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Seeking to modernize its digital content strategy, the Harlem Globetrotters have signed a multiyear deal to use Greenfly’s suite of short-form content management tools. The agreement, for which financial terms were not disclosed, comes amid the Globetrotters' 99th year of operation, and at a time club President Keith Dawkins said the property is looking to bolster its social media bona fides. “We know that we have a brand that has tremendous global awareness and is coming up on its 100-year anniversary and has an affinity in the marketplace,” Dawkins told SBJ. “And yet we had to be honest with ourselves that the way in which we were managing the brand for the last 30 years was not keeping up with the way in which audiences are consuming brands, intellectual property or content that they love.”
One of Kidoń’s first true loves was breakdancing. Through that, he’s crafted a lane as one of the most unique Globetrotters — which says something considering the team’s longstanding history of merging basketball with entertainment. “When I started creating my own tricks, I noticed I could do everything with a basketball,” Kidoń said. “I could stand and do some tricks, but I could also move my body, like, do a cartwheel or stand on my head or control a basketball between my legs. So, I just started to explore, not even just basketball, but dance, hip-hop, breakdancing. “I was looking for some elements I could combine with basketball. That’s how I started, basically. I started doing breakdancing because there are elements of breakdancing that are possible to connect with basketball.”
For Kidoń, joining the Globetrotters meant more than adjusting to a new passion. He was getting acclimated to a new team, a new language, a new culture and demographic of people. Kidoń is the first person from his family to fly to the United States, let alone learn to build a life so far from home. He still remembers his first day with the Globetrotters, which included media duties with newspapers, TV networks and radio stations excited to meet him. That made waves back in Poland because the Globetrotters don’t allow just anybody to try out for their roster. Once he was officially a member, Kidoń went from being nicknamed “KID” to his current moniker. And “Dazzle” has been dazzling. “If I could hear somebody bouncing the ball, I knew it was Dazzle,” Dunbar said. “He’s out there working every day, and he’s competing with these guys, playing one-on-one every day. He’s trying to get to their level.”
In merging all of the adjustments into one life-changing transition, what has been most key to Kidoń going from a freestyling entertainer to a full-time basketball player? For the Polish star, preparation is beyond essential. “I try to practice all the time because I know I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “I’m not as good in basketball as other players yet. Basically, I wake up, I eat breakfast, and almost every single day, I start my day with stretching and some movements. Then usually, we’ve got to travel, like three, four hours to the next city. “Before every single game, I’m trying to be prepared. I practice my tricks, like, my old tricks to keep my shape. Also, I’ll take some shots to be a better shooter. We play some two-on-two games, three-on-three games. I’m focused on improving my basketball skills, my basketball IQ. … When you see me in the arena all the time, you can see me all the time with the basketball in my hands.”
The job requirements for being a Harlem Globetrotter go beyond the silly slickness and parlor-trick moves. There’s also the matter of showcasing charisma, a difficult thing to hone on the practice court. “Skill is one thing, but to have it, like what Meadowlark Lemon had, what Curly Neal had? That’s not taught,” said Harold “Lefty” Williams, a former Globetrotter. “That’s God-given. The Creator gives you that. Very few people have it.” Does Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors have it? “Absolutely, without a doubt,” Williams said. “He would be a 2025 Curly Neal,” added Charles “Choo” Smith, another former Globetrotter. “He’s probably one of the top players I would consider as far as potential to be a Globetrotter,” said Herbert “Flight Time” Lang, a third former Globetrotter.
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When it comes to one of America’s favorite exhibition games, the Generals are rarely viewed as “losers.” If anything, they are supporting cast members for a beloved Globetrotters team that focuses on one primary goal: entertaining the masses. The Globetrotters need an opponent. They need a team to defeat. Why not the Generals? “You’ve got to make them look good,” Generals guard Jordan Fuchs told The Athletic. That’s the job of a Washington General: to enhance what’s already on the table. The Globetrotters are the eye candy; somebody needs to make sure they receive the praise on the court. And because members of the Generals are so good at what they do, attending matchups between both teams provides a unique experience for fans.
One of the most famous names to play for the Generals is Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, who suited up for the Generals in the 1980s. Lieberman was the first woman to play for the Generals. Kayla Gabor is on the team now and is the second woman to play for the Generals. Gabor is a former all-conference guard from Division II Lake Erie College in Ohio, a leading scorer during the 2016-17 season for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. “I’m a General, which is very unique,” Gabor said. “Nancy Lieberman, I believe, was 1977 to ’78, so for me, bringing back the female on the opponent’s side is a unique spotlight. I know in the past, we’re villainous and supposed to just be the enemy, but I always came in like, ‘OK, we don’t win every game, but I set personal goals.’ My personal goals are to get the crowd on my side. “I always like to try and find people out of the audience to be like, ‘Watch this!’ and hit a couple 3s in a row. I’ll do it for them. Seriously, it is motivation for me.”
