When you look at the history of professional basketball, the Harlem Globetrotters always get a polite mention, but they rarely get the praise they deserve. This team is arguably responsible for both the popularization of professional basketball and the acceptance of black players in professional basketball. That sounds like an outlandish claim, but a look at the team’s history backs it up.

The growth in popularity of basketball as a spectator sport can be traced back to college basketball. From the game’s invention by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 until after World War II, college basketball was far more popular than professional basketball. If the Harlem Globetrotters hadn’t been playing during that dormant period in professional basketball history, the game may never have caught the public eye and become the worldwide sensation it is now.

The myths surrounding the Harlem Globetrotters almost began with the team’s creation. The original team was not from Harlem, nor did it “trot the world.” It was formed in Chicago, and all of the original players were from the south side of that city. “Harlem” was added to the name because it identified them as an all-black team. Although they rose to fame as an exhibition team, they were originally a competitive team and would only clown around and display their dribbling skills when they had a substantial lead in a game.

They became known as the clowns of basketball, but the athleticism of the Harlem Globetrotters was evident from the start. While early basketball promoters encouraged excessive violence on the court as a means of drawing crowds, the Globetrotters drew a following by showcasing their skills on the court. While many uninformed bystanders were often unable to appreciate the level of athletic skill that basketball demands, the Globe Trotters’ dribbling and shooting antics were not only a crowd pleaser, but an undeniable display of skill.

As a professional basketball team, their heyday came in 1948, when they beat the Minneapolis Lakers 61-59. That was one of the most significant games in basketball history. The Globetrotters’ victory over one of the top white professional teams of the day proved that black athletes could seriously compete against white athletes. Two years later, the Boston Celtics drafted Chuck Cooper and the color barrier was finally crossed in professional basketball.

Ironically, while the Globetrotters were largely responsible for the recognition and acceptance of black basketball players, Cooper’s success became their downfall as a professional team. More and more black players were drafted into previously all-white professional teams and the underfunded Harlem Globetrotters found it increasingly difficult to attract the best players to their ranks.

Never an ordinary basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters shifted their focus from competitive to exhibition basketball and found their enduring niche in sports history. Today, they are a global phenomenon and goodwill ambassadors. They have played more than 25,000 games around the world. While the original “Globetrotters” were nothing of the sort, the title now perfectly describes this amazing team.