All language subtitles for On.the.Shoulders.of.Giants.2011.WEBRip.x264-ION10.eng

[percussion]

- I MAINTAIN

THAT MY BOSTON CELTICS

WERE THE GREATEST TEAM
TO EVER PLAY BASKETBALL.

COUPLE OF REASONS.
FIRST OF ALL,

WE WON THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

EIGHT STRAIGHT TIMES.

AND TO START THAT STREAK,

I HAD FOUR GUARDS,

FOUR FORWARDS,
AND TWO CENTERS.

ALL FOUR OF MY GUARDS
ARE IN THE HALL OF FAME.

- WELL, YOU HAD A GREAT RUN,

THERE'S NO QUESTION
ABOUT THAT,

BUT NONE OF THOSE CELTICS TEAMS

COULD HAVE BEATEN
THE CHICAGO BULLS IN '95-'96.

- EXCUSE ME.
- YEAH.

- THAT CHICAGO BULLS TEAM
THAT WAS VERY GOOD?

- IT WAS EXCELLENT.
- THEY WERE VERY GOOD.

- BEST OF ALL TIME.

- WELL, I DON'T THINK SO.

- REMEMBER, WE HAD
THE BEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME.

- I COULD MATCH HIM.

I COULD MATCH HIM.

[laughter]

- WELL, YOU PROBABLY
COULD HAVE MATCHED

ANY MORTAL PLAYER.

BUT YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT SUPERMAN HERE.

I DON'T EVEN THINK
THE GREAT BILL RUSSELL

COULD HAVE MATCHED
MICHAEL JORDAN.

- OH, WRONG.

[laughter]

- YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN GUARDING
ONE OF OUR MEDIOCRE CENTERS.

- IN THE PLAYOFFS--

- THEY WERE VERY MEDIOCRE
BACK WHEN.

- LET ME ASK YOU THIS, BILL.

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS
TALKING ABOUT--

THE GREATEST TEAM,
THE GREATEST PLAYER

OR THE GREATEST--
GREATEST RECORDS?

- NO, WE'RE TALKING
THE GREATEST TEAM.

- THE TEAM
THAT HAS WON MORE GAMES

THAN ANY OTHER TEAM
IN THE WORLD,

THAT'S THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS.

YOU CAN'T DENY THAT,

BECAUSE, ALL OVER THE WORLD,

IT INTRODUCED THE GAME
OF BASKETBALL REALLY

TO THE WORLD
ABOVE AND BEYOND

THE UNITED STATES.

SO THERE'S NO OTHER TEAM
ANY GREATER

THAN THE GLOBETROTTERS
HAVE BEEN

AND THEY CONTINUE TO BE.

- I USED TO LOVE TO WATCH
THE GLOBETROTTERS PLAY.

I GREW UP IN A LITTLE TOWN
IN WEST VIRGINIA,

AND YOU USED TO GO
TO CHARLESTON

WHEN THEY CAME INTO TOWN.

THEY WERE REALLY FUN
TO PLAY,

BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE--

THE COACH OF THE WASHINGTON
NATIONALS, RED KLOTZ,

HE PROBABLY HAD THE WORST RECORD
THAT EVER IN THE HISTORY--

[laughter]

AND I WOULD SAY TO YOU
THAT MAYBE YOUR COMPETITION

WASN'T AS GOOD.

AND, BILL,
YOUR CELTIC TEAMS WERE GREAT,

JERRY, MICHAEL JORDAN
IS AN INCREDIBLE PLAYER

AND YOUR TEAM HAD A GREAT RUN,

BUT MY CHOICE
FOR THE GREATEST LAKER TEAMS

WERE THE '80-'85 TEAMS.

I THINK THEY'RE THE GREATEST
TEAMS OF ALL TIME.

THE EXPANSION DILUTED THE TALENT
IN BASKETBALL.

