The curious history of the Harlem Globetrotters, the team that mixes the professional and the theatrical (and which the NBA does not want)

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Spring begins and, with it, the return of the

Festivals, outdoor concerts and massive events are back.

Among them, sports and others that mix skill with fun.

For example, the

the well-known US basketball team that combines the professional and the

in almost two hours of play.

That is to say, athletes compete in a real way, but -at the same time- they perform

They look like real magic tricks.

Not for nothing, this February, the team broke 18 Guinness World Records, in 48 hours, including "farthest bounce touchdown," "most blindfolded dunks in one minute," and "most alley-opp with the farthest pass behind his back.

But who are they and why, if their level is so high, don't they play in the NBA?

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The history of the Harlem Globetrotters

when a group of players from

founded a team known as the Savoy Big Five.

However, they played not only on normal courts, but also

where they gave small demonstrations.

For two years, the Savoys became famous locally.

But, in 1926, British trainer

decided to take charge of the ensemble and managed to take them to the next level.

Saperstein first renamed the team the

and later added the word Harlem.

The reason?

He wanted the name to really represent the spirit of the team and since

he believed that Harlem (a neighborhood in New York) could give an idea of ​​his identity.

Likewise, Saperstein urged that the boys

but without losing the sense of entertainment.

In this way, between 1939 and 1948, the Harlem managed to shine in the World Professional Basketball Tournament.

According to the archives of the time, the Americans were

they made their opponents tremble and even

such as the Minneapolis Lakers.

What's more, the Globetrotters won the competition in 1940 and became a

In fact, when the NBA was created in 1949, the Harlems contributed dozens of talents.

For example,

who was the first black player to be drafted by the league, and

, whom the New York Knicks bought for an astronomical figure.

However, since 1950 the Harlems have nothing to do with the basketball association...

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According to numerous biographies, the Globetrotters

because they were too focused on "impressing", which led them to make some plays that were not allowed, in addition to

Of course, at first, the group did not agree with the decision, but then they chose to focus on their shows and

that mixes basketball with juggling.

Thus, since 1952, the Globetrotters have toured the world and have performed in exactly

According to official figures, the Harlem Globetrotters have played more than 26,000 games and have managed to be received in countries where it is not so easy to appear.

For example, in 1959 - in the Iron Curtain era - the team

where they amazed Nikita Khrushchev.

The Harlem Globetrotters have become one of the richest teams in basketball, with an alleged value of almost 900,000 euros, which they invest in

who receive between 70,000 and 80,000 dollars a year.

However, if luck is with them, the cache of the set would be about to go up.

And it is that a year ago, the Harlem extended a

to join their league, which would make them the only competitive and entertainment team in the tournament.

It's time to rewrite history.

It's time for the NBA to honor what the Globetrotters have done for our sport.

Based on what we've already proven, we can field a talented team on par with today's professionals and we want the opportunity to do so."

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"It's been a while since our last meeting. 72 years, to be exact... And we

Don't forget: basketball wouldn't be what it is today without us. You play in 17 countries, we play in 122 and the world would never have heard of such great players if it weren't for us. That's why, as a legendary team, we ask the NBA commissioner to make the Harlem Globetrotters

they requested.

Even so, the team has not yet received a formal response.

Despite this, the Harlems have not been depressed and have continued with their world tour, which -this May- will bring them to cities such as Madrid, Bilbao, Alicante, Vigo and Barcelona.

"We are prepared to make the game known to the new generations. Our players will show their skills as we have not seen them before!", Commented his coach, after announcing his trip to Spain.

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