Don’t let their branding name fool you.
The “Clown Princes of the Basketball Court,” the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, got their start 100 years ago in Chicago, not Harlem.
It was this week, on Jan. 16, 1926, a century ago that this team was formed at the Giles American Legion Post No. 87, on the South Side of Chicago, since all the original players were raised in and went to Wendell Phillips High School in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
The antics and extreme playing power of this Black basketball team soon attracted the attention of booking agents, including the management of the Savoy Ballroom, where they became an in-house favorite as the “Savoy Big Five.”
After several players left the team in the fall of 1928, they created their own team called the “Globe Trotters” and began to tour. Enter promotion wizard Abe Saperstein, who promised to take the team to new heights as a coach, manager, promoter and part-time player, and offered new name branding in 1929 as the “New York Harlem Globe Trotters,” a reference to Harlem being the epicenter of Black notoriety.
The Harlem Globetrotters continue as pop culture icons with a touring schedule of basketball hijinks that has fans from around the world cheering their tricks of the trade.
The team, with their signature red, white and blue stripes and stars uniforms and basketball spinning, have headlined plenty of exhibition games at Valparaiso University throughout the decades and given me plenty of fun fodder for my columns.
At 7 p.m. on Jan. 20, the Harlem Globetrotters are returning to the VU campus for a special exhibition game at the Athletics Recreation Center in the center of campus as one of the first dates of their “100 Year Tour.”
The marketing describes the event as: “From gravity-defying dunks to game-changing tricks, experience the team that redefined basketball with a historic celebration of 100 years of over-the-top fun with all-new surprises like the Golden Basketball by Spalding. It is a fan celebration with epic new pre-game magic, unforgettable post-game interactions and the most fan-fueled experience in sports.”
The tour promotional kit promises: “Every Harlem Globetrotters game serves up unprecedented fan interaction opportunities before, during and after the game so fans can meet their favorite players.
Additional fan options include the Magic Pass Pre-Show Event, the Celebrity Court Pre-Show Event and purchasing a limited-edition replica game ball. All customers must have a game ticket and a premium experience pass for entry.”
General admission with reserved seating ranges from $25 to $45, with the added options of “The Magic Pass” available from 5:30-6 p.m. for an additional $25 gains fans access to 30-minutes of pre-game on-the-court fun with the players, plus photo ops and autograph moments while having the first chance at merchandise.
“A Celebrity Court Pass” for an additional $100 fee nets fans an up-close seating section for the pre-game warm-ups starting at 6:15 p.m. and a commemorative lanyard. As for the limited edition golden 100-year game ball replica from Spalding, it’s priced at $75. Visit www.valpoathletics.com or call 219-464-5233.
I grew up as a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters during the 1970s when the team consisted of Fred “Curly” Neal, who died at age 77 in 2020, Hubert “Geese” Ausbie, who is now age 87, Meadowlark Lemon, who died at age 83 in 2015, Sweet Lou Dunbar, who is 72, and Bobby Joe (B.J.) Mason, who died at age 70 in 2006.
The Harlem Globetrotters voiced animated counterparts of themselves as guest stars on Scooby-Doo’s Saturday morning cartoon series in 1973 before given their own animated cartoon show on Saturday mornings the following year, which also aired on CBS. (Hanna-Barbera Archive, 1973)
During my 1970s youth, the Harlem Globetrotters had their own Saturday morning animated cartoon series in 1974, and made special guest star appearances on Scooby-Doo’s Saturday morning cartoon series around the same time, with the players mentioned above providing their vocal talents for their cartoon counterparts.
My first time interviewing the Harlem Globetrotters was for a Jan. 7, 1997, story when I wrote for The South Bend Tribune, marking the 75th anniversary of the team’s founding as the team visited area high schools, including my own alma mater North Judson-San Pierre High School while promoting their upcoming exhibition game the same week at Valparaiso University.
At that time, the team was being coached by then 67-year-old former player Hubert “Geese” Ausbie, who sported 24 years of antics on the courts. He reminded me that our own local Hoosier claim-to-fame Opal “Shagg” Courtney played for the Globetrotters during the 1934-36 seasons, and he said he remains best remembered for inventing the trick of spinning the basketball on his index finger as well as rolling the ball across his shoulders onto his arms.
He died at age 89 in 2001 and is buried in Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery in Hobart.
Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and weekly radio host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at philpotempa@gmail.com.
