Spinning the Globe (54 page)

Sanders, Twiggy, 358

San Francisco All-Nations, 190

Saperstein, Abe (Abraham Michael).
See also
financial issues; Harlem Globetrotters

Basketball Hall of Fame and, 391

beginnings of Globetrotters and, 34–38, 45–50

Wilt Chamberlain and, 288–91

College All-Star tour and, 216–18, 221–23

early life of, in Chicago, 14–24, 68

first Madison Square Garden game and, 3–5, 8–10

Marques Haynes and, 253–59, 265

Hollywood and, 214–15, 235, 246–48, 254, 264–65

illness and death of, 305–16

international tours and, 240, 248–50, 284–85

Mannie Jackson and, 368–69

Minneapolis Lakers rivalry and, 201, 209–10

NBA and, 228–33, 271–72

Negro League baseball and, 33–34, 42–43

as promoter, 63–65, 245–46

relationships of, with players, 151–52, 192, 389

release of Goose Tatum by, 272–82

sexual activity of, 299–300

as substitute player, 52, 61–62

success of, 94–95, 142–43, 146–49, 187–90, 259–64, 316–17, 339

Saperstein, Eloise, 94, 339

Saperstein, Fay, 17, 228, 249, 306, 339

Saperstein, Harry, 17, 23, 43, 52–53, 172, 299, 314

Saperstein, Jerry, 285, 339–40, 364

Saperstein, Leah, 17, 19, 21, 23

Saperstein, Louis and Anna, 14–18, 22–23

Saperstein, Morris, 17, 23, 188, 259, 339–40, 352

Saperstein, Rockmill “Rocky,” 17, 23, 68, 172, 188, 278–79

Saperstein, Sylvia Franklin, 68, 314, 339

Savoy Big Five, 34–35, 38–44, 46, 49–50, 56, 70, 74–75, 143

Schreiber, Walter, 243–44

segregation, 11, 60, 69–70, 166, 175, 194–96, 220, 222, 251–52, 265–71, 389.
See also
racial issues

sexual activity, 288–89, 296–300.
See also
women

Sheboygan Redskins, 107, 118–19, 128, 139, 201

showmanship.
See also
ballhandling; comedy routines; films; television appearances

Sonny Boswell’s, 146

Inman Jackson’s, 57

Minneapolis Lakers game, 212–14

racial stereotypes and minstrel show issue, 58, 90–93, 101–2, 163, 293–94, 349–52, 373

Abe Saperstein on, 147

Goose Tatum’s, 160, 324–25 (
See also
Tatum, Reece “Goose”)

Shults, Alex, 126, 147

Sinclair, Clyde, 384

Smith, Kate, 100, 105

Smith, Wee Willie, 111, 114–15, 118, 130

Smith, Wendell, 103–4, 119, 139, 141, 143, 146, 163, 171–72, 188, 232, 255–57, 273, 285

Smith, Wyonella, 188, 306–7, 312–15, 340, 352

South Side Chicago (Bronzeville), 28–31, 36, 209–10.
See also
Chicago

Soviet Union, 283–87

sports

African Americans in, ix, 27–31

greatest year, 32

Abe Saperstein’s early interest in, 19–24

Sports Spectacular
(show), 302–5

sportswriters

Globetrotter comedy and, 85, 92–93

Abe Saperstein’s relationships with, 64–65, 79–81, 89, 95, 146–47, 255–56

State Department.
See
United States

State Department

Steinbrenner, George, 309

Stephens, Frank, 341–42, 343–48, 351, 373, 390

stereotypes, racial, 58, 90–93, 101–2, 163, 293–94, 349–52, 373.
See also
racial issues

Strauss, Michael, 45–48

strikes, 338–39, 342, 343–45, 358.
See also
players

Strong, Ted, 97–98, 101–2, 109, 114–17, 123–24, 135–36, 144, 165, 169, 176–79, 191, 197, 206–7, 235, 262

