Abe Saperstein

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Abraham M. Saperstein (July 4, 1902 – March 15, 1966) was the founder and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters. He was born in London, England.

In the 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, Illinois, United States and the "Globetrotters" moniker to make it seem as though the team had traveled all around the world.

Saperstein, whose 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m) stature may have rendered him as Basketball Hall of Fame's shortest member, was elected to the Hall in 1970. In 1979, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

He was buried in the Westlawn Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.