The Harlem Globetrotters: They’re Why You Love Basketball

When Professor James Naismith nailed that peach basket to the wall in 1891, he couldn't have imagined the popularity his invention would someday enjoy around the world.

When promoter Abe Saperstein gathered five poor inner-city kids from Chicago's South Side to play some serious basketball in 1926, how could he have known the destiny of fame and goodwill that would one day materialize?

The six-foot Naismith and the five-foot Saperstein; astute academic and absolute comedian; oil and water, fire and ice. As individuals, they were almost polar opposites.

But when the brainchild of the professor and the vision of the promoter happened to cross paths, something magical and enduring and beyond anyone's wildest dreams was set in motion.

When evaluating success, it ...

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