(Editor's Note: This week, in honor of Black History Month, Athletic It highlights the Harlem Globetrotters and their overall commitment to basketball, their vision of entertainment, and their goodwill. The series will end on Sunday, February 16th. )
Sonny Hill recalls the time he and his childhood friend Wilt Chamberlain went to the movies and watched the news reels where the Harlem Globetrotters frequently appeared. Players like Reese “Goose” Tatum and Marquez Haynes, two of the top showmen of the franchise in between, resonated with Chamberlain and sparked ambition.
The Globetrotters' mission to break down racial barriers and stereotypes caught Chamberlain's attention. However, the concept of entertainment was something that stuck with Chamberlain until his death on October 12, 1999.
Chamberlain played 14 seasons in the NBA, but in one season before he became the face of the league, he was the face of the Globetrotters.
“Playing with the Globetrotters was Wilt's childhood dream,” said Hill, Philadelphia Sports Hall of Famer and current sports radio personality. Athletic“And he was able to make it happen.”
Chamberlain did not have the long tenure that other globetrotters had. He played reserved after full seasons from 1958-59, and several NBA offseasons and retirement. However, Chamberlain didn't need much time to set up the bar for both the Globetrotter and the NBA future, making him a basketball and social icon filling two entities.
“When Wilt and I grew up together, Globetrotter was the team we wanted to identify with,” Hill said. “So when I met them, when he was old, he wanted to play for the Globetrotters.”
In an interview about “MSG's Vault,” Chamberlain said playing with the Globetrotters first was about “roots” rather than starting a career in the NBA.
“Days with the Harlem Globetrotters were some of the most enjoyable things in my life,” he said. “They were fun. They were a chance to see the world, learn and meet people. Let's also let them know that it was the Harlem Globetrotters who really helped the NBA begin. They now It's very strong and at the pinnacle of popularity, but years have passed, but they haven't been doing that well. People like Globetrotter come in and take people to the stands and watch the NBA team It helped me to do that.”
Many have been memorable for his 100-point score against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1962, with Chamberlain winning the NBA for seven consecutive seasons and NBA rebound leaders for 11 of 14 seasons. It was. He also won two league championships and was a four-time league MVP.
Chamberlain is one of the most dominant athletes in the game, but his stint with the Globetrotters was an opportunity to showcase his celebrity skills. He began his professional career with the Globetrotters in 1958, following his university career at the University of Kansas and as part of a sold-out world tour in Moscow. He won a track and field career in Lawrence, Kansas, entwined basketball for three years. In addition to averaging 29.6 points and 18.9 rebounds per game on the court, he was also a three-time Big 8 Conference champion in high jumps.
The Globetrotters gave Chamberlain the opportunity to become an even more versatile individual upon leaving Kansas. Globetrotters will perform their famous magic circles before every game as a warm-up to the song “Sweet Georgia Brown”. Chamberlain has well honed his art of showmanship by taking part in one of his most important routines as a newcomer.
“When I say he was in that circle… you can't be in that circle and you can't (do) it,” Hill said. “It's how good he was. It's how agile he is and how knowledgeable he is. It's whether he can quickly learn what's going on.”
Hill also said the franchise supported Chamberlain and helped basketball players think outside the box. At the time, a 7-foot-1, 275-pounder was expected to play center. However, Globetrotter had other ideas.
“In the Globetrotters, he didn't play inside,” Hill said. “He played mostly outside.”
Abe Saperstein, founder and owner of Globetrotters, was known as a stunning promoter with a business-savvy heart built for sports entertainment. He saw the immediate possibilities Chamberlain could bring to his team. According to Hill, adding the dominant seven footers was considered a financial risk, but Saperstein paid a substantial amount in the $50,000 range for Chamberlain to wear a Globetrotters uniform. The median average family income in 1958 was $5,100.
“Abe Saperstein saw the opportunity for Wilt to be with Earth Extermination, as Wilt was considered this incredible basketball player since high school, and they were able to make more money,” Hill said. Ta.
