The Ferienwohnung-Koeln.com looks at the Globetrotters!

Who does not know this scene: a cool basketball guy turns the basketball quickly with his hand and puts it on the outstretched index finger. The ball rotates very fast and looks like a globe that turns very fast and does not fall off your finger! Brilliant! And to that, the basketball player's big grin!

The coolest tricks

 

They are well-known and very popular: The Harlem Globetrotters are a crowd-puller and show a great show. They dribble the basketballs through their legs, balance several balls at the same time, make cool dunkings or bring small, enthusiastic spectators to the big show parquet to allow them a cool dunking on a trampoline. A "threesome" from the midline? No problem, gentlemen can.

Magic on the ball!

 

Easy to get to

Since we live in Erftstadt and my son of course went to school in the morning, we then arrived in the aftermath. The journey is very easy and fast, because the Deutz train station is just a stone's throw away! Of course, this is also easily accessible from Cologne Central Station. Because the "crossing" takes place in a few minutes over the Hohenzollern bridge. The remaining meters are easy to walk! And the Apartment Cologne is also just around the corner!

The Show

 

And then on the 25.04.2018 it finally happened and I drove with my son Luca to the Lanxess Arena. We were very excited and excited because we were so looking forward to the great show. First of all, unfortunately, I have to say that my expectations have not been completely fulfilled. I had promised myself more!

As a prelude were toddler teams of Rheinenergie Cologne on the court and played some basketball. Then there was some fuss with the mascot Globe and then at 19:16 clock it finally started . The show started with a great light and sound show, which of course is totally awesome in the big arena. And then they came in: the Harlem Globetrotters with their cool, colorful jerseys and all the basketballs. A great moment, which gave you goosebumps, although the arena was only half full!

 

Maybe that was also a negative point that made it hard to build a cool atmosphere in the hall: the hall was just too big for so few audiences.

 

The Globetrotters got warm and were introduced. And you wanted to show some cool throws, but unfortunately did not work! Backwards from the midline in squat .... after felt 15 throws, then finally a hit. And then the same from the middle out of the VIP Magic Area boxes .... Hmm, if I stand at the midline and throw 10 times, then I'll meet sometime. That was not really magic .

 

It started a show game, which seemed a bit lame. Always the same Achterlauf the Globetrotter, which were not attacked by the opponents and then completed with a Dunking ... In throws was hardly attacked at all and everything seemed quite listless. Far too many missed, even up close. Everything too much standard. I had expected the Globetrotters really more ! What was missing:

• Cool hook rolls a la Magic Johnson
• Super Dunkings from the free throw line a la Michael Jordan
• Trampoline jumps with dunkings for kids and adults
• A player who could balance with several rotating basketballs
• More desire and emotion in the game

What was good?

A game scene that was completely "rewound" and then replayed for the referee in "slow motion". It was fun to observe.

The time

 

And after the show actually started at about 19:15, it was at 20:48 already over ! With breaks and break! That was clearly too short for me. For more than 50 EUR admission, you can bring more. Would I buy the cards again? I do not think so. Unfortunately.

 

In the following we want to present some general information about the Globetrotters! Enjoy reading!

Harlem Globetrotters in the fast lane

The Harlem Globetrotters are arguably the most famous basketball club in the entire world and have a unique history. They are not only a very simple sports club, but put the athleticism together with some theater and comedy. Their playing style has fascinated millions of audiences and repeatedly sold out shows. They travel around the world to live their glory. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 122 countries and territories. The team's hallmark is the whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" by Brother Bones. Your mascot is, as the name of the team says, a small funny-looking globe, which inspires the audience during the games. The team plays over 450 live events worldwide every year. The headquarters of the team is located in a small suburb of Atlanta, USA.

The unspeakable story of a unique club

The unique Globetrotters Club was founded in the 1920s on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, where all the original players grew up. The Globetrotters began as Savoy Big Five, one of the main attractions of the Savoy Ballroom opened in November 1927. They are a basketball team of African-American players who played their games with lots of comedy and dances. In 1928, several players left the team after a heated argument. This fall, several players led by Tommy Brookins formed a team called " Globe Trotters " and toured this spring through Southern Illinois. The early days were spent in the US, moving from city to city, but they became more and more famous, and soon they got involved with clubs from all over the world. Abe Saperstein was involved as a manager and promoter in the team. Until 1929 Saperstein toured with his basketball team "New York Harlem Globe Trotters" the two US cities Illinois and Iowa. Saperstein chose the city of Harlem in his team name because New York was his hometown. Since Harlem was then considered the center of African-American culture and a team name outside the city made the team seem rather mystical. In fact, the Globetrotters in Harlem did not play until 1968, four decades after the team's formation. In spite of everything, the name of Harlem has been chosen and has prevailed to this day.

Even played against the Lakers!

The Globetrotters were multi-year participants in the World Professional Basketball Tournament and won it in 1940. In a heavily-attended matchup, the 1948 Globetrotters Lakers game, the Globetrotters made headlines defeating one of the world's best white basketball teams , It was the Minneapolis Lakers who call themselves today only the Los Angeles Lakers. The Globetrotters were gradually working with extraordinary routines - a direction attributed to the Reece "Goose" Tatum team that joined in 1941. It eventually became more known for entertainment than sports. As one of the nation's most famous teams, the club was eventually overshadowed by the rise of the National Basketball Association, especially as the NBA teams began to recruit African-American players in the 1950s.

