Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters are a world famous basketball show group. For their show, they combine their basketball game with slapstick. Meanwhile, they have completed more than 22,000 games in 118 countries.

History

Its origins date back to 1927, when Abe Saperstein 's basketball team a Chicago dance hall, the " Savoy Big Five" took over. Although neither Saperstein nor any of its players from New York came, he renamed the team in " Harlem Globetrotters ". For one, " Harlem " should point to the consistently African American composition of the team, on the other hand " Globetrotters " a wide Travelled awareness should be symbolized.

On January 7, 1927, the team played their first game in Hinckley, Illinois. Against rather weak opponents they played in the early years some 150 to 175 games per season. Especially in the southern states and in rural areas the team had this to contend with discrimination. In order to increase the popularity and attractiveness of the team that started the Globetrotters - as soon as they had gained a comfortable lead - to show different tricks and shows. In this way, the team developed in the direction of a show troupe, which has become the mainstay for the world touring Globetrotters. Players such as Inman Jackson, Babe Pressley and especially Marques Haynes trained several spectacular Dribbletricks because the show was very well received by the audience. At the first World Professional Tournament the Globetrotters in 1939 came to the semifinals, subject to there but the eventual champions, the New York Renaissance. A year later they defeated in the final of the tournament, the Chicago Bruins and thus their breakthroughs.

As the professional leagues were long time for black basketball players suspended, the Globetrotters possessed a steady stream of fresh college talent. And even after the opening of the NBA for African Americans in 1950, played a lot of future NBA pros one or more years for the Globetrotters, such as Connie Hawkins or Wilt Chamberlain. 1950 signed the Globetrotters player Nathaniel Clifton first African American to sign a contract with an NBA team. Depending on the definition, it can thus be referred to as the first African American in the NBA ( Chuck Cooper was drafted as the first, Earl Lloyd played first). However, some players attracted the Globetrotters still before a NBA career. Despite the strong African-American influence, the Globetrotters also committed white player like Bob Karstens.

After the end of World War II, the Globetrotters toured the whole world. They played in Western Europe, North Africa, Central and South America and even in the Soviet Union. On August 22, 1951, she played in Berlin's Olympic Stadium before 75,000 spectators, one of the greatest scenes that ever existed at a basketball game.

The game, the Globetrotters inspired at a young age many later NBA greats like Magic Johnson and caused such a way that the NBA basketball has been spectacular over the years. Now they have lost its appeal for young players. On 12 January 1998, the Globetrotters denied her 20,000. Game. Since September 27th 2002, they are as a team member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Others

The Harlem Globetrotters has devoted an entire animated series. The first broadcasts ran from 1970 to 1972 always on Saturday mornings on CBS. Thus, the series was the first cartoon to for children's television viewing time in which African Americans played the leading role. In 1979, the company brought a Bally pinball with the motif of the Harlem Globetrotters on the market. The Harlem Globetrotters also had some guest appearances in the series Futurama.

During a visit to the Vatican in 2000, Pope John Paul II was nominated for the seventh honorary member of the Globetrotters. The other honorary members are Henry Kissinger (1976 ), Bob Hope (1977 ), Kareem Abdul- Jabbar (1989 ), Whoopi Goldberg ( 1990), Nelson Mandela (1996 ), Jackie Joyner - Kersee ( 1999) and Jesse Jackson ( 2001). Bill Cosby (1972) and Magic Johnson (2003) have signed doped lifelong contracts with a dollar. 2008 U.S. national soccer goalkeeper Tim Howard was gedrafted and thus became the ambassador of the team. Even otherwise, the team Drafted from time to basketball strangers, in 2011, for example, the footballer Lionel Messi.