The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team known for their touring shows that combine incredible skill and athleticism with theatricality and slapstick comedy.
Founded in 1926 by Abe Saperstein as the Chicago Globetrotters, they quickly changed their name to Harlem due to that community’s ties to Black American culture.
The Globetrotters have had an enormous impact on basketball, from pioneering the slam dunk and the fast break to popularising the forward and point-guard positions. In 1948 and 1949, they famously beat the reigning NBA champions, the Minneapolis Lakers.
The following year, Globetrotters began joining the NBA; Chuck Cooper was the first black player drafted in the NBA when he joined the Boston Celtics, while teammate Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract when he joined the New York Knicks.
Having played more than 27,000 games in more than 124 countries (on every continent except Antarctica) in front of over 148 million fans, the Globetrotters have become icons of popular culture, starring in films, cartoons, and video games.
