"In 22 seconds, he dribbled 57 times."
May 24, 2015 4:36 PM Subscribe
RIP Marques Haynes, who died Friday at age 89.
According to his NYT Obituary, he joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 1946 or 1947, and played with them through the late 1970s. (Yours truly remembers him from that goofy Saturday morning show, the Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine.)
Remembering Haynes. "The things [in basketball] that they do today, Marques started."
.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:50 PM on May 24, 2015
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:50 PM on May 24, 2015
Saw the Globetrotters live several times. In the '60s I took my girlfriends to the shows, spent the money for courtside seats. At one memorable show, the "water bucket" which was actually full of confettii was dumped in our laps. Same night, Meadowlark Lemon drop-kicked a goal from center court. I don't know what his percentage was for such attempts, but it was 100% that night, and the crowd went ape.
posted by Repack Rider at 5:05 PM on May 24, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Repack Rider at 5:05 PM on May 24, 2015 [5 favorites]
When I was in HS, the Harlem Globetrotters came to my school and played against the girls' basketball team. Is that even plausible? Here's what happened: There was an event announced some time ahead of time that the harlem globetrotters were coming. They came and all the classes went down to watch. They were very very tall men who kicked the asses of our girls basketball team in a very theatrical choreographed sort of way.
But I've always wondered about this...I mean they're famous and probably expensive, right? THey play at games where people sell tickets, not where HS students are dragged down to the gym to watch, right? Small (~600 students) Catholic school. Not particularly athletic focus. Do they have some sort of AA team that does these kinds of things? Even at the time I was kind of confused by this.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:10 PM on May 24, 2015
But I've always wondered about this...I mean they're famous and probably expensive, right? THey play at games where people sell tickets, not where HS students are dragged down to the gym to watch, right? Small (~600 students) Catholic school. Not particularly athletic focus. Do they have some sort of AA team that does these kinds of things? Even at the time I was kind of confused by this.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:10 PM on May 24, 2015
But I've always wondered about this...I mean they're famous and probably expensive, right?
Right. There's at least one knockoff team that I know of that does this, as they have come to our town the last couple of years. "Harlem All-Stars" or something similar. Same shtick, right down to copying many of the same bits like the "bucket of water", and playing against a team of high school players and/or some teachers. Close enough to entertain the kids, but not the real deal.
posted by briank at 5:36 PM on May 24, 2015
Right. There's at least one knockoff team that I know of that does this, as they have come to our town the last couple of years. "Harlem All-Stars" or something similar. Same shtick, right down to copying many of the same bits like the "bucket of water", and playing against a team of high school players and/or some teachers. Close enough to entertain the kids, but not the real deal.
posted by briank at 5:36 PM on May 24, 2015
My high school used to have a big mural of him and all the other notable alumni all along the hallways where we'd take free periods and have lunch. They tore down the old building the year after I graduated so I'm not sure how much of it survived, but I must have stared at his face a hundred times in my life while scarfing down cheap public school lunches.
posted by downtohisturtles at 6:13 PM on May 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by downtohisturtles at 6:13 PM on May 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
But I've always wondered about this...I mean they're famous and probably expensive, right? THey play at games where people sell tickets, not where HS students are dragged down to the gym to watch, right? Small (~600 students) Catholic school. Not particularly athletic focus. Do they have some sort of AA team that does these kinds of things?
Were they selling tickets (or just advertising) for a full-price performance in your locality?
posted by Etrigan at 7:38 PM on May 24, 2015
Were they selling tickets (or just advertising) for a full-price performance in your locality?
posted by Etrigan at 7:38 PM on May 24, 2015
Were they selling tickets (or just advertising) for a full-price performance in your locality?
Not that I know of, but it's not something I would have followed. Also, if it were promotional, wouldn't someone other than the kids dragged down from class have been invited to the school game? I'm absolutely sure the school said it was the "Harlem Globetrotters" but fibbing seems like something they totally would have done. Or it's possible they assumed everyone would know that of course it wasn't the real Harlem Globetrotters so they were just calling them that as a sort of joke that I didn't know enough to get.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:35 PM on May 24, 2015
Not that I know of, but it's not something I would have followed. Also, if it were promotional, wouldn't someone other than the kids dragged down from class have been invited to the school game? I'm absolutely sure the school said it was the "Harlem Globetrotters" but fibbing seems like something they totally would have done. Or it's possible they assumed everyone would know that of course it wasn't the real Harlem Globetrotters so they were just calling them that as a sort of joke that I didn't know enough to get.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:35 PM on May 24, 2015
So I just googled my school name and "Harlem Globetrotters" and turned up nothing about this visit. That's not surprising since the visit would predate google and widespread everything-on-the-internet. BUT I found that within google-memory they've visited two other schools in the same school board. Maybe they just have a thing for Catholic schools in Toronto?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:40 PM on May 24, 2015
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:40 PM on May 24, 2015
.
The Globetrotters do appear at school assemblies - not sure if they play against school teams though. There are a few teams made up of former Globetrotters that also tour and play games like this - including one formed by Meadowlark Lemon.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:55 PM on May 24, 2015
The Globetrotters do appear at school assemblies - not sure if they play against school teams though. There are a few teams made up of former Globetrotters that also tour and play games like this - including one formed by Meadowlark Lemon.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:55 PM on May 24, 2015
When I was in HS, the Harlem Globetrotters came to my school and played against the girls' basketball team.
The team you are talking about is almost certainly one of the clones of the Globetrotters. The real Globetrotters traveled with the Washington Generals, an all white team of straight men who lost every game they ever played. They performed in major arenas, and they were paid very well.
The clone teams were barnstormers who could not afford to bring along an entire extra team, so they played against local teams. There were the Harlem Clowns, but it seems likely that you saw the Harlem Wizards.
posted by Repack Rider at 9:10 PM on May 24, 2015
The team you are talking about is almost certainly one of the clones of the Globetrotters. The real Globetrotters traveled with the Washington Generals, an all white team of straight men who lost every game they ever played. They performed in major arenas, and they were paid very well.
The clone teams were barnstormers who could not afford to bring along an entire extra team, so they played against local teams. There were the Harlem Clowns, but it seems likely that you saw the Harlem Wizards.
posted by Repack Rider at 9:10 PM on May 24, 2015
...the Washington Generals [...] who lost every game they ever played.
Not... every game.
posted by AbnerRavenwood at 5:28 AM on May 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Not... every game.
posted by AbnerRavenwood at 5:28 AM on May 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Great post!
I too saw the HG at my HS. Not sure whom they played, but it wasn't HS kids.
posted by persona au gratin at 3:35 PM on May 25, 2015
I too saw the HG at my HS. Not sure whom they played, but it wasn't HS kids.
posted by persona au gratin at 3:35 PM on May 25, 2015
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That old footage in the 'remembering Haynes' link is neat.
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:46 PM on May 24, 2015 [1 favorite]