Why the Harlem Globetrotters Deserve To Be in the NBA

The Harlem Globetrotters have been entertaining large audiences for almost a century. Since their founding in 1926, The Harlem Globetrotters have played over 27,000 games for 148,000,000 fans in 100+ countries. 

If you’ve been to a Harlem Globetrotters game, you understand how fun they are to watch. They are without question a group of genuine entertainers, unparalleled by many.

Here’s the thing–the Harlem Globetrotters don’t want to be just entertainment; they want to compete. In fact, the team recently petitioned the NBA and asked for an official induction as an NBA franchise. 

In an official statement that was blasted through their website and quickly received news coverage, they demanded entry to the league from commissioner Adam Silver. 

Here’s why it makes sense:

For one, they’ve historically spotted talent and built NBA-level rosters. Wilt Chamberlain, widely regarded as one of history’s most dominant players to ever touch the hardwood, played with the Globetrotters in Moscow during 1958-1959 (right before his draft selection). Even back in 1949, everyone saw the Globetrotters as a genuine contender after beating the Lakers in a real game.

If they wanted to, the Harlem Globetrotters could easily recruit an elite team and compete with some of the NBA. They know it too: the NBA petition reads, “Based on what we’ve already proven, we can field a team of talent on par with the pros of today, and we want the chance to do that. As a world renowned and legendary professional basketball team, we petition Commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA governors and the powers that be to grant The Original Harlem Globetrotters an NBA franchise. Not now, but right now!”

But even irrespective of their league viability, the more important argument for the Harlem Globetrotters pertains to their innovation in social justice movements. The Globetrotters, a historically Black team, broke down barriers when they competed against white NBA teams and showcased the gameplay of young Black basketball players. When segregation was ripping through America, their integration investments, especially in such a universal sector of American enjoyment, were crucial and monumental.

In fact, the Harlem Globetrotters produced the first Black NBA signee and the first Black man actually to play in an NBA game. 

They write: “People say it was that game in 1949 that sparked the integration of the NBA. Three years after Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color barrier, y’all finally allowed African American players to ball. But instead of just letting us in, you took our players. The first Black player to sign an NBA contract – Nat Sweetwater Clifton, a Harlem Globetrotter. The first Black man to play in an NBA game – Earl Lloyd, another Globetrotter. While it was hard to see them go, we were proud of our young Black men for ushering in such a significant change to the game.”

The case is clear–the Harlem Globetrotters deserve to be an NBA team. If not for their legitimate ability to recruit contending players or their worldwide clout and fanbase, then for their truly remarkable impact on both the game of basketball and racial integration.