GLOBETROTTING FOR 75 YEARS: HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS PLAY AT SHOW ME CENTER THURSDAY

When the Harlem Globetrotters played their first game on the road in Hinkley, Ill., 75 years ago, 300 people watched in the school gymnasium and the team only took in $75.

Since then, audiences have grown to 120 million fans worldwide and ticket prices range from $12 to $35.

Some of those 120 million fans will watch the Harlem Globetrotters perform at the Show Me Center at 7 p.m. Thursday as part of the team's 75th anniversary tour.

People who come to the show will see great basketball just like they did 75 years ago, but today they'll get great entertainment too, said Kim Garvey, vice president of corporate communications for the Globetrotters.

The Harlem Globetrotters were founded in 1926 in Chicago by Abe Saperstein. The team, composed primarily of African-Americans at that time, played its first road game Jan. 7, 1927.

"We're celebrating that beginning with this tour," Garvey said.

In their 75 years, people have seen both competitive basketball and comical antics. When the team began, it was during a time when blacks weren't allowed to play in professional leagues. To find teams to compete against, the Globetrotters would play all comers.

"They would go into a city and take anybody that wanted to play," Garvey said. But the Globetrotters would win so easily, sometimes by 100 points or more, that to add excitement and interest to the game they began clowning around.

Now every game has a "clown prince" who leads the fun on the floor.

But the fun doesn't start until there is a significant point lead in each game. The Harlem Globetrotters will play the New York Nationals during the Show Me Center performance.

Several local groups plan to attend the game, including Camp Daybreak, a camp for children with diabetes sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital, said Brad Gentry of the Show Me Center.

No exact number on ticket sales was available, but Gentry said the event often sells most of its tickets on the day of the performance.

A Globetrotter will be in town this afternoon to meet with youths and greet fans.

Youths also have been invited to a pre-game "chalk talk," similar to a pep talk, Garvey said.

"We try to leave something in every community with a motivational message," he said. Players talk about staying away from drugs, doing the right things, respecting others and being tolerant.

"The message they leave around the world is a lot more than basketball," he said.

IF YOU GO:

Tickets range from $12 to $35 for VIP seats. Call 651-5000 for information.

GLOBETROTTERS FACTS

* The Globetrotters began in 1926 and were originally called the Savoy Big Five, after a popular ballroom in Chicago that sponsored the team.

* The team's name was changed in 1930 by owner Abe Saperstein to the Harlem New York Globetrotters. The name emphasized that the team was an all-black basketball team.

* Globetrotter Nate "Sweetwater" Clifton was the first black player in the all-white NBA.

* There are three Globetrotters teams that travel around the country, but each team is equal in ability and showmanship.

* The only day that the Globetrotters don't perform is Super Bowl Sunday.

* Lynette Woodard became the first woman to play with the Globetrotters in 1985. She was also the first woman to play with a major men's professional team.

* The Globetrotters have played 21,000 games in 75 years, making them a team that has played more games than any other team in most leagues.

* In 75 years, the Harlem Globetrotters have lost only 332 games. The last loss was in 1995 in Vienna, Austria, against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Legendary All-Stars.

* Mannie Jackson became the first African American and former player to own a major sports entertainment franchise when he bought the Harlem Globetrotters in 1993.