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31-626: In addition to being the home of several Towson sports teams, the arena also serves several other functions. It has been used as a concert arena for artists. Since opening, the arena has been host to an annual performance by the Harlem Globetrotters . Additionally, both the university and local Baltimore County high schools use the facility for their commencement ceremonies. In 2017 the Baltimore Blast moved to SECU after 37 years at Royal Farms Arena . This article about

62-700: A championship team. Klotz played for the Philadelphia Sphas of the ABL until 1947; the team had beaten the Harlem Globetrotters on more than one occasion. He later coached and managed the Sphas. In 1953, after playing on several all-star teams against the Trotters during their first international tours, Klotz was approached by Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein about having his team tour with

93-531: A heavily attended matchup a few years later, the 1948 Globetrotters–Lakers game , the Globetrotters made headlines when they beat one of the best white basketball teams in the country, the Minneapolis Lakers . The Globetrotters continued to easily win games due to Harlem monopolizing the entire talent pool of the best black basketball players in the country. Once one of the most famous teams in

124-656: A number of teams in those early and turbulent days of professional basketball", according to Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated . Klotz played with the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association (the Philadelphia Sphas ) of the American Basketball League (ABL) as a point guard in the 1940s. In an exhibition game, the Sphas defeated the Harlem Globetrotters , Klotz's first game against them. He played with

155-700: A positive influence... They did not show blacks as stupid. On the contrary, they were shown as superior." In 1986, as part of the spin-off of Metromedia's television stations to News Corporation and the 20th Century Fox film studio, the company sold the Globetrotters and the Ice Capades to the Minneapolis -based International Broadcasting Corporation (owners of KTAB-TV in Abilene, Texas and controlled by Thomas Scallen ) for $ 30 million. In 1993, former Globetrotters player Mannie Jackson purchased

186-495: A sports venue in Maryland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater , entertainment , and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 countries and territories, mostly against deliberately ineffective opponents, such as

217-706: The NBA draft , in which they select players they feel fit the mold of a Globetrotter. Being drafted by the Globetrotters does not guarantee a spot on the team, although several drafted players have gone on to become Globetrotters: Anthony "Ant" Atkinson (2007), Brent Petway (2007), William "Bull" Bullard (2008), Tay "Firefly" Fisher (2008), Charlie Coley III (2009), Paul "Tiny" Sturgess (2011), Jacob "Hops" Tucker (2011), Darnell "Spider" Wilks (2011), Bryan "B-Nice" Narcisse (2012), Tyrone Davis (2013), Corey "Thunder" Law (2013), Tyler "Iceman" Inman (2014) Devan "Beast" Douglas (2016), and AJ "Money" Merriweather. Other notable draft picks by

248-632: The Washington Generals (1953–1995, since 2015) and the New York Nationals (1995–2015). The team's signature song is Brother Bones ' whistled version of " Sweet Georgia Brown ", and their mascot is an anthropomorphized globe named "Globie". The team is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment . The Globetrotters originated in 1926, on the South Side of Chicago , where all the original players were raised. They began as

279-459: The "Living Legend" award, previously given to such Philadelphia notables as Robin Roberts , Chuck Bednarik , Harry Kalas and Wilt Chamberlain . The Globetrotters inducted Klotz into their Legends Ring, the team's version of a hall of fame, in 2007. He remains the first non-Trotter so honored. In 2011, the Trotters and Generals retired Klotz's number 3 jersey and raised a banner honoring him to

310-559: The Globetrotters and play them on a regular basis. Klotz named his new enterprise the Washington Generals, in honor of Dwight D. Eisenhower . From 1953 until 1995, the Generals played exhibitions against the Globetrotters, winning only two games and only one recognized by the Trotters, the last in 1971, and losing more than 14,000. Klotz played with the team as a point guard until the age of 68. At 50 years old, he made

341-566: The Globetrotters for $ 11 million from Globetrotter Communications. Many famous basketball players have played for the Globetrotters. Greats such as "Wee" Willie Gardner, Connie "the Hawk" Hawkins , Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain , and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton later joined the NBA. The Globetrotters signed their first female player, Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard , in 1985. Because nearly all of

