It’s hard not to root for the underdog, especially when it comes to sports.
You know the ones who struggle to capture a victory, the ones who fans can relate to a little bit more closely.
When we explore the world of underdogs in sports, there may not be a bigger underdog than the hapless opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters.
As soon as that Sweet Georgia Brown song comes through the speakers, the chances of the Washington Generals leaving the arena with a “W” plummet significantly.
As the longtime “David” to the Globetrotters “Goliath”, the Generals’ tale of resilience, dedication, and commitment must be applauded.
Their Famous Perennial Opponent
To fully understand and appreciate the Generals, one must first know of the Globetrotters.
Originally named the Savoy Big Five, a group of Black American basketball players were used to help draw attendance to dances on the south side of Chicago in 1926.
A few years later the team began to travel to Illinois and Iowa and would be rebranded as the New York Harlem Globe Trotters.
Between playing exhibition games and participating in the World Professional Basketball Tournament, the Globetrotters built a successful resume and a following.
Soon the team became known more for blending comedy and tricks into their games.
Origins of The Washington Generals
Founded in 1952 by former Philadelphia Sphas and Baltimore Bullets point guard Louis “Red” Klotz – an underdog himself as he stood just 5’7” and weighed 150 pounds (the fourth shortest player in NBA/ABA history) – the Generals came to be after Abe Saperstein, the Globetrotters owner, approached Klotz to head up a travel team of his own.
Being that the Globetrotters were a headline act, losing to the Sphas on several occasions did not play into Saperstein’s plans.
Whereas the Globetrotters were a team filled with basketball magic, comedy, and showmanship, the Generals – named in honor of General Dwight Eisenhower – were designed to be the exact opposite, more of a foil than a foe.
As the straight men in the comedy act, the Generals’ role was to provide a competitive opponent who would not overshadow the headliner.
While the Generals were talented players in their own right, playing college or professional basketball, many fans thought of them as hapless losers.
While they played hard and executed their offensive or defensive strategies, victory was often a far-fetched outcome.
While they were good enough to make the games competitive, they were essentially locked into a role where winning was nearly impossible.
Think of it as a basketball version of professional wrestling. The outcome is fixed, but the story told along the way reels fans in.
For years, the two teams battled, with the Generals often changing their names to either the “Atlantic City Seagulls,” “Baltimore Rockets,” “Boston Shamrocks,” or “New Jersey Reds” to give the illusion that the Globetrotters were facing different opponents.
Have The Washington Generals Ever Won a Game?
Of the over 13,000 games the Generals and the Globetrotters played against each other, reports are conflicting on how many the Generals have actually won.
While there is no official record, the estimate varies between 3 and 6 all-time wins for the Generals.
None were more famous than what happened during their game on January 5th, 1971, in Martin, Tennessee.
Ironically, this would be one of the games in which the Generals performed as the New Jersey Reds.
Riding a losing streak of 2,495 games, the Reds (Generals) and Klotz, who was acting as a player/coach, found themselves holding a 12-point lead with two minutes remaining.
While entertaining the crowd, the Globetrotters had lost track of both the score and time, finding themselves in the unfamiliar role of having to play catch-up.
Forced to shelf their comedic antics and play legitimate basketball, the Globetrotters managed to pull ahead 99-98.
However, thanks to a last-second shot by a 50-year-old Klotz, the Reds pulled off an amazing 100-99 victory, despite the timekeeper’s attempt at stopping the clock before the buzzer sounded.
Although happy with the outcome of the game, Klotz noted the fans’ tearful reaction, “They looked at us like we killed Santa Claus.”
Over the next forty years, whether they were known as the Generals, the “New York Nationals”, “International Elite”, “Global Select” or the “World All-Stars”, the meat of the story may have changed, but the ending remained the same, favoring the Globetrotters.
In 1995, having lost 13,000+ games, including approximately 7,968 in a row, the then 74-year-old Klotz, stated, “I’m the losingest coach in the world. But I’ll never get fired. Pretty amazing, huh?”
With the opportunity to travel around the world, earn a few thousand dollars a month playing basketball, and have the opportunity to not only play in front of sold-out crowds but also build a basketball resume, suiting up for the Washington Generals came with a lot of perks.
But playing for the Generals isn’t for everyone.
Former Guildford Quakers (NCAA Division III) guard Caleb Kimbrough pointed this out after suiting up for the Generals in 2008.
With a roster full of former collegiate stars and overseas professionals, some struggled to play for the Generals with the combination of a heavy travel schedule and swallowing their pride to essentially play the role of a loser.
David Birch, a two-time NAIA All-American and Ottawa University (KS) leading scorer, who played five years with the Generals noted that a teammate once quit during lunch.
“They want to make sure the Globetrotters eat first so they can go do autographs. So even though we would be in the cafeteria first, we would have to wait. And that would get under some people’s skin.”
Over the next twenty years, the Generals would suffer in the neighborhood of another 3,000 losses.
After over 19,000 games as a player, coach, and owner (and sometimes taking upon multiple roles), Klotz passed away at the age of 93 in 2014.
One year later on August 1st, 2015, after the Globetrotters management team decided to end their contract with their longtime foe, the teams played their final game (sort of) against the ‘Trotters in Wildwood, New Jersey.
Two years later the Generals found themselves brought back from the dead as Herschend Family Entertainment, owners of the Globetrotters, officially purchased the Generals from the Klotz family.
Bringing in former NBA guard and New York-born Sam Worthen as the head coach, and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith (of Inside The NBA fame) as the general manager, the Generals looked to change the narrative surrounding their team.
Comprised of three teams divided throughout North America and international schedules, the new-look Generals have done everything possible to obtain a fourth victory against their longtime foe.
“That’s what we’re looking forward to again. It’s coming,” Worthen said.
“Like they say, they’re the best team in the world. So once we beat them, we become the best team in the world.”
The Washington Generals may be the world’s most famous losers and ultimate underdogs, but in doing so, they will always be remembered for their role in the grand theatre of Globetrotters basketball.
Embracing their role with grace and immeasurable love for the game, the thousands of losses are surpassed by the millions of smiles they’ve helped bring to basketball fans around the world.
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