The Harlem Globetrotters: Unsung Heroes of Professional Basketball
When you look at the history of professional basketball, the Harlem Globetrotters always get a polite mention, but they rarely get the praise they deserve. Arguably, this team is responsible for both the popularization of professional basketball and the acceptance of black players in professional basketball. That sounds like an outlandish claim, but a look at the team’s history backs it up.
The growth in popularity of basketball as a spectator sport can be traced back to college basketball. From the game’s invention by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 until after World War II, college basketball was much more popular than professional basketball. Had the Harlem Globetrotters not been playing during that dormant period in professional basketball history, the game may never have caught the public’s attention and become the worldwide sensation it is now.
The myths surrounding the Harlem Globetrotters almost began with the team’s creation. The original team was not from Harlem, nor was it “trotting the world”. It was formed in Chicago and all the original players were from the south side of that city. “Harlem” was added to the name because it identified them as an all-black team. Although they rose to fame as a display team, they were originally a competitive team, only clowning around and showing off their dribbling skills when they had a substantial lead in a game.
They were known as the clowns of basketball, but the Harlem Globetrotters’ athleticism was evident from the start. While basketball’s early promoters encouraged excessive on-court violence as a means of drawing crowds, the Globetrotters attracted a following by displaying their skills on the court. While many uninformed viewers often failed to appreciate the level of athletic ability that basketball demands, the Globe Trotters’ dribbling and shooting antics were not only a crowd-pleaser, but also an undeniable display of skill.
As a professional basketball team, their best moment came in 1948, when they beat the Minneapolis Lakers 61-59. That was one of the most significant games in basketball history. The Globetrotters’ victory over one of the top white professional teams of the day proved that black athletes could seriously compete against white athletes. Two years later, the Boston Celtics drafted Chuck Cooper and the color barrier in professional basketball was finally crossed.
Ironically, while the Globetrotters were largely responsible for the recognition and acceptance of black basketball players, Cooper’s success became his undoing as a professional team. More and more black players were drafted into previously all-white professional teams and the underfunded Harlem Globetrotters found it increasingly difficult to attract top players into their ranks.
Never an ordinary basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters shifted their focus from competitive to exhibition basketball and found their enduring niche in sports history. Today, they are a worldwide phenomenon and ambassadors of goodwill. They have played more than 25,000 games worldwide. While the original “Globetrotters” were nothing of the sort, the title now perfectly describes this amazing team.