BUT IF YOU LOOK
AT THIS LAKER TEAM,

IT WAS AN ALL-STAR TEAM

FROM ONE TO SEVEN.

AND EVERY YEAR, IT SEEMED
LIKE WE WOULD COME ALONG

AND HAVE--
BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE SOMEONE

THAT WOULD MAKE US BETTER.

YOU TALKED
ABOUT THE BULLS CENTER.

WHAT DID THEY CALLED IT?
BY COMMITTEE?

- THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER.

- WELL, LISTEN,
THIS IS A ONE-HEADED MONSTER

WOULD HAVE KILLED THREE OF THEM,
OKAY?

- [laughs]

- AND, JAMES WORTHY--

SCOTTIE PIPPEN
WAS A GREAT DEFENDER.

HE COULD NOT GUARD JAMES WORTHY.
THERE'S NO WAY.

AND MAGIC JOHNSON,
HE WAS GONNA DO HIS THING.

- SCOTTIE GUARDED MAGIC JOHNSON
PRETTY WELL.

- WELL, HE DID IN THE PLAYOFF,
BUT THIS WAS

WHEN MAGIC JOHNSON
WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER

AND DIDN'T HAVE THIS GENTLEMAN,
MR. JABBAR HERE, WITH HIM.

BUT THOSE ARE THE GREATEST TEAMS
I'VE EVER SEEN.

THEY COULD WIN ANY WAY,
JUST AS A BULLS TEAM,

JUST AS A CELTICS TEAM.

HEY, WAIT A MINUTE.
WAIT A MINUTE.

- THEY WERE REALLY GOOD,
OKAY?

- THEY WERE REALLY GOOD.

AND YOU GUYS WERE GOOD TOO,

BECAUSE I KNEW
YOU KICKED OUR ASSES

ALL THE TIME.
- THEY WERE REALLY GOOD.

THAT'S THE ONLY TEAM
THAT MADE ME NERVOUS.

- HOW ARE YOU GONNA GUARD HIM?

- LISTEN...
[laughter]

- I WANT TO HEAR THIS ONE.

YOU KNOW,
HE'S SITTING RIGHT HERE

IN YOUR PRESENCE.
- OKAY.

- I WANT TO SEE THIS ONE.

- I WOULD WATCH HIM PLAY.

THE THIRD TIME I PLAYED HIM,
I WOULD KNOW

HOW TO GUARD HIM.

- WELL, HE HAD
THE GREATEST SHOT

EVER IN BASKETBALL.
- THE SKYHOOK?

- NO, YOU COULD NOT BOTHER THAT.

TRUST ME.
AS GREAT AS YOU WERE,

AS GREAT AS YOU WERE--
AND, LISTEN,

YOU WERE ONE
OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE--

- I WOULD NEVER BLOCK
OVER SIX OF THOSE A GAME.

- OH, YOU WOULD--
[laughter]

HOLD ON NOW.

YOU WOULD NOT TOUCH THAT SHOT.

YOU WOULD NOT TOUCH
THAT SHOT.

THERE'S NO WAY.

NO ONE BLOCKS HIS SHOT.

- FORTUNATE FOR ME,

I NEVER HAD TO PLAY HIM.

- THANK GOD.

[laughter]

- IN SOME WAYS,
I DO AGREE WITH JERRY.

YOU KNOW,
'CAUSE I'M TRUE BLUE LAKERS,

AND WE HAD
SOME WONDERFUL TEAMS.

BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU GUYS
ABOUT THE BEST TEAM

YOU NEVER HEARD OF.

* IT'S BASKETBALL SOUL

* HARLEM, SON

* SECOND TO NONE

*

* ON THE SHOULDERS
OF GIANTS *

* COME ON

* HARLEM, SON

* SECOND TO NONE

* COME ON

*

* SECOND TO NONE

*

* UPTOWN

* SWINGING UP THE TOWN

* COME ON

* IT'S LIKE A JAZZ FORCE

*

* GET WRECKIN'

[record needle scratching]

* HIT ME

*

* UH

* OUTSIDE THE STREET

*

* GOAL

* WHAT?