In 1950, Harlem Globetrotter Chuck Cooper became the first black player in the Boston NBA . His teammate Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton became the first African American player to sign a NBA contract when the New York Knicks bought his contract from the Globetrotters. The actions of Globetrotters often show incredible coordination and skillful handling of one or more basketballs, such as passing or juggling balls between players, balancing or spinning balls on their fingertips, and creating unusual, difficult shots ,

In 1952, Globetrotters invited Louis "Red" Klotz to form a team to accompany them on their tours. This team, the Washington Generals, also known by other names, became the main opponent of Globetrotter. The generals are effective stooges for the Globetrotters, and the club has defeated them in thousands of games.

In Moscow

In 1959, Globetrotters played nine games in Moscow after Saperstein received an invitation from Vasily Gricorevich, the director of Lenin Central Stadium. The team, which included Wilt Chamberlain, was enthusiastically received by spectators and authorities. They met Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev and jointly received the Medal Athletic Order of Lenin. And that was really a solid performance back then. So they came out of the States really big.

However, according to one report, the spectators were initially confused: "A Soviet audience of 14,000 spectators sat almost silently in the first half of the game, and in the second half it warmed a little when it realized that the trotters were more into the show The Globetrotters brought their own opponent with them, but these were not the Washington Generals, but the San Francisco Chinese Basketeers A review in Pravda said: "This is not basketball, it's a game full of tricks " but praised the Globetrotters' capabilities and suggested that" they have some techniques to show us. "The American press - especially Drew Pearson - made a tangible note of the fact Now $ 4,000 worth of $ 4,000 per game could only be spent in Moscow, and the games served as proof that US-Soviet relations were improving that Moscow rejected its criticism of racial relations within America and that the USSR became more capitalist. Pearson suggested that the games be held because the Lenin Stadium needed money.

Famous Players

Many famous basketball players had played for Globetrotters over time. Sizes such as "Wee" Willie Gardner, Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins, Wilt "The Stilt "Chamberlain and Nat" Sweetwater "Clifton later went to the NBA. At the basketball club in 1985, the first female player underwent her contract. It was Olympic champion Lynette Woodard. Over time, it was then 13 female players who represented the club. Baseball Hall of Famer's Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins also played for the team at one time or another. Because the majority of team players were African Americans in the past and as a result of the Buffoners involved in many sketches of the Globetrotters, they were criticized during the era of civil rights. The players were accused by some civil rights representatives, for example, of "Tomming for Abe" to make a reference to Uncle Tom and the Jewish owner Abe Saperstein. However, prominent civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who later became an honored Globetrotter, came to her defense: "I think they were a positive influence ... They did not portray blacks as stupid, on the contrary, they were shown to be superior." This and much more he said before the press and so the club had in the following years again a great success . In 1995, Orlando Antigua became the first Hispanic player to join the team. He was the first non-black player on the Globetrotters list since Bob Karstens, who played with the squad in 1942 and 1943.

While parts of a modern exhibition game are preplanned, the games themselves are not fixed. Their opponents are the Hijinks, who do not bother the Globetrotters anymore. While they play a serious game in defense when in possession of the ball, about 20 to 30 percent of a game is just "real." This once led to a notorious defeat of the Washington Generals in the plight of a watchful and enthusiastic crowd.

Trophies had already received some of the Globetrotters

The Globetrotters won the 1940 World Professional Basketball Tournament, beating the Chicago Bruins with a score of 31-29.

Buy tickets

You can order your tickets anywhere today over the Internet. Whoever is a fan of this club, does not necessarily have to travel to America because they are present all over the world and maybe one day they will come to your area. Also in 2018 and 2019 the Globetrotters will go on a big world tour again. Tickets are available from 35 euros. In Germany, the basketball club is currently represented in Koblenz, but also in Rostock, Magdeburg, Kassel, Ludwigsburg, Dortmund and Cologne. All these stadiums are fortunate to have such an interesting and great club and it's always worth buying a ticket. There are also fans of the Harlem Globetrotter here in Germany and that's not a few.

In the 70s, the Trotters even got their own animated series, many do not know that. It was aired on CBS on a Saturday morning. It was the first series in which African American play a role in children's television. In 1979, followed by a pinball machine, which came on the market with the motive of the basketball club. In addition, the players were in the series Futurama guest. Furthermore, in the year 2000 the players were guests in the Vatican. And here also Pope John Paul II had the honor of being named the 7th honorary member of the association. Other honorary citizens include Magic Johnson in 2003, Jesse Jackson in 2001, Jackie Joyer-Kersee in 1999, Nelson Mandela in 1996, Whoopi Goldberg in 1990, Kareen Abdul-Jabbar in 1989 and Henry Kissinger and Bob Hope in the 1970s. In 2008, the US football goalkeeper Tim Howard was added, who also became an ambassador of the team. Of course, the recording went on in the following years and so it was in 2011 footballer Lionel Messi . Everyone is proud to be here as an honorary citizen.

 

Accommodation close to the cathedral!

 

You want to walk to the cathedral? Then book one of our Fewos Köln , then you can easily reach the Cologne Cathedral on foot! Just cross the Rhine over the Deutz bridge and stroll through the old town. In about 14 minutes you have reached the cathedral! We look forward to your inquiry!