The Harlem Globetrotters celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2026.  Their centennial tour includes upcoming games in Vancouver, London, Kitchener, Barrie, Oshawa, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton and St. Catherines.

This program is from their 30th season in 1956 and describes the team as “Abe Saperstein’s Fabulous Harlem Globetrotters.”

Saperstein (1902- 1966) was born in London, England after his parents fled Poland due to antisemitism.  The family moved to Chicago when he was five.  In 1926 he became the coach of an all Black basketball team called the Savoy Big Five.  He renamed the team the Harlem Globetrotters who were not from Harlem nor at the time were globe trotters.  Harlem was chosen to signify that the players were Black (so as not to surprise those who bought tickets to see them) and globetrotters was used to exaggerate the team’s prestige.

The team began by........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)