Note of the editors: During the week, Athletics The Harlem globetrotters and their contributions to basketball, vision on entertainment and general dedication to goodwill. This series will be closed on Sunday, February 16.
The Washington General embody the idea of an underdog. That is an easy reputation to earn with more than 18,000 losses compared to three victories on the CV, but the generals are time and time again losing the end of their decades of rivalry with the Harlem Globetrotters.
When it comes to one of the favorite exhibition games in America, the generals are rarely seen as ‘losers’. If there is something, they support cast members for a beloved Globetrotters team that focuses on one primary goal: entertaining the masses. The Globetrotters need an opponent. They need a team to beat.
Why not the generals?
“You have to make them look good,” said generals -guard Jordan Fuchs Athletics.
That is the task of a Washington general: to improve what is already on the table. The globetrotters are the eye candy; Someone must ensure that he receives the praise on the court. And because members of the generals are so good at what they do, attending matchups between the two teams offers a unique experience for fans.
Even if the defeat is routinely inevitable for Washington – 1971 is a long time To taste the defeat after defeat.
The generals of Washington are often the clou of a joke of a Harlem Globetrotters. This photo of 2019 shows the Sharpless of the Globetrotters ‘Spider’ that draws the leg of the generals Shaquille Burrell during an exhibition in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller / Getty images)
It is difficult to explain the competitive value of knowing that you lose just about every basketball game that you play. Imagine that you train the hardest, only to anticipate the scoreboard that does not tilt to your advantage. The idea can be frustrating, right?
Or, for Fuchs, a former football and basket balatleet at Indiana University, matches against the Globetrotters can be more than just what is shown on the scoreboard.
“It’s a rewarding experience because I get a smile on everyone’s faces, even when I’m losing,” Fuchs said. “Everyone enjoys it, and for me personally I enjoy it because I can play the game I love and I can show my skills.
“I can travel and meet great people. The network that I have collected from this is incredible. Different people in different states, different countries. It was great. “
For the generals, made in 1952 by Louis “Red” Klotz and considered the most meaningless team in sports history, there is always pleasure to know that the next day can be the one when they end the slip. The team was initially intended to compete legitimate against the Globetrotters, but eventually became the ultimate crash test dummy for his opponents who pulled red, white and blue hardwood.
General being required a unique focus. The schedule contains skilled players who must be ambitious enough to recognize consciousness that they are always secondary in the show. Regardless of the circumstance, the goal is to ensure that the Globetrotters will always come to the top, although fans will leave arenas impressed by athletics displays, 4-point shots and dynamic dunks that come from the team with green and yellow.
In many ways, the generals take on the role of the ultimate antagonists. Fuchs considers itself “The main villain.” It is a responsibility that he takes very seriously, all for the spirit of entertainment.
“If you remove the outcome, you know we are going to lose, but if you remove the outcome and simply concentrate on the process and the game, you will find joy in it,” he said.
– Jordan Fuchs (@Therealjordan81) February 18, 2022
On January 5, 1971, in a matchup in Martin, Tenn., The Generals Snawn as the New Jersey Reds-a 2,495 game losing series with a 100-99 victory over the Globetrotters. While the globetrotters had the crowd, the generals storm ahead in the last seconds. Klotz made the game winning basket when the buzzer sounded to give the generals their most exciting victory in modern history. It was the first time in 14 years that the Globetrotters had lost a matchup against their archrival.
After the game, Klotz, who died in 2014 at the age of 92, it was famous that beating the Globetrotters “is like photographing Santa Claus”, but how did the general legend to finally be on the right side of the scoreboard ?
“I think it was probably the best day of all his life,” said Bronwen O’Keefe, head of the Marketing and Content brand, said Athletics. “I can’t imagine the celebration and luck he had. He probably held a very, very long or the rest of his life that day.
“We still count that day as a very important moment in the history of the Globetrotters. You can’t talk about the history of the Globetrotters without talking about the generals. “
How the rivalry is happening has changed over the years. It was “good versus evil”, with the globetrotters such as the heroes and the generals like the villains. There was even one Masked General known as Cager who was the ultimate villain and played by several players. Other times it is just the story of the Underdog -Generals trying to increase the globetrotters.
Calls such as these, against and not for the generals, have been happening for decades. (Don Emmert / AFP via Getty images)
Given the crooked nature of rivalry, is a question why if anyone want to To play for the generals?
First of all, it is an opportunity to play professional basketball. The generals are not only props on the field; They are real basketball players. Some are scouted in the G League, some in the NBA Summer League, some internationally – just like some members of the Globetrotters.
One of the most famous names to play for the generals is the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall by Famer Nancy Lieberman, who fits suitable for the generals in the 1980s. Lieberman was the first woman to play for the generals. Kayla Gabor is now in the team and is the second woman to play for the generals. Gabor is a former All-Conference Guard of Division II Lake Erie College in Ohio, a leading scorer during the 2016-17 season for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“I am a general, which is very unique,” said Gabor. “Nancy Lieberman, I believe, was 1977 to ’78, so for me, bringing back the woman on the opponent’s side is a unique spotlight. I know that in the past we are villainous and just have to be the enemy, but I always came in like: “Ok, we don’t win every game, but I have set personal goals.” My personal goals are to get the crowd by my side.
“I always like to find people from the audience to be like:” Look this! ” And hit a few 3s in a row. I will do it for them. Seriously, it’s motivation for me. ‘
The generals, such as the Globetrotters, practice and work on different areas on the field. They travel wherever the Globetrotters travel, with equal accommodations.
“We all understand that it is a show, and perhaps the youngest members of our audience do not understand the full type of weight or meaning or impact thereof,” said O’Keefe. “But we also have to take into account the fact that with both teams these are real people, real athletes with real skills, and they play professional basketball. We want to give them the opportunity to show those skills. “
There is also the hope for generals that are moved to the Globetrotters. It doesn’t happen often, but Latif “Jet” Rivers is a globetrotter started with the generals (previously known as the World All-Stars in 2013 and 2014) After playing College Basketball at Wagner College in the early years 2010. Rivers was moved to the Globetrotters in 2017 after spending time to the other teams.
This week we dive into the rich history of the generals of Washington and their unique rivalry with the Harlem Globetrotters! 🏀 Discover which current Globetrotter has a history that plays for the generals … Coordinate this weekend #Playitforward On NBC! pic.twitter.com/klrfzu6cj5
– Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies) December 27, 2024
The generals are not the stars of the show, but they are definitely an important part of the history of Globetrotters. Even with a loss after loss, they have become fan favorites and role models for children.
In the eyes of many they are far from an underdog.
“It’s serious as a dream,” said Gabor. “There are many eyes on us, but it is really a good role to record it. It almost gives me a goal in basketball that I never knew would bring the sport. ‘
“It’s just great to be part of history,” Fuchs added. “The history of the Globetrotters.”
– Shakeia Taylor has contributed to this report.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / Athletics; Photos thanks to the Harlem Globetrotters)