The Harlem Globetrotters plays for worldwide audiences as an exhibition team that showcases a combination of athletics and wacky courtside antics. Their history dates back to their formation in 1929.
The Globetrotters reached celebrity status in the 1950s when a movie was made about them. During the 70s and 80s, further exposure in television series and animated programs gave the Globetrotters more fame. Many NBA stars became part of the Trotters lineup including Connie Hawkins, Wilt Chamberlain, George ìMeadowlarkî Lemon, Reece ìGooseî Tatum, Nat ìSweetwaterî Clifton and John Chaney.
Traveling around the world has given the Globetrotters a captive fan base. Some of its fans were made as honorary Trotters that include Bob Hope, Whoopi Goldberg, Nelson Mandela, Henry Kissinger, Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson, Kareem Abdul Jabar and even Pope John Paul II.
The team clinched their all-time highest box office record during their 2010 North American Tour when they played in 215 cities in Puerto Rico, Canada and the US.