Harlem Globetrotters facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Globetrotters" redirects here. For the animated television series, see Harlem Globetrotters (TV series). For the video game, see Harlem Globetrotters (video game). For the travelers association, see German Globetrotter Club.

Quick facts for kids

Harlem Globetrotters

Leagues

Independent

Founded

1926; 99 years ago

History

1926–27: Chicago GlobeTrotters
1928–29: New York Harlem Globetrotters
1929–present: Harlem Globetrotters

Arena

Barnstorming team

Team colors

Blue, red, white

Head coach

"Sweet" Lou Dunbar (coach)
Barry Hardy (coach)

Ownership

Herschend Family Entertainment

Championships

Uniforms

Primary

Secondary

The Harlem Globetrotters are a famous American basketball team. They are known for their amazing athletic skills and for making people laugh. They combine sports with theater, fun, and comedy in their games.

The Globetrotters have played over 26,000 games in 124 countries. They usually play against teams like the Washington Generals. These opposing teams are often part of the show, helping the Globetrotters perform their tricks. The team's special song is "Sweet Georgia Brown". Their mascot is a globe named "Globie". Herschend Family Entertainment owns the team.

The Globetrotters' Story
- Globetrotters Go to Moscow
- New Players and Owners
Meet the 2023 Team
The Globetrotters' Draft
Honoring Great Players
The Globetrotters in Movies and TV
Honorary Team Members
See also

The Globetrotters' Story

The Globetrotters started in 1926 in Chicago. The first players were all from the South Side of the city. They began as the Savoy Big Five. This team played basketball games before dances at the Savoy Ballroom.

In 1928, some players left to form a new team. They called themselves the "Globe Trotters". Abe Saperstein became their manager and promoter. By 1929, Saperstein's team was called the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters". He chose "Harlem" because it was a famous center for Black American culture. "Globetrotter" made it sound like the team traveled all over the world.

The 1950 World Series Harlem Globetrotters with owner Abe Saperstein (right).

The Globetrotters were very good at basketball. They even won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1940. In 1948, they beat the Minneapolis Lakers, one of the best white teams. This made big news!

For a long time, the Globetrotters had the best Black basketball players in the country. But then, the National Basketball Association (NBA) started to grow. NBA teams began to sign Black players in the 1950s. In 1950, Chuck Cooper from the Globetrotters became the first Black player drafted into the NBA. His teammate, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, was the first Black player to sign an NBA contract.

Over time, the Globetrotters added more funny routines to their games. Reece "Goose" Tatum, who joined in 1941, helped with this. They became famous for their entertainment, not just their sports skills. Their acts show amazing coordination and ball handling. They pass, juggle, spin balls, and make incredible shots.

In 1952, the Globetrotters asked Louis "Red" Klotz to create a team to play against them. This team became the Washington Generals. The Generals are known for always losing to the Globetrotters.

Globetrotters Go to Moscow

In 1959, the Globetrotters played nine games in Moscow. The team, which included Wilt Chamberlain, was very popular. Fans and leaders welcomed them. They even met Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

At first, the audience was a bit confused. One report said, "A Soviet audience of 14,000 sat almost silently... through the first half." They soon realized the Globetrotters were more about show than just competition. A newspaper called Pravda said, "This is not basketball; it is too full of tricks." But it also praised their skills.

The games helped show that relations between the U.S. and Russia were getting better.

New Players and Owners

Many famous basketball players have played for the Globetrotters. Some, like Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, later joined the NBA. In 1985, the Globetrotters signed their first female player, Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard.

Because most of the team's players were Black, some people criticized their comedy routines during the Civil Rights era. They thought the acts made Black players look silly. However, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson defended them. He said, "I think they've been a positive influence... They did not show blacks as stupid. On the contrary, they were shown as superior." Jesse Jackson later became an honorary Globetrotter.

In 1993, former Globetrotters player Mannie Jackson bought the team. In 1995, Orlando Antigua became the first Hispanic player. He was the first non-Black player on the team since 1942.

