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The Day The Harlem Globetrotters' Historic 8,829 Winning Streak Was Ended

Originally posted on Fadeaway World | By Titan Frey | Last updated 6/16/22

The Harlem Globetrotters are one of the greatest basketball teams in the entire world. They play a flashy game with tricks and their red, white, and blue basketball.

The Globetrotters' main goal is to put on a show for fans. It's more than a basketball game; they give their fans a true show of thrills and comedy.

Many of the stunts that are performed throughout the game are pre-planned, but the outcome is always real. The Globetrotters have always been dominant, and this is partly because of their players.

The Harlem Globetrotters' Origins

The Harlem Globetrotters were founded by Abe Saperstein in 1926. They started by playing in Chicago, Illinois, not Harlem, New York.

Saperstein decided to give the team the name “New York Harlem Globe Trotters” because he believed having New York in its name would help draw more fans, rather than calling them the Chicago Globe Trotters. The Globetrotters would not play a game in Harlem, New York, until 1968.

The Globetrotters didn't play a game outside of Chicago until January 7, 1927, when the team traveled to Hinckley, Illinois. Today, the Globetrotters play all around the world, and they've played in 123 countries and territories. For many, the Globetrotters are the first basketball team they've ever watched.

The Globetrotters have had plenty of famous players on their team. This includes Meadow “Meadowlark” Lemon, Fred “Curly” Neal, Reece “Goose” Tatum, and Louis “Sweet Lou” Dunbar.

These players were extremely great at basketball, but there were a few players so great that they made the jump to the NBA. This list includes Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, “Wee” Willie Gardner, Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins, and the first African American to sign a contract with the NBA, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton.

Over their 96 years of being active, the Harlem Globetrotters have won 27,000 games, and they have lost just 345 times. This gives the Globetrotters a .987 winning percentage, the best in all of professional sports.

Harlem Globetrotters 8,829 Winning Streak Ends

As stated, the Harlem Globetrotters have an insane record of 27,000 wins and 345 losses. This includes an incredible win streak of 8,829 games.

The Globetrotters were enjoying their 8,829 win streak, and then on September 12, 1995, the Globetrotters made a trip to Vienna, Austria. There, they'd play a team filled with retired basketball stars, including “Honorary Globetrotter”, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The team was known as “Kareem's All-Stars” and it featured stars like Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell, Artis Gilmore, Jo-Jo White, and Nate “Tiny” Archibald.

Jabbar was 48 years old at the time, and he'd been out of the NBA for six years, but he was still Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem scored 34 points in the game as he led his All-Stars to a 91-85 victory.

The loss truly came as a shock to the Globetrotters players. This is especially true for player Reggie “Regulator” Phillips, who was with the team for around 300 games:

“The guys are really upset,” Phillips said after the game. “After being part of the team for over 300 straight wins, it is a strange feeling to lose a game.”

The Globetrotters would come back and beat Kareem's All-Stars in their next game as they'd get back to their winning ways. But for one game, after 8,829 consecutive games, the Harlem Globetrotters were humbled by an NBA legend and his team of All-Stars.