COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Harlem Globetrotters — known for traveling around the world exhibiting athleticism, theater and comedy through basketball — will visit College Station on Thursday.
Julian “Zeus” McClurkin, a Globetrotter playing in his 13th season, shared the history of the organization and their impact on communities all over the world.
McClurkin said Harlem was the epicenter of African American arts, culture and entertainment.
“In fact, a lot of people think that we’re called the Harlem Globetrotters because we started in New York," he said. "We actually started in Chicago, but it was in the last 20s and the early 30s that this thing was going on called the Harlem Renaissance."
McClurkin said this was during a time when African Americans were not allowed to play in white-only basketball leagues.
The Harlem Globetrotters would then go around to not only play but defeat every team that challenged them.
In 1948, the Globetrotters beat the Minneapolis Lakers, creating history by breaking the color barrier.
“That led to the first African-American to be signed to an NBA contract in 1950,” said McClurkin. “He name was Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton, and he was a former Harlem Globetrotter.”
McClurkin said he was drawn to the Globetrotters from their representation on and off the court.
“Everywhere that they go, every community that they go to, they don’t just play basketball, but they also go into the schools," he said. "We do anti-bullying rallies. We go to children’s hospitals. We got a program called Smile Patrol, where we just go into the rooms and just try to put a smile on these kid’s faces.”
Joey “Hot Rod” De La Rosa was inspired to join the Globetrotters ever since he was a young boy.
“When I was nine years old, the Globetrotters inspired me to play,” De La Rosa said. “From me being a little boy at nine years old, it sparked something in me to play competitive basketball. Then a few years later, go Division I, play at a Division I school, play professionally for three years, and then after that, I ended up being a Globetrotter.”
De La Rosa said he is proud to be part of an organization that continuously makes history.
The Globetrotters also broke the gender barrier in basketball with Lynette Woodard.
Now, there are four women on the team.
“She was the first woman athlete to play on a team of all males,” said De La Rosa. “That opened the door for a lot of females, especially the females that we have on our team now for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.”
If you would like to see the Harlem Globetrotters in action, you can catch them at 7 p.m. Thursday at Reed Arena, as they play the Washington Generals.