Spinning the Globe (50 page)

Inevitably, the old guys start telling stories about Goose Tatum.
They talk about Goose “going fishing” in his make-believe boat and throwing that damn hook shot from the top of the key. They talk about the nights he came up with gags that nobody had ever seen before, and fifty years later he’s still making his teammates laugh. They draw comparisons between Goose and other showmen, but even the other showmen realize that there is no comparison. “Goose was the greatest of all time,” says Geese Ausbie, who would get some votes himself for that title. But as Marques Haynes says, “Geese Ausbie was a great showman, but Geese is no Goose.”

There’s something incongruous about telling Goose Tatum stories in Springfield, however, because he is not a member of the Hall of Fame. Abe Saperstein was inducted in 1970, and now, with Mannie Jackson sitting on the Hall’s advisory board, more of the old Globetrotters are getting their due. Marques Haynes, Meadowlark Lemon, and Lynette Woodard have all been inducted. Even Bill Cosby, who has a “lifetime” dollar-a-year contract with the Trotters, was inducted in 2004 as an honorary member. But Goose has never made it.

“Goose should have been in the Hall of Fame years ago,” says Marques Haynes. “If he doesn’t get in, I’ll always have the feeling that the Hall of Fame is incomplete.”

By now, it’s almost one in the morning, and some of the older guys start making noises about turning in. As the evening winds down, however, the talk turns, as it always does, to the Globetrotters who are gone. The ones who have passed on. There are so many of them. Ermer Robinson, who hit the winning shot against the Lakers, and died of throat cancer. Rookie Brown, who starred in
The Harlem Globetrotters
opposite Dorothy Dandridge, who died penniless after too much alcohol. Sweetwater Clifton, the gentle giant, who died driving a hack in Chicago. Bernie Price, who used to bring his grandchildren up to the office on Dearborn Street and show them off. Pop Gates, who is in the Hall of Fame, passed away in 1997. Billy Ray Hobley, “Super Trotter,” who dropped dead of an aneurism on the tennis court at age forty-six. All gone now.

The night is ending. One by one, the old Trotters stand up and stretch their legs and say their farewells. Some have early-morning
flights to catch back home to Little Rock, Dallas, or Detroit. They shake hands across the table with their old teammates and tell them, “Take it easy, man, I’ll see you next time,” even though they know there may not be a next time for all of them. But as they turn and slowly make their way across the lobby, some are still here, some have passed on, but the Circle remains.

What follows is an alphabetical listing of every player who ever wore a Globetrotters’ uniform since their inception. I appreciate the work of J. Michael Kenyon in collaborating with me to compile this list.

Angel Acuna

Gerrod Abram

Melvin “MC” Adams

Joe Adkins

Eli “The Fly” Akin

Tony Akins

Bacari Alexander

Chad Allen

Peter Aluma

Cliff Anderson

Greg “Cadillac” Anderson

Lawrence “Rock” Anderson

Willie “Train” Anderson

Orlando “Hurricane”

