Latest news with #Globetrotters
Miami Herald
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Harlem Globetrotters celebrating nearly 100 years of basketball
The legendary Harlem Globetrotters are officially counting down to their 100th anniversary with the unveiling of a striking new Centennial logo, symbolizing their rich legacy of sports, entertainment, and cultural impact. Designed by the award-winning Matt Lehman Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, the new logo was crafted to reflect the Globetrotters' historic roots while projecting a bold, unified vision for the future. The design will serve as the creative cornerstone of the Globetrotters' Centennial celebration, set for 2026. "We wanted to find the balance of past, present, and future in a fresh new look that was both unique and exciting, whilst paying homage to the many men and women players that have honored us as Globetrotters," said Keith Dawkins, President of the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios. "This mark will connect all of the consumer touchpoints centered around our 100-year anniversary plans." The new Centennial logo features key elements that pay tribute to the Globetrotters' legacy: Red, white, and blue color scheme, echoing the team's signature basketball and stars representing the original five Globetrotters: Walter "Toots" Wright, Byron "Fat" Long, Willis "Kid" Oliver, Andy Washington, and Al "Runt" "1926" and "2026" prominently displayed to signify the founding and the upcoming anniversary.A 3D-style block font, inspired by lettering used in vintage game programs, a beloved collectible among Globetrotter iconic red, white, and blue ball featured at the center, symbolizing the enduring connection between past, present, and future. As the team celebrates its 100th year, the Harlem Globetrotters continue to honor and elevate talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)-a tradition woven into the franchise's long-standing mission. Several current Globetrotters hail from HBCU programs: Prince Moss, a standout from Grambling State UniversityAngelo Sharpless, who starred at Elizabeth City State UniversityCrash McClure, formerly of Albany State University In addition to today's players, HBCUs have played a role in shaping some of the franchise's most beloved legends. Among them was the iconic Fred "Curly" Neal, a former All-CIAA player at Johnson C. Smith University, who enjoyed a long and celebrated career with the Globetrotters, dazzling fans with his unmatched ball-handling skills and warm charisma. The Harlem Globetrotters plan to roll out a full slate of commemorative activities leading into 2026. These include: Strategic partnerships and brand collaborationsLimited-edition Centennial memorabiliaExclusive media content and storytellingSpecial live events and community engagement programs Fans worldwide can expect announcements in the coming weeks as the team builds excitement for its once-in-a-century milestone. The post Harlem Globetrotters celebrating nearly 100 years of basketball appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Wire
The World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters Unveil New Logo for Historic 100th Season
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leaders in breaking barriers and making history for almost 100 years, the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters ™ today announced its official countdown by unveiling their 100th Centennial brand logo. The Globetrotter logo, designed by Matt Lehman Studio of Nashville, Tennessee, will serve as a key creative link for the organization as the full plans for the Centennial take place. 'We wanted to find the balance of past, present, and future in a fresh new look that was both unique and exciting, whilst paying homage to the many men and women players that have honored us as Globetrotters. We believe this Centennial logo delivers on all fronts,' said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. 'This mark will connect all of the consumer touchpoints centered around our 100 year anniversary plans. It's a unifying principle that helps to bring this historic moment to life.' The new logo proudly displays the organization's signature red, white and blue color scheme, with five stars, symbolizing the original five members of the Globetrotters, who were Walter 'Toots' Wright, Byron 'Fat' Long, Willis 'Kid' Oliver, Andy Washington, and Al 'Runt' Pullins. The dates for when the team was founded in Illinois in 1926 and next year's official anniversary, 2026, are also on display. The organization's iconic red, white and blue ball sits in the middle of the logo, serving as a link to past, present, and future. The block letters used throughout the logo, which has a 3D component to it as well, symbolize the lettering from some of the organization's early game programs, which were, and continue to be, high quality memorabilia for fans of all ages. Additional