(Detroit-MI)- The American Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its list of 100 of the greatest barnstorming comedy basketball players of All-Times. For a long time, many of these players have been overlooked by the NBA and halls of fame and forgotten by fans. Many of these players could have played in the NBA and few on this list have played in the NBA and have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the American Basketball Hall of Fame.
Comedy basketball goes back to 1927 with the first comedy basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters, then in 1934 with the Harlem Clowns, many fans only know about the Harlem Globetrotters, but since the 1930’s there have been many barnstorming comedy basketball teams from the likes of the Harlem Roadkings, Harlem Stars, Harlem Travels, Harlem Magicians, Harlem Satellites, Harlem Ambassadors, Harlem Diplomats, Harlem Wizards, and Meadowlark Lemon Harlem All-Stars and many more. Many of these teams today are still barnstorming the globe.
Back in the 1950’s many times, the Harlem Globetrotters would play on the same card with the NBA to help draw fans. Many of the things you see in the NBA today come from comedy basketball and from the urban playground of America. The 3 point shot, the hook shot, the slam dunk, the crossover dribble, and the fancy passing also come from comedy basketball. Many comedy basketball players have very long playing careers like Marques Haynes and Meadowlark Lemon, played for over 50 years, and toured over 100 counties.
The goal of the American Basketball Hall of Fame that is based in the city of Detroit is to form an organization called Comedy Basketball Retrieved Players Association (CBRPA) to help retrieve players and to recognize players of comedy basketball year. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has inducted about 10 players and owners of comedy basketball into the hall of fame, and over the past 5 years, they have honored players like Tyrone “Hollywood” Brown of the Harlem Globetrotters with the Mannie Jackson Award and LaMont “ShowBoat” Robinson of the Harlem Clowns who have been nominated 5 times for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
ALL-TIME COMEDY BASKETBALL LEGENDS
DONALD “DUCKY” MOORE – HARLEM AMBASSADORS/HG
PAXTON “SUGAR” LUMPKIN – HARLEM AMBASSADORS
CORNY FREEMAN – HARLEM AMBASSADORS
BILL “RED” TURNER – HARLEM AMBASSADORS
“LIL” ARTHUR DOUGLAS – HARLEM AMBASSADORS
LAMONT “SHOWBOAT” ROBINSON – HARLEM CLOWNS
EURAL McKELVY – HARLEM CLOWNS/HG
AL “RUNT” PULLINS – HARLEM CLOWNS/HG
STANLEY “CHICO” BURRELL HARLEM CLOWNS/HG
HERB SCAIFE HARLEM CLOWNS
BOB “TICK” WOODS – HARLEM CLOWNS
JAMES WOOLEY, Jr – HARLEM CLOWNS
EDDIE HURT – HARLEM CLOWNS
SUG MORRISON – HARLEM CLOWNS
RAY “SHOWBOAT” CLAY – HARLEM CLOWNS
WAYNE “RARE AIR” – HARLEM CLOWNS
ART “BONE” SMITH -ART SMITH – HARLEM CLOWNS
ROBERT COOPER – HARLEM CLOWNS
HOWIE RAND – HARLEM CLOWNS
GOOSE Jr, – HARLEM DIPLOMATS
NEAL HUMPHREY – HARLEM DIPLOMATS
“HOOKS” HARVEY – HARLEM DIPLOMATS
MEADOWLARK LEMON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
FRED “CURLY” NEAL – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
REECE “GOOSE” TATUM – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
TYRONE “HOLLYWOOD” BROWN – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
BOBBY HUNTER – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
“CURLEY BOO” JOHNSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
PAUL “SHOWTIME” GAFFNEY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
MICHAEL “WILD THING” WILSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
MARQUES HAYNES – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
CHUCK COOPER – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
LOUIS “SWEET LOU” DUNBAR – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
MICHAEL “MEMPHIS” DOUGLAS – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
BOBBY JOE MASON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
“JUMPIN” JACKIE JACKSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS/NBA
TED STRONG – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
BOID BUIE – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
OSBORNE LOCKHART – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
WOODY SAULDSBERRY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS/NBA
CONNIE “THE HAWK” HAWKINS – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS/NBA
LEON HILLARD – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
NATHANIEL “SWEETWATER” CLIFTON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS/NBA
REGGIE “AIRMAN” DIXSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
JAMES “TWIGGY” SANDERS – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
OTIS KEY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
LYNETTE WOODARD – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS/WNBA
MATTHEW “SHOWBIZ” JACKSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
BILLY RAY HOBLEY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
ROBERT “SHOWBOAT” HALL – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
KEVIN “SPECIAL” DALEY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
MANNIE JACKSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
SAM “BOOM-BOOM” WHEELER – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
WILLIAM “ROOKIE” BROWN – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
LARRY “SHORTY” COLEMAN – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
HUBERT “GEESE” AUSBIE – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
WILT CHAMBERLAIN – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS/NBA
HAROLD “BOBO” HUBBARD – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
WILLIAM “POP” GATES – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
BABE PRESSLEY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
LARRY “GATOR” RIVERS – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
“JUMPIN” JOHNNY WILSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
PABLO ROBERTSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
“JUMPIN” JOHNNY KLINE – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
ERMER ROBINSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
J.C. GIPSON – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERSERNEST
WAGNER – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
FRANK “SHAKE IN BAKE” STREETY – HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
JOSH GRIDER – HARLEM MAGICIANS/HG
EUGENE JOHNSON – HARLEM MAGICIANS
VALENTINO WILLIS – HARLEM MAGICIANS
“SUGARFOOT” JOHNSON WILEY – HARLEM MAGICIANS
NORRIS SHAPP – HARLEM MAGICIANS
KEN SCOTT – HARLEM MAGICIANS
JOHN SMITH – HARLEM MAGICIANS
PAUL MARTIN – HARLEM MAGICIANS
TOMMY GIBSON – HARLEM MAGICIANS
BRENT “BJ” JOHNSON – MEADOWLARK LEMON’S HARLEM ALL-STARS
LES “PEE WEE” HARRISON – MEADOWLARK LEMON’S HARLEM ALL-STARS
ERNEST AUGHBURNS – MEADOWLARK LEMON’S HARLEM ALL-STARS/HG
SHERWIN “SHAKE” DURHAM – MEADOWLARK LEMON’S HARLEM ALL-STARS/HG
TONY MARTIN – MEADOWLARK LEMON’S HARLEM ALL-STARS
MARVIN “DEADEYE” HEMPSTEAD – HARLEM ROADKINGS
HAROLD “CHICO” DAWKINS – HARLEM ROADKINGS
DeMONIO DUKES – HARLEM ROADKINGS
CLEO JOHNSON – HARLEM ROADKINGS
MARLAND “SHOWBOAT” BUCKNER – HARLEM ROADKINGS
TERRELLE “HANDLES” JONES – HARLEM ROADKINGS
FRANK “SHOWBOAT” GIBSON – HARLEM SATELLITES
“BIG” BILL” MATHEWS – HARLEM SATELLITES
EUGENE “GENE” ANDERSON – HARLEM SATELLITES
AL SCOTT – MAGIC STARS
“BIG” JOHN BARBER – HARLEM STARS
ANDY SHEPARD – HARLEM STARS
REX “SHOWBOAT” JONES – HARLEM TRAVELERS
SAM WORTHEN – HARLEM WIZARDS
ARNOLD “A-TRAIN” BERNARD/HG
CLARENCE “MUGSY” LEGGETT – HARLEM WIZARDS
TOJO – HARLEM WIZARDS
