Tricksters in the Madhouse: Lakers Vs. Globetrotters, 1948In February 1948 the brand-new, all-white Minneapolis Lakers were arguably the greatest basketball team in America, favored to win the World Professional Basketball Tournament later that year. Meanwhile the Harlem Globetrotters, at the center of black basketball, were riding their own incredible 103-game winning streak. Best known to white audiences for their clowning and comedy, the Globetrotters were not even thought to be in the same league with the mighty Lakers. So when these two powerhouses met for the first time-on February 19, 1948, before an audience of eighteen thousand in Chicago Stadium-basketball fans everywhere were in for an eye-opening performance. Tricksters in the Madhouse is the story of this pivotal meeting, a game that would encapsulate the growing racial tensions of the era, particularly the struggle of black Americans to gain legitimacy in the segregated world of sports. Play-by-play, John Christgau recreates the heart-stopping game that would shock white basketball fans raised to view black athletes in separate and unequal terms. Through in-depth interviews and extensive research, Christgau brings this critical match-up to life. By looking beyond the drama in the arena to the broader events of the day, he also puts the game in its sociological context, revealing how, even as it enacted the racial inequities of the time, this crucial game represented an important step toward equality. John Christgau is a lecturer at Saint Mary's College of California and the author of many books, including The Origins of the Jumpshot: Eight Men Who Shook the World of Basketball(Nebraska 1998). |
Contents
Second Quarter | 55 |
Johnny and Abe | 95 |
Bucky | 105 |
Pop | 113 |
Marques | 122 |
Over Time | 175 |
Notes | 191 |
Sources and Acknowledgments | 217 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abe Saperstein action African American already appeared arms athletic Babe ball basket basketball bench body called Carlson cheering Chicago Defender Chicago Stadium circle clowning coach court crowd Defender dribble drops Ermer Robinson face fans February feet finally floor foul free throw Gates George Mikan Globetrotters Goose Tatum hands head immediately interview January 18 Jim Pollard Johnny Kundla jump Kangaroo keep King Kundla Lakers lead league leap look Marques Haynes matter meant Meanwhile Meyer Minneapolis Minnesota misses move never night October official once pass play players points Pollard Press Pressley professional quickly race reach rebound rises San Diego Saperstein Schaefer score seems shoot shot side signed stand Star step stop Story straight Street suddenly tries Trotters trying turned victory watch York Young