The Harlem Globetrotters blow a hundred birthday candles turned into a reference for commercial longevity in sport. Globetrotters are a brand that has managed to transform the court into a global business, capable of maintaining millionaire income a century after its foundation.
Born in 1926 in the South Side in Chicago, although his name can suggest something else, the Harlem Globetrotters (globetrotters, in English) began as a modest neighborhood team before becoming a worldwide entertainment phenomenon.
Formed entirely by young African Americans at a time when they were still excluded from the professional elite basketball, the team adopted the name of Harlem in allusion to the emblematic New York neighborhood, cradle of black culture in the United States.
In 1948 and 1949 they defeated the Minneapolis Lakers twice (which in 1960 would move to Los Angeles), demonstrating the level of their players. One of them, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton, would be the first African -American to sign a professional NBA contract in 1950, with the New York Knicks.
That same year, the Globetrotters embarked on their first international tour, a business model that they maintain until today and that has led them to act before 148 million people in 123 countries. From his match against 75,000 spectators at the Berlin Olympic Stadium to the historic tour of the Soviet Union with the mythical Wilt Chamberlain in his ranks.
Their acrobatics, impossible passes and spectacular mates made governors a timeless show and worthy of being seen. According to the Growjo platform (the data is not public), the Globetrotters today generate about 52 million dollars annually in income.
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Centenary tour
For their centenary, the Globetrotters hired the M+C SAATCHI agency to reposition its brand with a global campaign that connects with new audiences and enhances its value as a cultural and entertainment icon.
They renewed their logo to reflect the centenary, retaining its colors red, white and blue and adding five stars in honor of the founding members. In addition, Moroccan origin designer Jeff Hamilton, famous for his iconic NBA outfits, is in charge of the new official uniforms.
But the main course, how could it be otherwise, will be the centenary tour, which will start on December 14 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, the basketball mecca. Globetrotters will play against their arch
They will be in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Mexico and several countries in Asia. In Spain they are planned in Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Vitoria, Tarragona or Valladolid.
NBA petition
After multiple hands of hand over their hundred years, the Globetrotters belong to Herschend Family Entertainment, a company dedicated to thematic entertainment and owner of attraction parks in several countries. Globetrotters are their only sports investment.
In 2021, they directed a letter to the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, claiming a place in the league: “They cannot act as if we did not exist. It is time to amend errors and rewrite the story. It is time for the NBA to recognize what the Globetrotters have done for our sport, both here in the United States and in the whole world.”
“Basketball would not be what it is today without us,” they added. They still expect an answer.
With EFE information
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