*

* BASKETBALL SOUL

* FEELING GOLD

* LET'S GO

* ON THE SHOULDERS
OF GIANTS *

THE STORY OF THE GREATEST TEAM
YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF.

* COME ON

*

- TODAY WE CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE
SPORTS WITHOUT BLACK ATHLETES.

NEARLY 79% OF PLAYERS

WHO GIVE THE NBA
ITS ENORMOUS STAR POWER

ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR.

BUT IN THE EARLY DAYS
OF BASKETBALL,

THE NUMBER OF BLACK PLAYERS
ALLOWED TO COMPETE

FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WAS ZERO.

- * COME ON

*

- I FIND IT REALLY HARD
TO BELIEVE

THAT NBA PLAYERS TODAY
ARE NOT AWARE OF THE FACT

THAT THE NBA,
WHEN IT STARTED,

WAS SEGREGATED.
[whistle blows]

[cheers and applause]

- THESE YOUNG GUYS THINK

THEY MAKE $20 MILLION A YEAR

'CAUSE THEY CAN PLAY.

THEY WERE JUST BORN
AT THE RIGHT TIME.

- WHEN I CAME UP,
THEY SAID YOU'RE GONNA BE

THE FIRST BLACK GUY
IN THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME.

I WAS IMMENSELY INSULTED.

BECAUSE ALL THE PLAYERS
THAT PLAYED FOR THE RENS

THAT I KNEW
AND KNEW OF,

THEY JUST BRUSHED 'EM ASIDE.

SO TO ME,
TO GO INTO A PLACE

WHERE THEY HAD JUST BRUSHED
THESE GREAT PLAYERS ASIDE

AND SAID,
"WELL, WE'LL ACCEPT YOU,"

WELL, I WON'T ACCEPT YOU.

- I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT

FOR TODAY'S PLAYERS

TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WASN'T
ALWAYS LIKE THIS.

- * WHOA, LORD

* GIVE ME MORE TIME

* TO PRAY

- BLACKS WERE AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE SOCIAL LADDER.

AND BEING FEWER IN NUMBER
THAN WHITES,

THEY WERE ALSO ISOLATED

THROUGHOUT A VAST,
MOSTLY WHITE COUNTRY.

LYNCHING WAS STILL
A POPULAR METHOD OF STOPPING

ANY NOTION OF INTEGRATION.

OVER 2,500 BLACKS
HAD BEEN LYNCHED,

MOSTLY IN SOUTHERN COMMUNITIES.

- ONE OF MY FATHER'S FRIENDS

WAS ACCUSED OF LOOKING
THE WRONG WAY

AT A WHITE WOMAN.

NOW, THE CULTURE OF THE SOUTH

IN THAT PERIOD
WAS WHITE MEN HAD TO AVENGE

THIS INSULTED WHITE WOMAN.

SO THEY PICKED AT RANDOM

ANY BLACK
TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE.

AND THEY LYNCHED
MY FATHER'S GOOD FRIEND.

THEY HAD A MASS CELEBRATION,

WITH CHILDREN AND ALL,

AND THEN THEY BURNED
HIS BODY

AND SOLD THE BONES
OF THE BEAST.

THAT WAS NOT UNUSUAL.

- LYNCHINGS WERE HAPPENING,

AND CHURCH BURNINGS
WERE GOING ON.

WE REALLY HAD NOTHING.

- EVERYTHING YOU DID
FROM DAWN TO DUSK,

YOU HAD TO DEAL
WITH SOME ASPECT

OF RACISM
AND INSTITUTIONALIZED BIGOTRY

CONSTRICTING YOUR LIFE.

- THERE IS A SAYING THAT,

IF YOU'RE LIGHT,
YOU'RE ALL RIGHT,

IF YOU'RE BROWN,
STICK AROUND,

BUT IF YOU'RE BLACK,
GET BACK,

GET BACK,
GET BACK.