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372-603: The Globetrotters for $ 12,500 (equivalent to $ 158,000 in 2023), with Saperstein getting $ 10,000 and Clifton getting $ 2,500. The Globetrotters gradually worked comic routines into their act—a direction the team has credited to Reece "Goose" Tatum , who joined in 1941—and eventually became known more for entertainment than sports. The Globetrotters' acts often feature incredible coordination and skillful handling of one or more basketballs, such as passing or juggling balls between players, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and making unusually difficult shots. In 1952,

403-1002: The Globetrotters include: Sun Mingming (2007), Patrick Ewing Jr. (2008), Sonny Weems (2008), Taylor Griffin (2009), Tim Howard (2009), Mark Titus (2010), Lionel Messi (2011), Jordan McCabe , then 12 years old (2011), Andrew Goudelock (2011), Usain Bolt (2012), Mariano Rivera (2013), Brittney Griner (2013), Johnny Manziel (2014), Landon Donovan (2014), Mo'ne Davis (2015), Dude Perfect (2015), Kevin Hart (2016), Neymar (2016), Missy Franklin (2016), Jordan Spieth (2016), Craig Sager (2016), Gal Gadot (2017), Aaron Judge (2017), Tim Tebow (2017), Paul Pogba (2018), Joseph Kilgore (2018), Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (2018), Mahershala Ali (2019), Mookie Betts (2020), and Chadwick Boseman (2020). The Globetrotters have honored eight players by retiring their numbers : Ten people have been officially named as honorary members of

434-530: The Globetrotters invited Louis "Red" Klotz to create a team to accompany them on their tours. This team, the Washington Generals (who also played under various other names), became the Globetrotters' primary opponents. The Generals are effectively stooges for the Globetrotters, with the Globetrotters handily defeating them in thousands of games. In 1959, the Globetrotters played nine games in Moscow after Saperstein received an invitation from Vasily Grigoryevich,

465-616: The Globetrotters until 2017, three years after the passing of Klotz. Klotz claimed the team still tried to win every game. Klotz was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He became the first non-Globetrotter to receive the Globetrotters' "Legend" award on March 10, 2007. Red has stated he has lost over 13,000 games in his coaching career. In 2009 the Philadelphia Sportswriter's Association presented Klotz with

496-456: The Globetrotters' hijinks while on defense, they play a serious game when in possession of the ball and about 20 to 30 percent of a game is "real." This once led to an infamous defeat at the hands of the Washington Generals in 1971, to the distress of the watching crowd, after the Globetrotters lost track of a big lead with their tricks and the Generals hit a game-winning buzzer-beater. In September 2005, Shamrock Holdings purchased 80% stake in

527-500: The Globetrotters. In October 2013, Herschend Family Entertainment announced that it would acquire the Globetrotters from Shamrock Holdings. In June 2021, the Globetrotters filed a petition to join the National Basketball Association (NBA) as an expansion franchise. Roster Last transaction: 2023-04-24 Starting in 2007, the Globetrotters have conducted an annual "draft" a few days before

558-601: The Savoy Big Five, one of the premier attractions of the Savoy Ballroom , opened in January 1928, a basketball team of Black American players that played exhibitions before dances due to declining dance attendance. In 1928, several players left the team in a dispute. That autumn, those players formed a team called the "Globe Trotters" and toured southern Illinois that spring. Abe Saperstein became involved with

589-548: The Sphas until 1947. Klotz played during the 1948 season on the Baltimore Bullets team, the year they won the Basketball Association of America championship. He played in 11 games, scoring 15 points. He also played in six playoff games, scoring six points. At 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m), he is tied as the fourth-shortest person to play in an NBA game , and the shortest to play on

620-505: The country, the Globetrotters were eventually eclipsed by the rise of the National Basketball Association , particularly when NBA teams began recruiting black players in the 1950s. In 1950, Harlem Globetrotter Chuck Cooper became the first black player to be drafted in the NBA by Boston and teammate Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton became the first black player to sign an NBA contract when the New York Knicks purchased his contract from

