This article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone. Are you certain this article is inappropriate? Excessive Violence Sexual Content Political / Social
Email Address:
Article Id: WHEBN0000395172 Reproduction Date:
Abraham M. Saperstein (July 4, 1902 – March 15, 1966) was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters. He was born in London, England to a Jewish family.[1]
Saperstein was the commissioner of the American Basketball League, which he founded in 1961 after repeatedly being denied an NBA expansion franchise. He also owned the Chicago Majors team in that league.[2] In an effort to differentiate the ABL from the NBA and promote it, Saperstein introduced the three-point shot.[3]
In the 1988 Harlem Globetrotters documentary 6 Decades of Magic, it was noted that Saperstein chose "Harlem" to indicate that the players were African-American, even though they were actually from Chicago, and the "Globetrotters" moniker to make it seem as though the team had traveled all around the world.[4] Saperstein sewed the team's first red, white and blue jerseys himself, presumably having learned this skill from his tailor father.[5]
Saperstein, whose 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) stature may render him as Basketball Hall of Fame's shortest member, was elected to the Hall in 1971.[1] In 1979, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[6] He played baseball, basketball, and ran track at Lake View High School. He played as a guard for the Chicago Reds.
He was buried in the Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois near Chicago.
United Kingdom, City of London, Paris, Greater London, Australia
United Kingdom, Angles, Cornwall, Isle of Man, English language
National Basketball Association, Fiba, Basketball at the Summer Olympics, World War II, National Collegiate Athletic Association
Illinois, Chicago metropolitan area, University of Chicago, Millennium Park, New York City
Basketball, National Basketball Association, Wilt Chamberlain, Herschend Family Entertainment, Chicago
Germany national football team, Spain national football team, France national football team, Netherlands national football team, Italy national football team
Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks
Soviet Union, Philippines, United States, Manila, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Jon Scheyer, Jay Fiedler, Yael Averbuch, Boyd Melson, Cliff Bayer