The Globetrotters' Magic Circle in 2019.

Even though parts of a Globetrotters game are planned, the games are not completely fake. Their opponents play seriously when they have the ball. About 20 to 30 percent of a game is "real" basketball. In 1971, the Washington Generals actually beat the Globetrotters! The Globetrotters were doing tricks and lost track of their lead. The Generals then scored a winning shot at the last second.

In 2013, Herschend Family Entertainment bought the Globetrotters. In 2021, the Globetrotters even asked to join the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Meet the 2023 Team

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Ht.	Wt.	From
G	0	Tompkins, Justin "X-Over"	4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)	–	Borough of Manhattan Community College*
F	1	Porter, Arysia "Ace"	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)	–	St. Mary's (TX)*
G	3	Artis, Darnell "Speedy"	5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)	–	Gwynedd Mercy University*
F	5	Mack, Chandler "Bulldog"	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	–	Freed-Hardeman*
F	6	Hopkins, Mia "Mighty"	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	–	West Chester*
G	9	Swanson, Jahmani "Hot Shot"	4 ft 5 in (1.35 m)	–	Monroe College*
G	10	George, Cherelle "Torch"	5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)	–	Purdue
G	11	Chisholm, Brawley "Cheese"	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	–	Ball State
F	12	Barerra, Jason "Buckets"	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	–	Mount Saint Vincent*
F	15	Castenada, Mia "Ice"	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)	–	Washburn University*
G	16	Christensen, Shane "Scooter"	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	–	Montana
G	17	Kirkendoll, Travion "Diesel"	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	–	Centenary College of Louisiana*
G	18	Lister, Fatima "TNT"	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)	–	Temple
G	19	White, Saul "Flip"	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	–	Moraine Valley Community College*
G	21	Garcia, Carl "Lights Out"	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	–	Miles College*
F	23	Law, Corey "Thunder"	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	–	High Point*
F	25	Moore, Malik "Prime Time"	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	–	USC Upstate*
F	27	Kirk, Shaun "Airport"	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	–	UNC Pembroke*
F	28	Ballard, Joe "Jumpin"	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	–	Glenville State*
F	29	Clayborne, Evan "Beast"	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	–	UNC Asheville*
F	30	McClurkin, Julian "Zeus"	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	–	North Carolina A&T
F	31	Harrison, Donte "Hammer"	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	–	Hampton*
G	32	Rivers, Latif "Jet"	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	–	Wagner College*
F	38	Blount, Jr., Mark "Splash"	–	–
G	40	Middleton, Rock "Wham"	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)	–	Savannah State*
F	41	Dunbar, Louis "Sweet Lou II"	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	–	Oklahoma City University*
F	42	Sharpless, Angelo "Spider"	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	–	Elizabeth City State*
F	43	Porter-Brunton, Chris "Turbo"	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	–	Austin Peay
F	44	Moss, Prince "Baller"	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	–	Grambling State*
F	45	Weekes, Alex "Moose"	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	–	Middle Tennessee State*
F	46	Oliver, Guy "Springs"	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	–	Indiana State*
F	47	De La Rosa, Joey "Hot Rod"	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)	–	St. John's
G	48	Kidoń, Paweł "Dazzle"	5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)	–	Zubrzyca Dolna, Poland
F	49	London, Malik "Jammin"	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	–	UT-Martin*
G	51	Winston, Lucius "Too Tall"	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	–	Tuskegee*
F	54	Mitchell, Brandon "Hi-Rise"	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	–	San Jose State
F	55	McClure, Randy "Crash"	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	–	Albany State*
F	55	Jackson, Zavian "Sky"	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	–	Arkansas-Pine Bluff*
F	57	Moody, Mario "Bounce"	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	–	Bethune-Cookman*
G	58	Pearce, Max "Hops"	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	–	Purchase College*

Head coach

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Assistant coach(es)

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Legend

(C) Team captain
(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
Injured

Roster • Transactions
Last change: 2023-04-24

The Globetrotters' Draft

Since 2007, the Globetrotters have held their own "draft" each year. This happens a few days before the NBA draft. They pick players they think would be great Globetrotters. Being drafted doesn't mean you're guaranteed a spot on the team. But many drafted players have joined, like Anthony "Ant" Atkinson and William "Bull" Bullard.