Antigua

Darnell Archey

Jesse Arnelle

Morris L. Arthur

Robert Aston

George Atkins

Ernest Aughburns

Hubert “Geese” Ausbie

Clyde “The Glide” Austin

Reginald “Rickey” Ayala

James “Jumbo” Bacon

Galen Baker

Milton Banks

Robert Banks

Bill Barnes

Maurice “Stretch” Barnett

Donald Barnette

Shanty Barnette

Floyd Bates

Kenny Battle

Albert Beard

Curtis Bell

Greg Bell

Tavorris Bell

Willie Bell

Arnold “A-Train” Bernard

Jackie Bernard

Jimmy Blacklock

Joe Blair

Anthony Blakes

Larry Bleach

Ben Bluitt

Ruben Bolen

“Jazzy J” Jamie Booker

Tyrus Boswell

Wyatt “Sonny” Boswell

Joseph Bourne

Myree Bowden

Donnie Boyce

Aundre Branch

Nate Branch

Agis Bray

Cleveland Bray

Brad Bridgewater

John Britto

Ernest Brock

Tommy Brookins

Bill “200” Brown

Courtney “The Iceman” Brown

Ernest Brown

George Brown

Gerald Brown

Hillary Brown J.B. Brown

John ( Jack) Brown

Mike Brown

Rickey Brown

Sir Valiant Brown

Thomas “Cochise” Brown

Tyrone “Hollywood” Brown

William “Rookie” Brown

Willie Brown

Kris “Hi-Lite” Bruton

Andre Bryant

Hallie Bryant

Tarise Bryson

Joe Buckhalter

Monty Buckley

Pete “Shorty” Bueford

Boid Buie

Marcus Bullard

Walter Burch Jr.

Frank Burks

Stanley “Chico” Burrell

Ed Burton

Donald Byrd

Roy “ZaZu” Byrd

Cedric Caballos

Harry Caldwell

Don Calhoun

John “Moose” Campbell

Willie Campbell

Derrick Canada

Bruce Capers

Ted “Fist” Carey

Marc Carter

Willie Cerf

Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain

John Chaney

John “Bill” Chavers

Nathaniel Chisholm

Wally Choice

Ousmane Cisse

George Clark

Zachary “Zach” Clayton

Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton

Alvin Clinkscales

Keith Closs

Kara Coates

Jesse Coffey

Elvin Coker

Ron “Sugah” Cole

Larry “Shorty” Coleman

Lorenzo Coleman

Troy Collier

Lee Collins

Chuck Cooper

Duane Cooper

Robert Cooper

Bill Cosby

Opal Courtney

Shon Crosby

George Crowe

Jason Crowe

Robert Crowe

Lance Cudjoe

Lawrence Cudjoe

Albert Culton

Roscoe “Duke” Cumberland

Roscoe “Duke” Cumberland Jr.

Alan “Vitamin C” Cunningham

Thomas “Joe” Cunningham

William Cunningham

Jamar Curry

Kevin Daley

Wendyl “Brutus” Daniel

Warren Daniels

Ben Davis

James “Country” Davis

Lorenzo “Piper” Davis

McKinley “Deacon” Davis

Mel “Trick” Davis

Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins

Todd Day

Brandon Dean

Dick Dempsey

Blaine Denning

Dan Dennis

Hank DeZonie

Kaniel Dickens

Dwaine Dillard

Al Dixon

Reggie “Air Man” Dixon

Tyrone “Dynamite” Doleman

Cameron Dollar

Jeffery Dollison

Ovie Dotson

James Doughty

Michael “Memphis” Douglas

Robert Dowery

Jessie “Super-J” Drain

Sam Lee Drummer

Walter Dukes

Walter Dumpson

“Sweet” Lou Dunbar

Dwight Durante

Sherwin Durham

George “Easy” Easter

Eugene Edgerson

Damond Edwards

Sidney Edwards

Rodney “Hot Rod” English

Dajuan “Piece” Eubanks

Lamont Evans

Robert “So Smooth” Fairley

Greene Farmer Jr.

Al Fawks

James Felton

“Fast” Eddie Fields

Ronnie Fields

Agusta “Gus” Finney

Jackie Fitzpatrick

Pascal “Frenchy” Fleury

Sterling Forbes Sr.

Sterling “Smooth” Forbes Jr.

Sherell Ford

William “Plunk” Ford

Willie Foreman

Tremaine Fowlkes

Glen Francis

Seth “Hot ‘N Fresh” Franco

Reggie Franklin

Robert Frazier

William “Razor” Frazier

Lloyd Gabourel

Paul “Showtime” Gaffney

David “Smokey” Gaines

Erin “Helicopter” Galloway

“Wee” Willie Gardner

Lee Garner

William “The Orbit” Garner

Bill Garrett

Lionel Garrett Jr.

