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]
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.[2]
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.[3] He played baseball, basketball, and ran track while in high school. He played as a guard for the Chicago Reds.
He was buried in the Westlawn Cemetery in Norridge, Illinois near Chicago.
[edit] References
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Boldface indicates those who are also inducted as players
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| Baseball |
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| Basketball |
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| Bowling |
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| Boxing |
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| Pole Vault |
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| Racquetball |
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| Rugby |
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| Shot put |
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| Track |
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| Triathlete |
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| Other |
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Writer/Broadcaster/
Columnist/Photographer/
Executive |
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Awards
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Marty Glickman Award;
Outstanding Jewish
Scholastic (College)
Athlete of the Year |
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Jules D. Mazor Award;
Outstanding Jewish
High School Scholar
Athlete of the Year |
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Dick Steinberg Award;
"Good Guy" Award |
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| George Young Award |
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Saperstein, Abe |
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| Short description |
American basketball player |
| Date of birth |
1902-07-04 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
1966-03-15 |
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