The History of the Harlem Globetrotters

Savoy big five

Jan 1, 1926

Abe Saperstein, age 24, organizes and coaches a new basketball team, "Savoy Big Five," named after famous Chicago's Savoy Ballroom.

Harlem New york globetrotters

Jan 1, 1927

The team name is changed to the Harlem New York Globetrotters

History

Jan 1, 1933

Tour opens on Thanksgiving Day at Detroit’s Brewster Center
Globetrotters expand schedule to Montana, North and South Dakota, and Idaho
First Harlem Globetrotter poster is printed

History

Jan 1, 1934

Globetrotters play 1000th game in Iron Mountain, MI
Season ends with 152-10 record
Inman Jackson creates pivot position now used by all levels of basketball

History

Jan 1, 1936

Tour pushes all the way to Puget Sound, WA, as Globetrotters gain in popularity.

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Jan 1, 1939

Team is defeated 27-23 in their first professional basketball championship tournament against New York Rens
Globetrotters signature comedy routines become more prevalent during games

History

Jan 1, 1940

Globetrotters play 2000th career game in Bellingham, WA
Season tour ends with 159-8 record
Their first-ever World Basketball Championship is won 31-29 against George Halas' Chicago Bruins
Globetrotters are defeated 44-42 in the inaugural All-Star Classic in Chicago Stadium against a team of college All-Stars before a record-setting 20,583 fans
First out-of-town training Globetrotters camp is held in Sheboygan, WI

History

Jan 1, 1941

All-time great Reece "Goose" Tatum, signs with Globetrotters and develops most of the team's classic comedy routines.

History

Jan 1, 1943

Goose Tatum leaves the team to join the Army Air Corps
Bob Karstens becomes first-ever Caucasian under contract with the Harlem Globetrotters and creates many ball handling moves used in the “Magic Circle”

History

Jan 1, 1946

One-armed Boid Buie joins Globetrotters and averages 18 points per game
Globetrotters first overseas trip to United States Territory of Hawaii
Globetrotters gain international recognition and are featured in LIFE Magazine with their .927 winning percentage, World Championship and 3000th game played

History

Jan 1, 1948

Globetrotter Ermer Robinson hits game-winner at the buzzer to defeat Hall of Famer George Mikan and Minneapolis Lakers 61-59
Robert "Showboat" Hall, master of the fast passing game and expert ball handler, joins Globetrotters
Year ends with a 152-5 overall record

History

Jan 1, 1949

Bobby Milton astounds the crowd in Honolulu with his shooting prowess, connecting on nine consecutive baskets from the half-court stripe.
On Feb. 28, the highly anticipated re-match takes place between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Minneapolis Lakers. The Lakers still feature George Mikan – and would win the BAA Championship in April (the BAA was a predecessor to the NBA) – while the Globetrotters enter the game riding a 113-game win streak. The Globetrotters once again lay claim as the best

History

Jan 1, 1950

Globetrotters compete in inaugural World Series of Basketball tour in 17 major cities in front of over 180,000 fans against a team of college All-Stars and finish with an 11-7 record
Globetrotters' Marques Haynes and Villanova’s Paul Arizin are selected as series MVPs
NBA drafts Harlem Globetrotter’s Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton for $25,000 as the first African-American player in league history
Abe Saperstein organizes basketball's first-ever trip across the North Atlantic

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Jan 1, 1953

Second motion picture, "Go Man Go!" is filmed staring Dane Clark and Sidney Poitier, and shown in more than 11,000 theatres in the USA
All-Time attendance record of 36,256 fans is recorded at LA’s Memorial Coliseum
Saperstein contacts Louis "Red" Klotz to develop a team to oppose the Globetrotters, beginning Red's famous teams the Washington Generals, Boston Shamrocks, Baltimore Rockets, and others
Globetrotters appear on the "Ed Sullivan Show" on Nov 14 with 77% of American households watchi

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Jan 1, 1958

Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, one of basketballs greatest offensive forces, joins Harlem Globetrotters
Globetrotters win 9th straight World Series of Basketball title against College All-Americans with 13-5 record
Roman Turmon named Most Valuable Player

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Jan 1, 1959

Wilt "The Stilt" joins NBA for 14-year, Hall of Fame career
7000th game is played during their first undefeated season with 441 wins
Team begins sold-out tour of U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe, with Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev greeting players at Kremlin in Moscow
Globetrotters perform famous "Magic Circle" in front of Pope John XXIII

History

Jan 1, 1968

Team plays first game ever in Harlem, NY

History

Jan 1, 1971

New Jersey Reds’ 50-year-old player Red Klotz ends Globetrotter’s 2,495-game winning streak in overtime in Martin, TN. Globetrotters will go on with a 24 year winning streak.

