With a history spanning 87 years, the Harlem Globetrotters are one of the world’s best-known basketball teams. While the exact origins of the athletic group are hard to trace, most accounts link the early start to a man called Abe Saperstein in 1927. A year earlier, Saperstein, who had then been in his early twenties, had started a group called the Savoy Big Five, which included many of the founding players of the Harlem Globetrotters. The Savoy Big Five performed basketball stunts before school events, at the Wendell Phillips High School.
The name changed several times from the team’s inauguration in 1927 until 1929. First they were known as the Chicago Globetrotters, which evolved to the New York Harlem Globetrotters, before finally becoming the Harlem Globetrotters in 1929. Interestingly enough, although they adopted the Harlem name, the team never actually played there until 1968. The reason for the inclusion of the New York area name was that it was heavily associated as a cultural hub for African Americans during that era.
On January 7, 1927, the team played their inaugural game in Hinckley, Illinois. Incorporating various comical and theatrical elements. The team has since performed in over 120 countries. By 1934, they had already played their 1,000th game in the United States. In 2009, one of their players, Scooter Christensen, set two new Guinness World Records at an NBA All-Star event for ball spinning.
The Global Brand
Since their start over 80 years ago, the Globetrotters have steadily amassed global fame and augmented their brand within several different types of broadcast mediums. There are several feature films about the group, the earliest dating back to 1951 (Harlem Globetrotters).
As well as movies, there have been numerous guest appearances on popular American TV shows such as The Simpsons.
The Harlem Globetrotters first visited the region in 1989, when they performed in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE. On Saturday October 27, they’re performing at Zayed Sports City in our nation’s capital.
Back in the UAE
If you’re not familiar with the Globetrotters, you may be familiar with their iconic theme song, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, a catchy jazz-pop piece from the 1920s, re-recorded by Brother Bones in the 1940s. We recommend looking it up on YouTube, although be forewarned that you might not be able to stop whistling it afterwards. The action over here will be limited to the court, where they’ll be facing off against eternal losers the Washington Generals.
It’s the first time the team will play in the United Arab Emirates with Jonte ‘Too Tall’ Hall – the shortest player in the Globetrotters’ history, at an impressive 5ft 2in. ‘I’m very excited,’ the American ball player enthuses, as we catch up ahead of the team’s UAE run, which takes place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He explains that this tour is going to be different from anything they’ve done in the past. ‘This year, for the first time, you guys write the rules. It can be anything, from playing with two basketballs at once, getting double the points for each basket – you name it.’ With such an interactive programme, crowds are surely in for a treat.
A home for the greats
Theatrics aside, Globetrotters has been home to a number of NBA greats in the past, including Wilt ‘The Stilt’ Chamberlain, Connie ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins, Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton and many others.
Their incredible line-up has even included some famous athletes from other sports, such as football legend Lionel Messi.
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Hall previously played with his now-opponents the Generals for a year and a half before getting the call to try out for the Globetrotters. ‘I just wanted to change the world,’ he adds. ‘I feel as though being a Globetrotter, that’s what I’m doing. Being 5ft 2in and the shortest Globetrotter in history, I’m inspiring a lot of kids who aren’t fortunate to be tall.’
Coincidentally, he shares the court with British player Paul ‘Tiny’ Sturgess (or Tall Paul as he’s known at home in England), the tallest player in Globetrotter history at a mighty 7ft 8in.
At Globetrotters games, there are four designated four-point spots on the court that players can shoot from, each 35ft from the basket – 12ft beyond the NBA three-point line. It’s a tough shot, to say the least. To make matters even more exciting, four-point shots are only available during the final three minutes of each quarter. So despite the fact his teammates with the Generals used to pick on him and call him ‘baby’, Hall must have been doing something right to be picked up by the Globetrotters and wind up, as he puts it, ‘livin’ my dream’.
So, what exactly can you expect at a Globetrotters game? Apart from great crowd interaction, lots of laughs and upbeat performances, you will also get to enjoy some of the best basketball stunts known to man. Expect anything but plain basketball from the ’Trotters next weekend – think a mix of high-flying streetball-style hoops and vaudevillian comedy – but don’t blame us if you’re whistling ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ for weeks to come.
For tickets and seating details go to www.timeouttickets.com. Sales end on Friday, October 26, 2012 at 9pm.