details on partnerships, special event, commemorative memorabilia, media activity and other elements of The Centennial will be announced in the coming weeks. ABOUT THE WORLD-FAMOUS HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS™ / HERSCHEND ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS The Harlem Globetrotters™ are THE originators of basketball style; captured by their dynamic athleticism, unique skill and historical influence on the modern game of basketball. Since 1926, the Globetrotters, proud members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, have used their legendary global tour to showcase their iconic brand of basketball to tens of millions in over 124 countries and territories across six continents. They have expanded the brand by coming back to network television for the first time in 40 years with their Emmy nominated NBC series 'Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward' which also airs on Telemundo as 'Harlem Globetrotters: Ganando Con La Comunidad.' Content partners include Hidden Pictures, Atmosphere TV, and Hearts Media Production Group; consumer partnerships include, Sprayground, Undercrwn, Macys, Hybrid; and additional partnerships include our official tour partner Jersey Mikes, official ball partner, Spalding, Viral Nation, Hoopculture, and Citi. Coined by the U.S. State Department in 1951 as Ambassadors of Goodwill, the team leverages their moniker to drive its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts around their strategic pillars of Health & Wellness, Education, and Community Empowerment. These efforts have yielded partnership with the likes of Microsoft, U.S. State Department Sports Diplomacy, The National Archives, 'Great Assist' in partnership with Jersey Mike's Subs, Campus Multimedia Court of Creativity, and Comic Relief Red Nose Day. For more information about the Harlem Globetrotters™ and the Tour, visit the Globetrotters' official website: The Harlem Globetrotters™ is a subsidiary of Herschend, the largest family-owned themed attractions company. ABOUT MATT LEHMAN STUDIO Matt Lehman began his career in 2001 at Anderson Design Group in Nashville. It was there that he once laid out packaging for a cassette. In 2007, he joined CMT / MTV Networks focusing on show identities and the network rebrand in 2009. During his tenure there, he worked on the visuals for a NASCAR DVD and two Toby Keith movies. He has skeletons in his closet just like everyone else. In 2010 he formed Matt Lehman Studio working for brands such as ESPN, Delta, PepsiCo, The Atlantic, Esquire, Nickelodeon and NASA to name a few.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harlem Globetrotters, Arvest Bank team up for food insecurity awareness
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — As a part of Arvest Bank's Million Meals initiative, the Harlem Globetrotters will make an appearance to raise awareness about food insecurity. Tonight, Mar. 25, at 7 p.m., the Globetrotters will be performing at the Great Southern Bank Arena. The Million Meals initiative seeks to raise awareness about insecurity in the community while also raising money to be donated to the bank's food partners, including Ozarks Food Harvest. 'According to Feeding America, 16% of families in the Ozarks are food insecure, struggling to put enough food on their table to feed their households,' said the Arvest Bank press release. Tickets can be purchased here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Onion
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Onion
Foreign Man Knows An Incredible Amount About Harlem Globetrotters
NEW YORK—Astonished by the sheer volume of exhibition basketball knowledge that one person could possess, sources confirmed Monday that foreign man Deniz Büyükuncu knows an incredible amount about the Harlem Globetrotters. 'He saw me shooting hoops at the gym and just started rattling off everything he knew about the Globetrotters and their players,' said 43-year-old Nate Moreno, noting that the foreign-born immigrant, who apparently moved to the United States in large part because of the team, has a near-encyclopedic understanding of the Harlem Globetrotters's iconography, roster, and history, allowing him to discuss how the team began in Chicago as the Savoy Big Five, to quote with ease from their 1970s animated television show, and to argue that while Meadowlark Lemon may have been funnier, Curly Neal was ultimately the better player. 'He claims watching old VHS tapes of Goose Tatum taught him how to slam dunk, and he even got a tattoo of Globie, which I guess is their mascot? Honestly, I don't know enough about the Harlem Globetrotters to fact-check any of this. But he seems so confident that I'm just going to go with whatever he's saying.' According to reports, the foreign man later went silent and refused to discuss the Globetrotters further after mentioning that several women have been allowed to play for the team.