William “Pop” Gates

Reggie Geary

Sammy Gee

Devean George

Gee Gervin

Bob Gibson

Leroy Gibson

Thomas Gibson

Henry Gill

J.C. Gipson

Kenny Glenn

LaMarcus Golden

Elbert “Tree” Gordon

Art Grant

Chudney Gray

Ed Gray

George Gray

Gerald Gray

Carl Green

“Super” Mario Green

Nate Green

Anthony Greenup

Lynn Greer

Josh Grider

Rob Griffin

William Sylvester Griffin

Willie Griffin

Eugene Gutter

Sammie Haley

Simeon Haley

Lorenzo Hall

Robert “Showboat” Hall

Roy Hammonds

Mark Hannabal

Vic Hanson

Barry “High Rise” Hardy

Mike Harmon

Cleveland Harp

Charley Harris

Millard Harris

Rico Harris

C.C. Harrison

Charles “Tex” Harrison

Connie “Hawk” Hawkins

Fess Hawkins

Juaquin “Hawk” Hawkins

Leroy Hawkins

Sherman Hawkins

Jimmy Haynes

Marques Haynes

Curtis Haywood

Carl Helem

Michael Henderson

Jimmy “Pee Wee” Henry

David Hicks

Sean Higgins

Cory Hightower

Kelvin “Special K” Hildreth

Oris Hill

Leon Hillard

Doug Himes

“Mr. Exciting” Exree Hipp

“Supertrotter” Billy Ray Hobley

Sandra “Sweetness” Hodge

James Hodges

Robert Hokett

James Holland

Kevin Holland

General Lee Holman

Charles Holton

Pete Hood

Gary Hooker

James Horne

Willie Horton

Stuart House

John Howard

Tyrone “Mooney” Howard

Charles Hoxie

Harold “Bobo” Hubbard

Eugene Hudgins

Roosevelt “Roosie”

Hudson

Solomon Hughes

Vincent Humphrey

Eddie Hunt

Bobby “Zorro” Hunter

Jimmie “Snap” Hunter

McCoy Ingram

John Isaacs

Alvin Jackson

Anthony “Tony” Jackson

Benjamin Jackson

Glover “Action” Jackson

Inman “Big Jack” Jackson

“Jumping” Jackie Jackson

Mannie Jackson

Matt “Showbiz” Jackson

Mike Jackson

Quentin Jackson

Ronnie Jackson

Jerome James

Max Jameson

Shawn “Thunderbird” Jameson

Alvin Jefferson

Seldon Jefferson

Jesse Jemison

Daron Jenkins

Ferguson Jenkins

Al “Big Train” Johnson

Albert Johnson

“Handy” Andy Johnson

Cleo Johnson

Curley “Boo” Johnson

Curley Johnson

Dalron Johnson

Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Harold “Killer” Johnson

Lester Johnson

Lorenzo Johnson

Luther Johnson

Allen “AJ” Jones

Chuck Jones

Chuck “Mighty Man” Jones

Collins Jones

Damon Jones

Eric Jones

Ernest Jones

Steve Jones

William “Bill” Jones

Clyde Jordan

Gerald Jordan

Mike Jordan

Reggie Jordan

James “Jamming J” Joseph

Roscoe Julien

Charlie Justice

Bob Karstens

Henry Kean Jr.

Junius Kellogg

Walter Kennedy

Otis “OK” Key

Boudreau King

Ezell King

Jeff King

Mike King

Wilbert King

William “Dolly” King

Woudruff “Boudreau” King

Robin “Captain Kirk” Kirksey

Webster Kirksey

“Jumping” Johnny Kline

Bobby Knight

Ronald Knight

Herman “Helicopter” Knowings

Vic Kraft

Darius Lane

John Lane

Herbert “Flight Time” Lang

Alto Lark

Granville “Granny” Lash

David “Big Daddy” Lattin

Jolette “Jazzy” Law

Edmond Lawrence

Jason Lawson

Floyd Layne

Harry “Bunny” Leavitt

Eric “Big E” Lee

Norman “Junior” Lee Jr.