651-566: The director of Lenin Central Stadium . The team, which included Wilt Chamberlain , was welcomed enthusiastically by spectators and authorities, and they met Premier Nikita Khrushchev and collectively received the Athletic Order of Lenin medal. According to one report titled "Russians Baffled by Harlem Fun", however, spectators were initially confused: "A Soviet audience of 14,000 sat almost silently, as if in awe, through

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682-531: The fact that the Globetrotters were paid (per game) the equivalent of $ 4,000 (equivalent to $ 42,000 in 2023) by the Soviet government, which could be spent only in Moscow. The games were used as evidence that U.S.–Russian relations were improving, that Moscow was backing off its propaganda campaign aimed at American race relations, and that the Russian society was becoming more capitalist (Pearson suggested that

713-589: The first half of the game. It warmed up slightly in the second half when it realized the Trotters are more show than competition." The Globetrotters brought their own opponent—not the Washington Generals, but the San Francisco Chinese Basketeers. A review in state-run Pravda stated, "This is not basketball; it is too full of tricks" but praised the Globetrotters' skills and suggested that "they have some techniques to show us". The American press—particularly Drew Pearson —made note of

744-535: The game-winning shot for the New Jersey Reds with three seconds left in their final win. "The crowd wanted to kill me," he said. In 1995 Klotz "disbanded" the Generals and formed the New York Nationals to take their place, to erase their record and "change their luck". The team remained the Nationals until 2007, when they reverted to the "Generals" name. The Generals remained a separate organization from

775-504: The games were held because Lenin Stadium needed money). In May 1967, New York City –based Metromedia announced that it would acquire the Globetrotters for $ 1 million, but the deal was never completed and the team was later sold to George N. Gillett Jr. , who soon formed a new company called Globetrotter Communications in 1968. Nine years after the company's attempted acquisition in 1976, Metromedia announced that it would re-acquire

806-560: The team as its manager and promoter. By 1929, Saperstein was touring Illinois and Iowa with his basketball team called the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters". Saperstein selected the name Harlem because it was then considered the center of Black American culture and the name Globetrotter to mythologize the team's international venues. The Globetrotters were perennial participants in the World Professional Basketball Tournament , winning it in 1940. In

837-523: The team from the International Broadcasting Corporation, which was on the verge of bankruptcy. In 1995, Orlando Antigua became the first Hispanic player on the team. He was the first non-black player on the Globetrotters' roster since Bob Karstens played with the squad in 1942–43. While parts of a modern exhibition game are pre-planned, the games themselves are not fixed. While their opponents do not interfere with

868-531: The team's players have been black, and as a result of the buffoonery involved in many of the Globetrotters' skits , they drew some criticism during the Civil Rights era. The players were accused by some civil-rights advocates of "Tomming for Abe," a reference to Uncle Tom and owner Abe Saperstein . However, prominent civil rights activist Jesse Jackson (who would later be named an honorary Globetrotter) came to their defense by stating, "I think they've been

899-452: The team: In addition, Bill Cosby (1972) and Magic Johnson (2003) were each signed to honorary $ 1-a-year lifetime contracts with the Globetrotters. When Cosby's nominal association with the team was the subject of criticism following sexual assault allegations , the Globetrotters stated that they have had no association with him for decades. Louis Klotz Louis Herman " Red " Klotz (October 21, 1920 – July 12, 2014)

930-588: Was an American professional basketball player. He was a National Basketball Association (NBA) point guard with the original Baltimore Bullets , and he was best known for forming the teams that play against and tour with the Harlem Globetrotters : the Washington Generals and the New York Nationals . He was the oldest-living NBA champion at the time of his death. Over Klotz's professional basketball career, he coached or played in over 14,000 games during eight decades and in over 100 countries. Klotz

961-599: Was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , into a Jewish family. He began playing basketball at age 12. He attended South Philadelphia High School where he led the school team to city basketball championships in 1939 and 1940, both times earning Philadelphia Player of the Year honors. He attended Villanova University on an athletic scholarship, playing on the undefeated freshman basketball team. He left college for World War II , serving stateside. Klotz "played for

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