Harlem Globetrotters

Not from Harlem at all—the Globetrotters trace to the mid-1920s on Chicago's South Side, where they began as the Savoy Big Five and were playing exhibitions by January 1928. Coach, manager, promoter, and sometimes player Abe Saperstein was touring Illinois and Iowa by 1929 with the squad rebranded as the "New York Harlem Globe Trotters." The name was pure marketing: "Harlem" was then considered the center of Black American culture in the nation's imagination, and the branding stuck.

Brother Bones' whistled rendition of "Sweet Georgia Brown" became the team's eternal theme. For decades they played a rotating cast of opponents—most famously the Washington Generals, their designated foil for most seasons since 1953. The Generals' last victory came on January 5, 1971, when they defeated the Globetrotters 100–99 in overtime under the alias "New Jersey Reds." Globetrotter legends like Meadowlark Lemon (1954–1979, #36 retired 2001) and Curly Neal (1963–1985, #22 retired 2008) became household names through the routines and the arena magic—and through Saturday-morning television: a Hanna-Barbera animated series ran 1970–71, and the team guest-starred on Scooby-Doo from 1972–73 in episodes that reran for decades, introducing them to kids who'd never see a live show.

The 1990s marked the turnaround. In 1993, Mannie Jackson—a former Globetrotter himself (1962–1964)—bought the nearly bankrupt team for $5.5 million, becoming the first African American with controlling ownership in an entertainment organization and an international sports team. Jackson brought in younger players, refocused the act on skilled showmanship, and grew the business: revenue expanded an average of 14 percent a year, and the team was valued around $100 million by the time of its mid-2000s sale. Herschend Family Entertainment has owned the still-touring team since 2013.

The 90s-kid memory was uncomplicated: a night at the arena, the ball spinning impossibly on a fingertip, a water bucket gag, and the Generals getting dunked on. (Not to be confused with the Harlem Wizards, the separate trick team that came to your school gym as a fundraiser.)