New York Times
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How a Polish Harlem Globetrotter literally trotted the globe to become a megastar
(Editor's note: Throughout the week, The Athletic highlighted the Harlem Globetrotters and their contributions to basketball, vision for entertainment and overall commitment to goodwill.) All he wanted was a picture. When Pawel Kidoń attended his first Harlem Globetrotters game in Poland in 2019, the ticket being a gift for his 21st birthday, all he wanted was a photograph upon leaving Tauron Arena Kraków was any of the players willing to lend their time. He had a Magic Pass ticket, allowing fans to meet the Globetrotters 90 minutes before tipoff, and his girlfriend had her phone ready for a photo. Advertisement Kidoń had practiced tricks with his basketball for years after discovering the Globetrotters on the internet. He'd watched the players, world travelers and basketball icons on a global stage. But he also knew his own skill set. If he could get that one picture with a player, his birthday would have been complete. Kidoń left the arena with a lot more than a photograph. He left with the respect of some of the best ballhandlers on the planet. He left with a reputation. Kidoń got to meet Globetrotter Joe 'Jumpin' Ballard during the Magic Pass pregame. He wanted Ballard to transfer a spinning ball from Ballard's finger to his, the move many Globetrotters do for fans, but once Kidoń got the ball, it was his opportunity to show he wasn't a regular fan — or a regular person with a basketball. 'Like, I can stand on one hand and do something with my other hand with the ball,' said Kidoń, who is a former world freestyle basketball champion. A post shared by Paweł Dazzle Kidoń (@kid_fsbb) Kidoń's girlfriend captured the moment on video, which ultimately went viral. That one clip led to the Globetrotters making a decision that would change Kidoń's life — and also pave the way for history. Kidoń, once just a Globetrotters fan, is now the first player in franchise history to hail from Poland. He learned to play basketball on his own while living in the small village of Zubrzyca Dolna, home to less than 2,000 people and located on the southern end of Poland minutes away from Slovakia. Kidoń has earned the nickname 'Dazzle' on the Globetrotters stage. It's quite the change for Kidoń, who once worked in Poland at an amusement park performing basketball tricks before being discovered. Dazzle Kidoń is the first Harlem Globetrotter player ever from Poland, and the first to be discovered at our pre-game Magic Pass event. 🔥 It wasn't until after when he revealed that he was actually a world freestyle basketball champion! #PlayerProfile — Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies) February 26, 2021 In some ways, Kidoń deems himself to be a self-made product. He first fell in love with basketball in 2013 after watching in disbelief YouTube highlights of the Globetrotters. Before Kidoń donned the red, white and blue, he'd never played on an organized basketball team, learned under a coach or even played a proper game of five-on-five. Advertisement 'To his credit, he's probably the hardest worker we've got out there,' said 'Sweet' Lou Dunbar, the Globetrotters director of player personnel and a member of the team as a player and executive for more than four decades. 'Every day, he's working on his game, because he knows as far as ballhandling, he's in a different stratosphere.' The pinnacle of his basketball experience growing up was being able to spin the ball on his finger. He then began practicing easy trick shots and freestyle handling moves. The moves became vibes. And then the vibes became a full-on show. One of Kidoń's first true loves was breakdancing. Through that, he's crafted a lane as one of the most unique Globetrotters — which says something considering the team's longstanding history of merging basketball with entertainment. 'When I started creating my own tricks, I noticed I could do everything with a basketball,' Kidoń said. 'I could stand and do some tricks, but I could also move my body, like, do a cartwheel or stand on my head or control a basketball between my legs. So, I just started to explore, not even just basketball, but dance, hip-hop, breakdancing. 