Globetrotter How Abe Saperstein shook up the world of sports

T he life of Abe Saperstein is a study of contradictions. Standing five feet, three inches tall, the energetic but diminutive promoter and booking agent founded the Harlem Globetrotters in the late 1920s and barnstormed through the country showcasing his all-Black basketball team, often against white opponents. He was an advocate for the promotion of Black ball players and deemed a racist for exploiting his players by having them perform humorous routines on the court. Saperstein's influence didn't stop with basketball; he was integral to the integration of Black players into majorleague baseball, and his Globetrotters were sometimes funded by the State Department to promote U.S. relations abroad during the Cold War. Meticulously researched and written in an easy and entertaining style, Globetrotters provides a lively and honest look at Saperstein's life. Readers will be amazed at the all-star names that he represented or worked with: Wilt Chamberlin, Satchel Paige, and Jesse Owens, to name a few. Even his failed stint as the commissioner of the short-lived American Basketball League (1961--62) left an indelible mark on modern basketball. When Caitlin Clark or Steph Curry launch shots from beyond the three-point line, they can thank Abe Saperstein for introducing it to professional basketball.

Abe Saperstein changed the face of American sport, says this account. It might be hard to believe now, but there was a time when basketball was a somewhat marginal sport. A key figure in taking it to popular, professional status was Abe Saperstein, best remembered as the owner and promoter of the Harlem Globetrotters team. The Jacob brothers, both experienced sportswriters, set out to tell his story, admitting that the task was made difficult by Saperstein's tendency to embellish, exaggerate, and invent. In fact, it is not even clear when the team was founded, although it was sometime in the late 1920s (and the team was from Chicago, not New York). Saperstein, the son of Jewish immigrants, saw a wealth of talent in the Black community and took his team on a series of grueling cross-country tours, including to the segregated South. It was tough going, but the team, combined with Saperstein's talent for marketing, slowly climbed to the championship level. When the Trotters started doing entertaining tricks at halftime, the spectators loved it. The show became a trademark, and Saperstein developed tactics that turned the game into a dynamic, crowd-pleasing spectacle. He was a tough and often paternalistic boss--and sometimes criticized for playing up Black minstrel stereotypes--but when Saperstein died in 1966, he left a legacy of breaking down racial barriers and changing the nature of the game. The Jacob brothers provide a fast-paced narrative of an underappreciated game changer. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Excerpt © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Excerpt from the Introduction Sports editor Alan Ward of the Oakland Tribune wrote in 1949: "When the history of American sports is compiled, the name of Abe Saperstein should be written in large, bold letters into the document." But that hasn't happened. Saperstein is far less famous today than he deserves to be. If Saperstein is remembered, it is for founding the Black basketball team known as the Harlem Globetrotters, but not for much more. Yet Saperstein wasn't just a major force in the popularization of Black basketball--he was a major force in the popularization of basketball, period, at a time when it struggled in the United States and was virtually unknown in some parts of the world. He pioneered the three-point shot, which has dramatically changed the character and style of the game. And Saperstein's impact went well beyond basketball. His promotional savvy helped keep baseball's Negro Leagues alive, and he was an early force knocking down the color barrier in the major leagues. He's the reason one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Satchel Paige, finally got his shot at the majors. And Saperstein was a great promoter of international sports. When Olympic star Jesse Owens fell on hard times, Saperstein was among the few who stepped forward to befriend him. Beyond sports, Saperstein and the Trotters were international symbols of Americanism during the Cold War. To the US State Department, they were key instruments of diplomacy at a time when the Soviet bloc was pointing to the US civil rights struggle as a sign of America's moral hypocrisy. And along with the achievements in foreign affairs and sports, Saperstein and his comic basketball team gave the world a gift that was both immeasurable and immense: they made millions of people laugh. Yet this is the first full book about Saperstein, a Jew born in a London slum who emigrated as a child and built a most remarkable American life. Why no biography before this? Well, his legacy is complicated. Although he empowered many Black people, he also promoted the racial stereotypes of his day. And though the clownishness of the Globetrotters was viewed by some as delightful, it was seen by others as demeaning. Until the 1940s, the team's nickname, Globetrotters, was two words: Globe Trotters. To avoid distracting the reader, we have used the modern version in most references. In all other matters, we have tried to tell the truth as accurately as possible. That's a challenge because Saperstein sometimes invented and embellished details of his own life. This human dynamo who helped shape American sports didn't make it easy for biographers, but he sure made it interesting. Excerpted from Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein Shook up the World of Sports by Mark Jacob, Matthew Jacob All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.