Red Klotz

Louis Herman "Red" Klotz (born October 21, 1921) is a former NBA point guard with the original Baltimore Bullets, who is best known for forming the teams that play against and tour with the Harlem Globetrotters: the Washington Generals and the New York Nationals.

Background

Klotz was born in Philadelphia on October 21, 1921,^[1] where he attended South Philadelphia High School. He led the school team to city basketball championships in 1939 and 1940, both times earning Philadelphia Player of the Year honors.^{[citation needed]}

After attending Villanova University and serving in World War II, Klotz played one season for the Baltimore Bullets, getting into 11 games and scoring 15 points.^[2] He also played in six playoff games, scoring six points.

At 5' 7", he is the third-shortest person to play in an NBA game,^[3] and the shortest to play on a championship team.^[4]

Generals

Klotz had played for the Philadelphia Sphas of the ABL. In an exhibition game, the Sphas defeated the Harlem Globetrotters, Klotz's first game against them.

Klotz later bought the Sphas, and changed the name to the Washington Generals. In 1953 Abe Saperstein, owner of the Globetrotters, approached Klotz about having his team tour with the Globetrotters and play them on a regular basis. From 1953 until 1995, the Generals played exhibitions against the Globetrotters, winning only six games, the last in 1971, and losing more than 13,000.^[3] Klotz played with the team as a point guard until the age of 62, and at 50 years old hit the game winning shot for the New Jersey Reds with 3 seconds left in their final win. "The crowd wanted to kill me", he said.^[5]

In 1995 Klotz "disbanded" the Generals and formed the New York Nationals to take their place, to erase their record and "change their luck".^[5] The team remained the Nationals until 2007, when they reverted to the "Generals" name.^[6] The Generals remain a separate organization from the Globetrotters.^[7] Klotz claims the team still tries to win every game.

Achievements

Klotz was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He became the first non-Globetrotter to receive the Globetrotters' "Legend" award on March 10, 2007^[8] Red has stated he has lost over 13,000 games in his coaching career.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of select Jewish basketball players

References

External links

• Crothers, Tim. "The General Whose Army Never Wins," Sports Illustrated, February 20, 1995
• Branch, John. "When the Generals Lose to the Globetrotters, Everyone Wins," The New York Times, Friday, February 13, 2009
• "The Winningest Loser", South Jersey Magazine, June 2008.