Hot to trot
on court

The Globetrotters tip off
at the Blaisdell

They were never in the NBA, but they once beat that league's champions. For a while the basketball team with Windy City origins and a name taken from New York was the most famous in the world.

The Original Harlem Globetrotters Where: Blaisdell Arena When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Tickets: $10 to $35

The Harlem Globetrotters started playing in 1927 in the Savoy Ballroom in Chicago. When the Savoy decided to look for a new main attraction, the Savoy 5 changed their name, took to the road and became stars.

Driven by their coach, Abe Saperstein, they took on all comers, won all games and performed comedy routines on court to keep the crowds happy. And they silenced those who claimed they were more entertainers than athletes by defeating the world champion Minneapolis Lakers in a one-game showdown.

The Globetrotters return to Honolulu at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for a game at the Blaisdell Arena.

The team became legendary through players like Hubert "Geese" Ausbie, Wilt Chamberlain, "Wee" Willie Gardner, Robert "Showboat" Hall, Charles "Tex" Harrison, Connie Hawkins, Marques Haynes, Junius Kellogg, John "Jumpin' Johnny" Kline, Meadowlark Lemon, Fred "Curly" Neal, Reece "Goose" Tatum and Govoner Vaughn.

The team was instrumental in developing the fast-break offense, slam dunk, a scouting system to recruit players, and its famous figure-eight "weave" offense. In 2000 the Globetrotters' Michael "Wild Thing" Wilson set a world record with his slam dunk on a 12-foot basket at Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Globetrotters resurrected the World Series of Basketball in 1997 after a 32-year absence, pitting the team against the greatest college basketball talent in the United States. In 2000 the team embarked on its Fall College Tour, taking on top university players in competitive games. Last year's trek included victories over Michigan State and defending 2003 National Champion, Syracuse.

Internationally, the Globetrotters have played and defeated several league champions and league all-star teams from Beirut, Lebanon, to Tokyo.

THE Star-Bulletin caught up with Globetrotters' owner-chairman and former player Mannie Jackson in Hong Kong:

Question: What was it like playing in China?

Answer: In the outlying communities where the team played, they don't have very good facilities. Last night, the guys had to play on a court that had tile set over concrete. Not very good for the knees, so they're iced up pretty good. They play as many as eight games a week.

Q: So some weeks they play more games than an NBA team?

A: These guys are the original pros. We get a lot of guys from the NBA to play with us, and it takes them a while to get used to the speed of our game, frequency of playing and demands put on them to perform. If we're playing a team for the competition, then we're playing to win; if we're putting on an exhibition, then we're talking precision where execution is important. And we practice every day.

Q: What's the longevity of a Globetrotter player?

A: Generally three to five years, but we have some that have gone for more than 10 to 15 years and those are really exceptional human beings. They defy any law of physiology. It's not a question of just staying in shape. They have to keep the mental attitude up, avoid getting hurt and be able to perform year-round in all different climates and cultures.

Q: Do athletes go after the Globetrotters, or do you go after them?

A: Ninety percent of the time, we go after them. We scout all over the world.

Q: How many teams do the Globetrotters have?

A: We have two traveling teams and a competitive team. Hawaii will see one of our better new teams, which will have many of the players who will be competing against Olympic gold medal winners from Argentina.

Q: Who's a standout on the team?

A: Paul Gaffney, who's been with us for 12 years, is a natural entertainer. He's an incredible showman and strong, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds. We have one kid, Kevin Bailey, 6-foot-6, who will remind you of Michael Jordan. He looks like Michael, runs like Michael and jumps higher than Michael.

Q: Why are the Globetrotters still so popular?

A: Despite all the highlight films, NBA expansion and the Internet, the Globetrotters translate across cultures and technology. It is a fun, almost innocent experience. Good branding transcends generations. The experience is unique enough, and no one has been able to duplicate it. And it's still of such a high quality that people remember and support us. In Hong Kong an elderly couple asked me if Goose Tatum was still playing. He's about 90 years old now, but he's still in their head.

Q: What was your goal when you purchased the Globetrotters in 1993?

A: I wanted to return the team to its roots as one of the top professional basketball teams in the world. The first thing I did was resurrect the World Series of Basketball, a one-game format featuring a team of future first-round NBA Draft picks. We beat them 126-114, and Earvin "Magic" Johnson played for us.

Q: When you bought the Globetrotters, it was near bankruptcy.

A: I knew that the sport of basketball was a fast-rising global reality. I also knew that families want to share an experience with their kids. And I knew that all these emerging countries wanted someone to test their skills against, and I knew that barnstorming would come back into vogue again and they could test their skills against quality. We have become that barometer.

Q: Who will you be playing in Honolulu?

A: A team out of New York who will play against us for 12 games. It's a good team ... but they understand what we have to do to get our show over. They know people aren't coming out to see a competitive game.

Q: The Globetrotters no longer are all black?

A: That change started mainly with me. When they set the standards of what it takes to be a Globetrotter, nowhere does it say you have to be black. We have a kid from China, someone from Mongolia, Bahamas, Europe.

Q: Is it true you were born in a railway boxcar in Illmo, Mo., earned the title of Illinois' "Mr. Basketball" and attended the University of Illinois, becoming the first African-American All-American and captain of the Illini basketball team?

A: The chance that I lived in such a great country like the United States means a lot. If I had been in South Africa or Rhodesia, it is very unlikely to have happened. But on top of that were the people I was able to associate with and who influenced me so much. They forced me to set standards and goals to always do better. Honestly, I never thought about the boxcar and those circumstances as being bad. I knew there was an option to do better.