Back in the 1940s the Trotters were the best basketball team in the world. Every year they played the NBA champs in Madison Square Garden two out of three and won. They were created by one Abe Saperstein back before World War and toured the country every year sometimes even playing in swimming pools and barns but almost always winning. The names of their stars, Goose Tatum, Marcus Hanes, and Ted Strong were famous. The trotters had three teams, one toured the East coast, another the West, and a third the Midwest.
When I was a kid, they came to our town Bellingham Washington every year and became very popular all around the world. They clowned around a lot, but still managed to win almost every game. They made fun at the opponents’ expense and the crowds loved it. I saw the Trotters three times in my youth and our local team won all three games. As it happened there was a small professional league in the Pacific Northwest at that time and our town had the best team, The Bellingham Fircrest.
Our team was led by a former All-American player named Gale Bishop. As the star of the Washington State University team he had once scored 50 points in a Madison Square Garden game. Two of our players had been stars on our local college team, and two had played at The University of Oregon and the University of Washington. In short, we had an excellent team. The first year I saw the Trotters our team beat them seemingly easily. The next year the trotters imported several players from their two other teams so as to guarantee a victory.
However, each of those years our Fircrest team beat the Trotters in overtime. Abe Saperstein himself came to the game and declared Bellingham “The Flatbush of basketball”, alluding to the crowds at Ebbits Field in Brooklyn, because our fans were so loud and raucous. The third year our team had hired a former Trotters player, Ziggy Marcel to play for us. He seemed to know all the plays the Trotters tried to run. They still did their tricks and got lots of laughs, but we were proud to win. It was amazing to have beat the Trotters three years in a row.
My own special connection here was on this wise. I was the waterboy for a city league team and their captain also handled details for the Fircrest team. He asked me if I would like to be waterboy for the Trotters when they came to town. Of course, I was overjoyed by the opportunity to be waterboy for the Trotters. You must understand that these guys were the only Black people we had ever seen in person. There were no Negroes in our town. Not only was it a great honor for me, but it was a bit weird, if not scary, to have this opportunity.
I had, of course, read all about the Trotters and seen them play in newsreels and had even seen a promotional movie they had made. But to sit on their bench and provide towels and drinks for them was way beyond my imagination. The fellow who sat next to me was the blackest person I had ever seen. His name was Robert Hall and he was a new player. His skin was absolutely pure black!! I still consider it one of the great moments of my young life to have been the waterboy for the Trotters. And once again our team managed to beat them.
12 responses to “The Original Harlem Globetrotters”
Great story! The trotters are fun to watch, and I remember watching them as a kid growing up in Phoenix. I was a Phoenix Suns ballboy and I got in free. I don’t remember Robert Hall. I’ll be sure to look him up. Being pure black is a thing of beauty.
Hi Bobby – thanks for chirping in :O) I have never heard any further of Robert Hall. Too bad the “Original” Trotters became a thing of the past way back when. Keep on keepin’ on, my man :O)
I love how this thread of reflection and memory ties my own experience to the deeper past. Decades after yours, my first awareness of the Globetrotters’ importance was through Saturday morning cartoons! They were such renown for can-do they even appeared in a Scooby Doo episode or two, solving mysteries with the gang!
Hey Brendan – I never knew anything about Scooby Doo, etc. Unfortunately, the new Trotters have not played real basketball for decades. They were the best players in my day, beating the best NBA team (which was not anything like today’s teams :O( Anyway- thanks for reading and responding. Paz, jerry
I Finally sat down to read some of your insightful writings. I thoroughly enjoyed this! What a fun opportunity and great memory for you! TY
Hi Brenda – so glad – and somewhat surprised – that you read my stuff. :O) Too bad you youngsters missed the Trotters :O) Paz, Jerry
Hey Jerry. Fun story. I saw the Trotters several times at the UA as a kid in Tucson. Great fun. And I watched them whenever you they played on TV.
I’d forgotten you were from Bellingham. We’ve spent the last month and a half in Ferndale, to the north, with our daughter. She’s a grad student at Western Washington. Great area. We’ll hate to leave next week.
Hey Bruce -great to hear from you :O) I’ve been so bored without OLLI that I have signed up to teach Intro. to Philosophy this Fall Wednesdays (hopefully) – it would be great if you could be my tech :O) Ferndale is where they used to hold the district Track and Field championships when I was in high school – many connections there. Also, I went all the way through grade school and Jr. High on the Western campus (I think they may have discontinued that program.) I went to all the Viking games, etc. All the best to you and yours my man Thanks for writing. Paz, Jerry
I really enjoy this story and remember well the happiness and excitement on your face when hearing it for the first time at your home.What a great experience it was for you! 😀
Thanks Carleen :O) It was a great night for me, thanks to my friend Earl Nordvet who set me up for the opportunity. Glad you are reading these things :O) Paz, Jerry
I also marveled at their antics when they came to St. Louis back in the 50’s and I had a chance to see them. We had one black family in O’Fallon in those days, a military family stationed at Scott AFB. I couldn’t believe the shots they made! I spent hours at the neighbor’s basketball hoop trying to make some of those shots. I got pretty accurate at shooting but was never tall enough to make a team. You were so lucky to have basketball in your life so long and to get to see the trotters up close.
Yup David I was – and i tried the shots too – to little avail. I did get somewhat good at Marcus Haynes dribble techniques while lying on the floor. When i played college ball I did not dare try any tricks – I was lucky to be ignored so i could get off a shot or two. Glad you too knew the Trotters. :O) Paz, Jerry