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Jan 1, 1972

Scooby-Doo Meets The Harlem Globetrotters

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Jan 1, 1977

Globetrotters celebrate 50th season
Comedian Bob Hope is named honorary Harlem Globetrotter

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Jan 1, 1982

Globetrotters become only sports team to be honored with a star on Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame

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Jan 1, 1985

Media around the world report on the Harlem Globetrotters signing their first ever female player, Olympic Gold Medalist Lynette Woodard
The Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American Social History honors the Globetrotters with their own exhibit on permanent display. The Institute cites the team as "An Important Part of American Social History."

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Jan 1, 1995

1.6M fans attend Globetrotter games across over 30 countries and territories
4th largest attendance ever of 21,587 fans pack Thunderdome in St. Petersburg, FL, for Globetrotters defeat of Washington Generals
Globetrotters end 1995 with "Ultimate Challenge" tour against Basketball hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Legendary All-Stars, winning 10-1 games
Globetrotters lose 91-85 in Vienna, Austria, ending their 8,829-game winning streak

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Jan 1, 1997

Globetrotters perform "Magic Circle" with kids from Foundation for Blind Children
Team performs at Nelson Mandela’s 79th birthday party on July 4
Globetrotters play the College All-Stars at America West Arena in Phoenix, AZ
"Magic" Johnson signs with Globetrotters and they defeat College All-Stars team with 9 NBA Draft picks 126-114. Michael St. Julien is named MVP with 17 points and 13 rebounds in the game
Center Dut Mayer of Sudan, Africa signs on as the tallest Globetrotter in histry at 7

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Jan 1, 1998

Globetrotters broadcasted on live national network ESPN2 for first time ever during their 20,000th career game is played near Remington, IN, before standing-room-only crowd
Jackson Family endowment fund of $100,000 is created by Owner and Chairman Mannie Jackson for the all-black Lincoln School Alumni Foundation, Inc., Edwardsville, IL
"Legends" honors bestowed upon "Wee" Willie Gardner, Robert "Showboat" Hall, and Junius Kellogg
Denny’s Restaraunts sponsor Harlem Globetrotters Summer Youth B

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Jan 1, 2000

Wilt Chamberlain becomes first Globetrotter to have his jersey retired
Globetrotters defeat team of college all-stars at first NABC Roundball Challenge at Final Four Weekend, Indianapolis, IL
Michael “Wild Thing” Wilson sets Guinness World Record with 12’ hoop dunk
Scout Marty Blake receives inaugural Saperstein Award
Globetrotters become associate member of USA Basketball
Q Sports Ratings name Harlem Globetrotters as most recognized sports team in the World
Globetrotters 1,270-game winnin

History

Jan 1, 2008

ORLANDO "EL GATO" MELENDEZ BECOMES FIRST PUERTO RICAN PLAYER ON THE TEAM.

history

Jan 1, 2009

Taylor Griffin, brother of NBA #1 overall pick Blake Griffin, is selected with the top pick in the Globetrotters' player draft
Globetrotters featured in the new book, "The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider's Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime."

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Jan 1, 2010

GLOBETROTTERS CELEBRATE ITS 85TH ANNIVERSARY.

History

Jan 1, 2011

"Supertrotter" Billy Ray Hobley honored with "Legend's" award
Big Easy Lofton and Flight Time Lang compete in CBS' "The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business", finishing 2nd
1st ball used in 4-point shot by Dizzy Grant donated to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Red Klotz No. 3 Washington Generals is 1st non-Globetrotter jersey to be retired
12-season veteran "Clown Prince of Basketball Reece "Goose" Tatum is inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2011
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