Tallest Harlem Globetrotters Players

The Harlem Globetrotters are arguably the most entertaining basketball team in the world to watch. They are the basketball team that does tricks, and boy oh boy are they gr888. They’ve got incredible ball skills, with dribbling, dunking, and trick shot play. The Harlem Globetrotters are internationally celebrated among fans and they’ve got a huge following in New York and across the nation. This team features prominently in the media and in sports events, and it routinely showcases the crème de a crème of NBA stars in exhibition matches and tournaments. Let’s take a look this team’s fascinating history and the really tall players who’ve signed with the team over the years.

The Harlem Globetrotters originated in Chicago, Illinois. The team got its name from Abe Saperstein from Chicago's north side. As a legendary promoter, he renamed the Harlem Globetrotters the New York Harlem Globe Trotters. This world-famous team actually played its first game in Harlem in 1968, so it's origins were 800 miles away in the south side of Chicago. Back in 1939, the team lost the national championship to another African-American team – the New York Renaissance, but in 1940, they won the World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT).

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Incredible Basketball Skills Make the Harlem Globetrotters the Team to Watch

One of the most exciting aspects of the Harlem Globetrotters’ game is their on-court antics. They are exceptional basketball players, with gravity-defying acrobatics, mesmerizing tricks, and tremendous basketball flare. They stunned the world in 1948 when they handily defeated the Minneapolis Lakers in the precursor to the NBA, the National Basketball League. To dispel any rumors that that was a fluke, they repeated their heroics against the Minneapolis Lakers again the next year and destroyed them on court. The Harlem Globetrotters introduced African-Americans into the professional basketball arena, and it didn't take long before they completely dominated the scene with their exceptional abilities on court.

This naturally brings us to some of the superstars of the Harlem Globetrotters teams over the years. One of the most legendary players of all time – the iconic Wilt Chamberlain at 7'1" tall signed a 1-year contract with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1958. The deal was reportedly worth $50,000 at the time, and although he went onto much bigger things in his career – Chamberlain attested to the most incredible experience when he played with the Harlem Globetrotters. In fact, in 1959, Wilt Chamberlain toured with the Harlem Globetrotters to Russia, formerly known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) where he shook hands with Nikita Khrushchev.

Of course, there was George Bell who is 7'8" tall – and a Guinness World Record holder – he signed with the Harlem Globetrotters back in the day. In 2007, he was officially recognized as the tallest man in the United States – a title that very few have laid claim to over the years. His measurements are mind-boggling – he wears a size 19 shoe, has pants with a 43 inch inseam, and his shirts have 45 inch sleeves. While in college, he briefly played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters, making him one of the tallest basketball players on the team, and in the country of all time. By the age of 30, he stopped playing basketball because he got bored with it and decided instead to move into law enforcement. He became a sheriff's deputy in Norfolk Virginia!

Paul Sturgess Rivals George Bell as Tallest Harlem Globetrotter

For those who don't know, Paul Sturgess – a lanky Englishman became a professional US basketball player in 2012. He is recognized as the tallest Harlem Globetrotter of all time at 7'8" tall, much like George Bell before him. While he played at Mountain State in West Virginia, his record wasn't that great – scoring an average of 2.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in the 17 games that he played. Naturally, that wasn't enough to get the NBA’s attention, but he got plenty of offers from European basketball teams. Instead, he decided to sign with the Harlem Globetrotters when they selected him in the draft back in 2011.

There you have it folks! Some of the tallest players to ever grace the stage with the Harlem Globetrotters. Come on over to 888sport New Jersey for the best basketball odds ever!

* Photo by John Salangsang Invision for The Harlem Globetrotters AP. First published 3/15/2020