Chamberlain played 14 seasons in the NBA, but the one season before he became a face of the league, he was a face of the Globetrotters. “Playing with the Globetrotters was Wilt’s childhood dream,” Hill, a Philadelphia Sports Hall of Famer and current sports radio personality, told The Athletic, “and he was able to fulfill it.” Chamberlain did not have the lengthy tenure other Globetrotters had. He played the one full season, 1958-59, and sparingly during some NBA offseasons and post-retirement. But Chamberlain didn’t need much time to set a bar for the future of both the Globetrotters and the NBA, becoming a basketball and societal icon who bridged two entities. “When Wilt and I grew up together, the Globetrotters were the team that we wanted to identify with,” Hill said. “So, upon seeing them, when he got older, he wanted to play for the Globetrotters.
Chamberlain’s one successful year with the Globetrotters turned the heads of NBA executives, making way for Eddie Gottlieb of the Philadelphia Warriors to draft him in 1959. “When Wilt came into the league, Wilt actually built the NBA,” Hill said. “The foundation of the NBA was really built off Wilt. The ratings went up, the fan base went up, the coverage went up, the notoriety went up. Everything went up because people knew who Wilt Chamberlain was, and that gave the NBA an international person that people could identify with.”
During a Globetrotters banquet that was part of the camp, after years of rumored returns to the organization, Lynette Woodard, the first woman to play for the Globetrotters, was back. At the ceremony, Woodard was named a special adviser to the president, and it was announced she would be around the players for a few days. After delivering a speech about her career, Woodard then stayed and offered hugs, encouragement and advice to the players in attendance. “I was head over heels,” Porter said. “I had tears in my eyes when I saw her. I said, ‘Thank you for what you have done and for just paving the way for us to come after you.’ I had to give her a hug. It was just such a moment I will cherish forever.” Woodard set the tone for women wanting to be Globetrotters. Since her debut nearly 40 years ago, 19 women have put on the Globetrotters uniform and dazzled crowds throughout the world.
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In a 1965 news story, Haskell Cohen, the NBA’s former public relations director, recalled how he once had a flat tire with no jack to lift the car. Chamberlain came to the rescue. “Wilt was only 17 then, but he started to lift the back of the car off the ground with his bare hands when I stopped him,” Cohen said. “I was afraid he was going to give himself a hernia.” In his Chamberlain biography, Cherry wrote that during Chamberlain’s time with the Harlem Globetrotters, he’d lift the front and back ends of cars — just to amuse teammates.
There have been some interesting sports moves from ReachTV over the years. That free ad-supported streaming television service is in more than 500,000 hotel rooms and on more than 2,500 airport screens across North America, and also powers 24-hour live sports in-flight. And they’ve struck some notable individual sports deals, including a NFL one in 2021. Last year, they set up a NFL preview series with former players in 2023 (in partnership with Bleav), a multi-show deal with Brinx.tv, and an arrangement with LIV Golf for Friday streaming. Now, they’re teaming up with an unexpected source: the Harlem Globetrotters. Under a deal announced Thursday, various Globetrotters’ content will be heading to ReachTV. That will include player introductions, four-point shots, trick shots, and other highlights, some of which may have appeal as eye-catching content on some of the ReachTV screens. There will be opportunities for the Globetrotters to promote their tours here as well.
“The brackets had been deliberately set up so the Globetrotters and Renaissance couldn’t both make it to the finals,” Abdul-Jabbar said about the 1939 tournament field. “It would’ve been unacceptable to the White audiences, players and owners to have two Black teams eliminate all the White teams. So, having the Renaissance win was a win for Blacks — not just as players, but as management.” Douglas and the Renaissance continued etching their legacies as the 1940s continued. The team finished second in WPBT history with two title-round berths and 10 appearances. In exhibition games, they made $500 per appearance and earned a gate percentage when playing against newly formed ABL squads. The last of those WPBT runs ended in a 1948 championship defeat against the all-White Minneapolis Lakers, who took the title with a 75-71 victory. Clifton (Renaissance-high 24 points) and George Mikan (game-high 40) dueled in a hotly contested bout.
DRAYMOND GREEN ON HOW INCOMING #1 OVERALL PICK, VICTOR WEMBANYAMA AND HOW HE’D GUARD HIM. PG: ”Wemby obviously went first in this draft. Phenom! How would you guard him? Because I tell people like he’s elite, helluva talent but some of the shit I’ve seen, we’re not letting him do that in the NBA.” DG: You not just dribbling through me like the Harlem Globetrotters. I’m sorry. Don’t get me wrong he’s a phenom and one of the best things to happen to him was going to San Antonio and coach Popovich. That infrastructure is gonna teach you how to be a pro…and their player development is unmatched so I think that’s huge for him. But some of the stuff is just, I mean come on bro. Again special talent and to even do some of the stuff at that size take a special talent but you gotta press into him. You can’t let him get comfortable. You let him get comfortable you lose, because you can’t block his shot. He may not even see your contest. So with a guy like that you gotta do your work early. I‘m crowding him from the time he starts running down the court. When they get the rebound and they start coming I’m crowding because I can’t let him get to a space where he’s comfortable. If you do that against talents like that…aint nothing you can do to stop that. So for me I’m all the way pressed up into him.”
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