'I was looking for some elements I could combine with basketball. That's how I started, basically. I started doing breakdancing because there are elements of breakdancing that are possible to connect with basketball.' For Kidoń, joining the Globetrotters meant more than adjusting to a new passion. He was getting acclimated to a new team, a new language, a new culture and demographic of people. Kidoń is the first person from his family to fly to the United States, let alone learn to build a life so far from home. He still remembers his first day with the Globetrotters, which included media duties with newspapers, TV networks and radio stations excited to meet him. That made waves back in Poland because the Globetrotters don't allow just anybody to try out for their roster. Once he was officially a member, Kidoń went from being nicknamed 'KID' to his current moniker. Advertisement And 'Dazzle' has been dazzling. 'If I could hear somebody bouncing the ball, I knew it was Dazzle,' Dunbar said. 'He's out there working every day, and he's competing with these guys, playing one-on-one every day. He's trying to get to their level.' In merging all of the adjustments into one life-changing transition, what has been most key to Kidoń going from a freestyling entertainer to a full-time basketball player? For the Polish star, preparation is beyond essential. 'I try to practice all the time because I know I've got a lot of work to do,' he said. 'I'm not as good in basketball as other players yet. Basically, I wake up, I eat breakfast, and almost every single day, I start my day with stretching and some movements. Then usually, we've got to travel, like three, four hours to the next city. 'Before every single game, I'm trying to be prepared. I practice my tricks, like, my old tricks to keep my shape. Also, I'll take some shots to be a better shooter. We play some two-on-two games, three-on-three games. I'm focused on improving my basketball skills, my basketball IQ. … When you see me in the arena all the time, you can see me all the time with the basketball in my hands.' A lot of what the Globetrotters do is entertaining, but it does require knowing the fundamentals of team basketball to work. In his adjustment time with the team, Kidoń has grown as a player and showman, and he's found himself able to become a wow factor on the court. Once a shy kid nervous about speaking English, Kidoń has honed his use of the language by using Duolingo language lessons and listening to rap music while traveling to new cities. Since joining the team, he has carved out a top-five list of his favorite American cities: New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. Kidoń admitted to not being a big fan of traveling before becoming a Globetrotter, but that started to change once he began touring the United States, Africa and Asia. Adjusting to American life introduced him to a stable basketball experience, new food and music that has helped him grow comfortable within a new culture. Advertisement Kidoń is a huge fan of NBA star Steph Curry. He's also a big fan of hip-hop and Super Bowl halftime show headliner Kendrick Lamar. His cuisine choices vary from steak to chicken wings to hamburgers. And his freestyle skills are welcomed. They're always more fun when he has someone to practice with. A post shared by Rock WHAM Middleton (@rockmiddleton) The Globetrotter way has grown on Kidoń. He's taken the franchise's mission of giving back to the community back to Poland. He's now holding basketball camps and shows in his homeland for free. For everything Kidoń has enjoyed about being a Globetrotter, he still keeps a modest basketball bucket list, which includes his desire to meet Curry. He remembers watching the four-time NBA champion in 2016 when Curry became the first-ever unanimous MVP in league history. Kidoń described that version of Curry as 'unguardable,' which is high praise from such a well-traveled hooper who is versed in accomplishing what some might consider the seemingly impossible. GO DEEPER Steph Curry's fans include Harlem Globetrotters alumni: 3 showmen weigh in But such life lessons are why Kidoń obtained more than a picture when he attended his first Globetrotters game. He's gone from life in a small village and an amusement park to sold-out arenas for one of the world's most renowned basketball franchises. '(I want) to show kids it's important to have goals in your life,' Kidoń said. 'It's important to find something you love to do and just do it because everybody has a talent. It's important to find some hobbies, some passions, and just do something, because you never know how far you can go with your passion. 'I made it to the Harlem Globetrotters team, and I lived in a small village with less than 2,000 people. If I made it and it was possible for me, why is that not possible for you, too?' (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Aldara Zarraoa / Getty Images)