The NBA did not integrate until 1950 when Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper and Nat “Sweet Water” Clifton made history. The league has worked to increase its favor. Chamberlain's popularity as he emerged from college naturally sparked the conversation of Globetrotters. He was a hit in court. In addition to being a must-see player, he also matured into the must-see television sense and made regular appearances on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”
“He'll talk about how he was astounding as a basketball player (on the show),” Hill said. “He was the person that people knew who they were and he wanted people to identify with.”
The Globetrotters had already gained over millions of fans by popularizing slam dunks, fast breaks and legendary in-game weaving, but now they have 148 million in 123 countries and territories. The fan base of the franchise, made up of the people above, saw its rise at that point. The 7 footer was wearing a uniform. Chamberlain has performed with legends such as Meadowler Clemon and Charles “Tex” Harrison, as well as to several future legends such as Louis “Sweetloo” Dunbar, Fred “Curly” Neil, and Hubert “Gease” Ausby I helped open the way.
Meadowler Clemon on Wilt Chamberlain's shoulder during the Harlem Globetrotters game.#harlemglobetrotters pic.twitter.com/nvp9j40uts
– Bubble Gum Comics (@vinsportsnutz) July 28, 2023
A year of Chamberlain's successful years at Globetrotters turned the heads of NBA executives and in 1959 Philadelphia warrior Eddie Gottlieb gave way to draft him.
“When Wilt entered the league, Wilt actually built the NBA,” Hill said. “The foundations of the NBA were actually built from Wilt. The reviews increased, the fan base increased, the press increased, and the infamous came. People knew who was Wilt Chamberlain, so everything was It's up.
However, even after his NBA debut, Chamberlain remained true to his roots, playing for the Globetrotters in the summer while on tours in Europe. He was an unstoppable force in the NBA, but his daily crushing was exhausting. Playing with the Globetrotters during the offseason, Chamberlain reminded him how to enjoy a game that doesn't feel like work.
“Wilt set a precedent,” said coach Dunbar, a team director and coach for players who have played in 27 franchise seasons and have partnered with the team in some capacity for 48 years. “The guys could have played anywhere in the world, but Wilt said they were the best years of his life and were playing with the Harlem Globetrotters.
“He went to the league and set up all those records, but Wilt was the dominant factor (with the Globetrotters).
Dunbar had a great reputation with Chamberlain, so he chose No. 13 in junior high school. He said when he first started watching the game, “I thought Wilt wasn't wrong.” As a 6-foot-9 big, Dunbar modeled after Chamberlain's game. As a result, Dunbar had an embellished career at the University of Houston, where he became a national and later became the Hall of Fame at the University of Houston Athletics in 2008. 1975 76ers.
“I wasn't Shio's tallest, but growing up, I was the tallest kid around, so (Chamberlain's game) etched my mind,” Dunbar said. Ta. “Wilt was strong. He was just a real athlete. I loved watching guys play.
“I saw him when he was in Philadelphia and when he went to the Lakers, I watched him all the time until he left the game.”
Dunbar still remembers the first time he met Chamberlain. The two met Harrison in Hawaii. Most of Chamberlain's time was spent catching up with Harrison, Chamberlain's roommate for the Globetrotters, but Dunbar is adamant about Chamberlain's presence and is in the process of meeting the Hall of Fame He called it “absolute honor.”
“Tex was always talking about him, but how (Chamberlain) does it all,” Dunbar said.
Wilt Chamberlain from Harlem Globetrotter. pic.twitter.com/fhqqadddux
– Paul Nepper (@paulieknep) October 29, 2023
Chamberlain's basketball resume leads all of his NBA achievements, but gave Chamberlain a certain freedom of expression away from the league to work with the Globetrotters. His No. 13 Globetrotters jersey retired from high school in Philadelphia on March 9, 2000. However, his celebrity college career and multiple professional admiration played just a small part of who Chamberlain was.
He was really about the fun nature of the game. And that fun was enhanced and supported by the Globetrotter.
Hill said the globetrotter made Chamberlain feel comfortable, just like the boy who watched the globetrotter on the news reel.
“Wilt's feelings were that he was free. He could be himself,” Hill said. “He was comprehensive in what Globetrotter was known: entertainment, ball handling, it all made him feel free.”
(Illustrated by Kelsey Petersen / Athletic;Photo: TPLP/Getty Images)