The Globetrotters also draft famous people from other sports or entertainment. Some notable draft picks include:

Sun Mingming (2007)
Lionel Messi (2011)
Usain Bolt (2012)
Brittney Griner (2013)
Mo'ne Davis (2015)
Kevin Hart (2016)
Neymar (2016)
Gal Gadot (2017)
Aaron Judge (2017)
Chadwick Boseman (2020)

Honoring Great Players

The Globetrotters have honored eight players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. It's a special way to remember their impact.

Wilt Chamberlain was the first Globetrotter to have his jersey number retired.

Harlem Globetrotters retired numbers
No.	Player	Time on Team	Date Retired
13	Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain	1958–1959	March 9, 2000
20	Marques Haynes	1947–1953, 1972–1979	January 5, 2001
22	Fred "Curly" Neal	1963–1985	February 15, 2008
34	Charles "Tex" Harrison	1954–1972	December 26, 2017
35	Hubert "Geese" Ausbie	1961–1985	January 31, 2017
36	Meadowlark Lemon	1954–1979, 1993	January 5, 2001
41	"Sweet" Lou Dunbar	1977–present	February 15, 2019
50	Goose Tatum	1941–1943, 1945–1955	February 8, 2002

The Globetrotters in Movies and TV

Soupy Sales with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1969.

The Harlem Globetrotters have appeared in many movies and TV shows.

Movies

The Harlem Globetrotters (1951): This movie starred real Globetrotters like Marques Haynes. It showed their games and routines.
Go, Man, Go! (1954): This film told the story of how the team started.
Harlem Globetrotters: The Team that Changed the World (2005): A documentary with interviews from famous people like Barack Obama.

TV Shows

Harlem Globetrotters (1970-1973): A Hanna-Barbera cartoon where the team solved mysteries and played basketball. They also appeared on The New Scooby-Doo Movies.
The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine (1974): A live-action show with comedy and educational parts.
The Super Globetrotters (1979): Another cartoon where the Globetrotters were superheroes!
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981): A TV movie where the Globetrotters helped the cast of Gilligan's Island play basketball against robots.
Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward (2022): A show about the team visiting places as "ambassadors of goodwill."
Globetrotter games are often shown on ABC or ESPN. In 2010, they introduced a four-point shot and a penalty box in a televised game.

Guest Appearances

The Globetrotters have also made guest appearances on many other shows:

What's My Line? (1956)
The White Shadow (1979, 1980)
The Love Boat (1984)
Hell’s Kitchen (2009)
The Amazing Race (2009, 2011, 2014): Two Globetrotters, Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton, competed multiple times.
The Price Is Right
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2010)
Man v. Food Nation (2011)
Sesame Street (2011)
Kickin' It (2012)
American Ninja Warrior: Bull Bullard competed on this show.
Vice (2013): Three Globetrotters visited North Korea with Dennis Rodman.
I Can Do That (2015)
Dog with a Blog
The Goldbergs (2016)

Cartoons and Video Games

The Simpsons: Krusty the Clown once bet against the Globetrotters in an episode.
Futurama: The Globetrotters appear as smart scientists and basketball players from space.
Mutt & Stuff (2016)
American Dad! (2018)
Harlem Globetrotters on Tour (1979): A pinball machine.
Harlem Globetrotters (1990, 1991): A video game.
Harlem Globetrotters: World Tour (2006): Another video game.

Honorary Team Members

The Globetrotters have given the title of "honorary member" to ten special people. This means they are recognized for their support and connection to the team.