- BEFORE BLACK PEOPLE
COULD PROVE THEIR WORTH

IN ANY ARENA,
INCLUDING SPORTS,

THEY WOULD HAVE
TO FIND EACH OTHER,

AND THEY DID IT HERE.

- FROM GENERATIONS
OF POETS,

THE FIRST TO THE LAST...

- THAT'S RIGHT.
- HARLEM HAS INSURED

HER FUTURE
FROM A GLORIOUS PAST.

- WRITER WALLACE THURMAN
SAID, "THE SIGHT OF HARLEM

GIVES ANY NEGRO A FEELING
OF GREAT SECURITY."

IT WAS,
IF NOT HEAVEN,

THEN PRETTY DARN CLOSE...

FROM HAMILTON HEIGHTS
TO THE STRIVERS' ROW

TO SUGAR HILL,
WHERE THE HARLEM DICTIES LIVED.

- WELL, HERE WE ARE

COMING TO THAT WORLD-FAMOUS
WHAT?

SUGAR HILL.
- SUGAR HILL.

SUGAR HILL.
- YUP.

- OH, YEAH.

- THIS WAS, LIKE, SOME PLACE
THAT PEOPLE CAME

TO SHOW THAT THEY HAD MADE IT.

- OH, YES, BUT, NO,
THIS WAS THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS

ACHIEVEMENT, ACCOMPLISHMENT,

BLACK SOPHISTICATION,

AND BLACK REFINEMENT.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

- HAVE YOU DUG THE SPILL
OF SUGAR HILL?

CAST YOUR GIMS
ON THIS SEPIA THRILL:

BROWN SUGAR LASS,
CARAMEL TREAT,

HONEY-GOLD BABY
SWEET ENOUGH TO EAT.

PEACH-SKINNED GIRL,
COFFEE AND CREAM,

CHOCOLATE DARLING
OUT OF A DREAM.

WALNUT TINTED,
COCOA BROWN,

POMEGRANATE
PRIDE IN TOWN.

RICH CREAM-COLORED,
PLUM-TINTED BLACK,

FEMININE SWEETNESS
IS NOT HARLEM'S LACK.

FROM THE GLOW OF THE QUINCE
TO THE BLUSH OF THE ROSE.

PERSIMMON BRONZE,
CINNAMON TOES.

GINGER, WINE-GOLD,
PLUM-BLUE, BLACKBERRY,

ALL FROM THE SPECTRUM
HARLEM FOLKS VARY--

SO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW
BEAUTY'S RAINBOW-SWEET THRILL,

STROLL WITH ME DOWN LUSCIOUS,
HEY, DELICIOUS,

HEY, FINE SUGAR HILL.

- NEW YORK WAS NOT JUST

A CITY LIKE ANY OTHER CITY.

IT WAS THE MAJOR METROPOLIS

OF THE COUNTRY.

AND SO NOT ONLY DID YOU HAVE

HUGE NUMBERS
OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS

COMING NORTH AND SETTLING

IN WHAT THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT
AS REALLY THE MECCA,

THE HEAVEN,

THAT WAS HARLEM...

- I THINK OF AN AREA OF ALMOST
A UTOPIA OF BLACK AMERICA,

YOU KNOW,
BACK WHERE, MAN,

IF YOU CAN GET TO HARLEM,

THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES,

SO MANY THINGS
THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH.

AND FOR A RACE OF PEOPLE

FOR SO LONG
WHO HAD BEEN OPPRESSED

AND HELD DOWN
TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A PLACE

WHERE WE CAN GO
TO HAVE THESE OUTLETS,

TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE
OF COLOR SUCCEEDING...

- IT DIDN'T SINK INTO ME
THE IMPORTANCE OF HARLEM

AS A CENTER POINT
TO BLACK CULTURE

TILL WAY LATER
AS A TEENAGER.

