The Harlem Globetrotters started in 1926 on Chicago’s South Side, not Harlem, founded by African American players from Wendell Phillips High School. Originally the Savoy Big Five, they became the “Globe Trotters” under Tommy Brookins, and in 1929, Abe Saperstein took over, renaming them the “New York Harlem Globe Trotters” to tie them to Black culture and suggest global travel. Early on, they were a serious team, playing over 1,000 games by 1936 and winning the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1940. In 1948 and 1949, they beat the Minneapolis Lakers, proving Black talent and influencing NBA integration.
By the 1950s, as the NBA opened up, they shifted to entertainment, with stars like Goose Tatum and Meadowlark Lemon adding comedy and tricks. They toured worldwide, playing for huge crowds—like 75,000 in Berlin in 1951—and became “Ambassadors of Goodwill.” Wilt Chamberlain joined briefly in 1959. They’ve since played over 26,000 games in 124 countries, entertaining millions. Ownership changed after Saperstein’s death in 1966, with Mannie Jackson reviving them in 1993. The first woman, Lynette Woodard, joined in 1985. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, they still perform widely today.
