the subsequent decade after long-time stars like Meadowlark Lemon left. In 1985, Lynette Woodard, an Olympic gold medalist, became the first female Globetrotter.
Over the decades, the Harlem Globetrotters have performed in more than 115 countries, captivating 120 million fans. Their legacy includes appearances in two feature films and numerous television programs, including two animated series during the 1970s. Acknowledging their entertainment contributions, the team received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute.
Their trailblazing history and significant athletic prowess were honored with induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
by Terence Johns