AND YOU START LOOKING
AT BUILDINGS DIFFERENT,

AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW,
OH, MAN, THIS IS A OLD BUILDING.

THIS WHOLE TERRITORY WAS THE
CENTER OF THE BLACK UNIVERSE.

- ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
WAS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF ARTISTS
OUT THERE.

THERE WERE ACTORS,
THERE WERE MUSICIANS,

THERE WERE SINGERS.

THERE WAS SCULPTORS,
PAINTERS,

CHARLES GILPIN
WAS ON BROADWAY...

THE PRECURSOR
TO WHO WE ARE NOW,

ME AND DENZEL
AND ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE.

- FOR WHITE AMERICANS,

IT WAS HOLLYWOOD,

AND FOR US, YOU KNOW,
TO MAKE IT,

YOU HAD TO GET
TO HARLEM.

- THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

WAS ONE
OF INTELLECTUAL BREAKTHROUGH,

OF ARTISTIC BREAKTHROUGH,

BUT ALSO ONE IN WHICH SPORTS
WAS CENTRAL.

- YES.
- BECAUSE, SEE, THE HISTORY

OF BLACK PEOPLE WAS SUCH
THAT, FOR 244 YEARS,

ALL WE HAD WAS OUR VOICES
AND OUR BODIES.

WE HAD NO LAND,
NO TERRITORY,

WE HAD NO RIGHTS,
WE HAD NO LIBERTY.

SO ALL OF OUR FREEDOM,
ALL OF OUR SELF-DETERMINATION

WAS IN OUR VOICES,
IS ONE REASON WHY THE ANTHEM

OF BLACK PEOPLE
IS LIFT EVERY VOICE.

AND WE HAD OUR BODIES.

SO WE COULD USE OUR BODIES
TO STYLIZE SPACE AND TIME--

THE WAY WE WALK,
THE WAY WE TALK.

- IT WAS TIME TO REDEFINE

WHO WE ARE

AS DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES

STOLEN FROM MOTHER AFRICA.

AND THIS IS HOW WE FIND OUT
WHO WE ARE--

IN THE ART,
IN MUSIC,

IN LITERATURE...

IN SPORTS.

- CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANTS
WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO ARRIVE.

ONE WAS BOB DOUGLAS.

A NATIVE
OF THE BRITISH WEST INDIES,

SMILING BOB WAS ONLY 19
WHEN HE ARRIVED IN NEW YORK

IN 1901.

HE TOOK A JOB AS A DOORMAN,

AND FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS,
HE WORKED 12 HOURS A DAY

WAITING FOR HIS BIG BREAK.

IN 1905, A COWORKER TOOK DOUGLAS
TO VISIT AN UPSTAIRS GYM

ON 52ND STREET
AND 10TH AVENUE.

- BOB DOUGLAS WAS INSPIRED
BY BASKETBALL

BECAUSE, IN A BASKETBALL GAME,

YOU CAN SEE
PEOPLE'S ATHLETIC ABILITY

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.

- WHEN BOB WALKED
INTO THAT GYM

AND SAW
HIS FIRST BASKETBALL GAME,

HE KNEW HE HAD FOUND
HIS PASSION.

- WHEN IT'S PLAYED THE WAY
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYED,

BASKETBALL HAPPENS
IN THE AIR, FLYING,

FLOATING,

ELEVATED ABOVE THE FLOOR,

LEVITATING THE WAY OPPRESSED
PEOPLES OF THIS EARTH

IMAGINE THEMSELVES
IN THEIR DREAMS.

NOW ALL HE NEEDED WAS A PLACE

FOR HIS TEAM TO PLAY.

AND HE FOUND IT
RIGHT HERE

AT THIS RED BRICK BUILDING

AT 138TH STREET
AND 7TH AVENUE,

THE RENAISSANCE CASINO
AND BALLROOM.