Theodis “Wolfman” Lee

George “Meadowlark” Lemon

Melvin Levett

Brian Lewin

Elzie Lewis

Joe Lillard

John Linehan

Robert Lee Little

Jamal Livingston

Earl Lloyd

John “Licky” Lloyd Ramel Lloyd

Osborne “The Wizard” Lockhart

Rahim Lockhart

Byron “Fat” Long

Thomas Long

Ray Lothery

Corey Louis

LaQuency “Candy” Lucas

Emory Luck

Paxton “Sugar” Lumpkin

Bob Lun

Kevin Lyde

Kei Madison

Coata “Big Cat” Malone

Willie Malone

Jack Mann

Chris “Plastique” Manuel

Fred Marberry

Everett “Ziggy” Marcell

Mike Marshall

Darrick Martin

Elmer “String Bean” Martin

Bobby Joe Mason

William “Buzz” Matthews

Dut Mayar

Ken McBride

Mark McCall

Grady McCollum

Joel McCrea

Darnell McCulloch

Jeremee McGuire

Lowell McHenry

Eural McKelvy

Vernon McNeal

Pat McPherson

Paul McPherson

Bill Meggett

Matthew Merritt

Anthony “Pig” Miller

Oliver “Big O” Miller

Bobby Milton

Davage “Dave” Minor

Howard Mitchell

Thomas Mitchell

Bill Mobley

Max Molock

Michael Moncrief

Howard Lee Montgomery

Jamario Moon

Donald “Ducky” Moore

Legolian “Boots” Moore

Sammy Moore

Trey Moore

William Morgan Jr.

Chris Morris

Earl “Sugar” Morrison

Cameron Murray

David Nash

Dave Naves

Fred “Curly” Neal

John Netherly

Ritchie Nicol

Chuck Norris

Ronald Nunnery

Eathan O’Bryant

Kingsley Ogwudire

Terrance O’Kelley

Manny Oliver

William “Kid” Oliver

Townsend Orr

Okeme Oziwo

Robert “Babyface” Paige Jr.

Clifton Payton

George Peaks

Fred Pearson

C.J. Pepper

Reggie “Silky” Perkins

Ervell Perry

William “Dink” Peters

Tony Peyton

Silas Phelps

Reggie “Regulator”

Phillips

Kendal “Tiny” Pinder

William Pippen

Derick Polk

Olden Polynice

Robert “Longie” Powell

Louis “Babe” Pressley

Al Price

Bernie Price

Timothy Price

Charles Primas

Trent Pulliam

Al “Runt” Pullins

Randolph Ramsey

Ty “Mr. T” Randolph

Dedrick Reffigee

Kareem “Best Kept Secret” Reid

Johnny “Ace” Rhodes

Kitwana Rhymer

Spencer “Doctor” Rhynes

Chris Richardson

Pooh Richardson

Antonio Rivers

Larry “Gator” Rivers

Stanley Roberts

Terrance Roberson

Bailey Robertson

Paul “Pablo” Robertson

Walter Robertson

Doug Robinson

Ermer Robinson

Galen Robinson

James “Tim the Rim” Robinson

Dwayne “Legend” Rogers

Ron Rollerson

Oliver “Catfish” Rollins

William John

Roseborough

Warren Rosegreen Cliff Rozier

Harry Rusan

Mike “The Saint”

St. Julien

Soumaila Samake

Alex “Big Ticket”

Sanders

James “Twiggy” Sanders

Keaton Sanders

Mark Sanford

Abe Saperstein

Woody Sauldsberry

Sam Sawyer

Willie Scarborough

Antoine Scott

Antwan Scott

Christopher Scott

Henry Scott

Jack Scott

John Scott

Lee Scruggs

Tom Sealy

Ron Selleaze

Karim Shabazz

Sam Sharpe

Frank Shaw

Clifford Shegogg

Andrew Shepard

Nick Sheppard

Keiron “Sweet Pea” Shine

Trazel “Quick” Silvers

Lazarus Sims

Cyde “The Glide” Sinclair

Henry “Al” Singleton

Charles Smith

Clarence Smith

Doug Smith