Summer Youth Basketball Camps, 379

Summons, Murphy, 343

Super Globetrotters, The
(cartoon), 337

Sweet Georgia Brown
(song), 1–3, 245, 286, 381, 387

Sykes, Harry, 263, 353

Tatum, Reece “Goose”

baseball career of, 158–62

play of, after Globetrotters, 316–26

play of, for Globetrotters, 2, 6, 152, 158, 162–63, 166–68, 390–91

Wilt Chamberlain and, 288

College All-Star tour and, 222

creativity of, 7, 153–54, 197–99, 279–80

early life of, 154–61

film and, 235

illness and death of, 316, 326–32

international tours and, 224–27, 237–38, 250

Legends Ring and, 381

Meadowlark Lemon vs., 293–95, 351

military career of, 168–70

Minneapolis Lakers and, 202–14, 233

pay for, 263

release of, from Globetrotters, 272–82

Tatum, Goose, Jr. “Sonny,” 320, 322, 325–29

Tatum, Naomi Hirsh, 318–19, 322–32

Tatum, Nona, 318, 328–29

Tatum, Reece, III, 280, 319, 322–32

television appearances, 280–81, 302–5, 335–38, 342, 347–48

They Cleared the Lane
(book), 229–30

Thomas, Ron, 229–30

Thomas, Willie, 220

Thornton, Dallas, 354

Toast of the Town
(show), 260

Tommy Brookins’s Globe Trotters, 43–50

training camps, 139, 152, 373

Twombly, Wells, 352

Uncle Tom issue.
See
minstrel show issue

union, players’, 346–48, 357–58

United Basketball Players Association, 358

United Negro College Fund, 378–79

United States State Department, 10, 226–27, 240–44,

vaudeville shows, 308, 309–10

Vaughn, Govoner, 309, 366–69, 381–82, 388, 390

Vecsey, George, 353

Veeck, Bill, 246, 285

Versher, Wun, 375, 389

Wagner, Ernest, 263

Walker, Elvie, 155–59

Washington, Andy, 50

Washington, Chester, 81, 105, 119, 125–26

Washington, Frank, 7, 197, 225–27, 235, 237, 260, 300, 351, 381

Washington Generals, 294, 302–5, 306, 334, 360

Watkins, Jim “Nugie,” 125, 151, 154

Watson, Bill “Ham,” 30, 39–40, 42, 43–44

Welch, Winfield, 144, 162, 179, 196, 259, 274, 278

West Coast Negro Baseball League, 187

West Germany, 227, 238–44

Wheeler, Leon, 129, 137–38

Wheeler, Sam “Boom Boom,” 192, 195, 197, 203–5, 207, 209, 281

White, Jackie, 357

white Globetrotters, 169–70

Wide World of Sports
(show), 336, 338, 347

Williams, Bob, 353

Wilson, Clarence, 235, 284–85

Wilson, Michael “Wild Thing,” 385, 387

Wilson, Rollo, 255

Winter, Max, 201, 209, 210

women

as Globetrotter players 357–58, 381, 388, 391

Mannie Jackson’s management and, 373

Abe Saperstein and, 299–300

sexual activity and, 296–300

Goose Tatum and, 277, 317–19

white, 267, 299–300

Woodard, Lynette, 357–58, 381, 388, 391

Woods, Parnell, 284, 315

world colored championship claim, 71, 74–75.
See also
World Professional Invitational Basketball Tournaments

World Professional Invitational Basketball Tournaments, 105–20, 126–38, 150–51, 166, 170, 201

World Series of Basketball.
See
College All-Star tours

world tours.
See
international tours

World War II, 106–7, 126–27, 163–66, 168–73

Wright, Walter “Toots,” 26, 30, 31, 36, 39, 42, 43–44, 46, 50, 53, 56, 65, 73

Wrigley Field, 279

Young, Dick, 5

Young, Fay, 38, 100, 138, 255, 257

Zeigler, Vertes, 7, 152, 192–97, 203–9, 268, 278

Zinkoff, Dave, 249–50

Zulu Cannibal Giants, 161–62

Cover design by Laura Klynstra Blost

Cover photograph of Kris Bruton by John E. Kasko