THE ONLY OBSTACLE
THAT HE HAD TO OVERCOME

WAS TO CONVINCE
THE CASINO'S OWNER,

FELLOW CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANT
HAL ROACH,

THAT HAVING A BASKETBALL TEAM

ON HIS DANCE FLOOR
WAS A GOOD IDEA.

- HE FINALLY MADE THE DEAL
WITH ROACH,

BUT HE HAD TO RENAME HIS TEAM
THE RENAISSANCE BIG FIVE

TO HELP ADVERTISE THE REN.

[swing music]

- IF THE RENS WERE PLAYING
IN THE RENAISSANCE,

THEN HE WAS THE MAN WHO DID
THE FIRST NAMING RIGHTS DEAL.

- SOME OF TODAY'S BIGGEST
STADIUMS WERE INSPIRED

BY THAT FIRST NAMING RIGHTS DEAL
THAT BOB DOUGLAS PUT TOGETHER.

- SO MUCH GOES BACK TO THE RENS

BECAUSE THEY WERE,
YOU KNOW,

THEY WERE THE FOREFATHERS

OF OUR ORGANIZED SPORT
IN MANY WAYS.

- THE NEW YORK RENAISSANCE,

THEY HAD A BLACK OWNER,
BOB DOUGLAS,

THEY HAD A BLACK COACH,
AND THEY HAD BLACK PLAYERS.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME
IN THE HISTORY.

- AFRICAN-AMERICAN BALL PLAYERS
GROWING UP THINK

THAT THERE WAS ALWAYS
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM

IN BASKETBALL,

AND THAT'S NOT TRUE.

BOB DOUGLAS
WAS REALLY AT THE HEART OF IT.

IF NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER
OF INVENTION,

HE HAD A LOT OF NECESSITY,

AND HE INVENTED
A LOT OF THINGS.

- THIS IS ONE OF THE IRONIES.

THESE DAYS WE GOT
A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE

WITH BIG MONEY,
NO OWNERSHIP.

- RIGHT.
- BIG CASH, NO CONTROL.

MAKE BIG MONEY
IN ENTERTAINMENT,

BUT WHO CAN GREEN-LIGHT
A FILM?

MAKE BIG MONEY
IN THE RECORDING INDUSTRY,

BUT WHO CONTROLS THE MASTER?

YOU KNOW, I THINK BOB DOUGLAS,

CARIBBEAN BROTHER,

PIONEER,
PATH BLAZER,

WHEN IT COMES TO OWNERSHIP,

CONTROL,
AND ACHIEVEMENT.

- THEY FIGURED OUT A VISION

THAT WAS WORTH PURSUING,

WHICH IS THE BEGINNING
OF ALL GREAT THINGS.

AND THEN THE TENACITY
AND BUSINESS ACUMEN

AND OTHER ATTRIBUTES
TO PURSUE IT SUCCESSFULLY.

- HE HAD A TEAM,
HE BELIEVED IN IT,

AND HE SHOWCASED 'EM.

A LOT OF GUYS BUILD MONUMENTS
TO THEIR INGENUITY,

AND THAT WAS HIS MONUMENT.

- THE RENNIE WAS ALREADY KNOWN
FOR GREAT BANDS

AND GREAT DANCING.

NOW THEY PLACED BASKETS
AT EITHER END.

- THIS WAS A DANCE FLOOR.
YOU SLID.

AND WHEN THEY MOVED
THE BALL AROUND,

IT WAS A SHOW.

PEOPLE JUST
COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT.

- IT WAS SMALL FOR ME,

BUT BECAUSE THEY PLAYED
SUCH A, YOU KNOW,

A BEAUTIFUL STYLE
OF BASKETBALL,

YOU WOULD ENTER
THE PLAYER MOVEMENT

RATHER THAN THE SIZE
OF THE COURT.

- YOU COULD SMELL THE ACTION.

THEY SAY YOU COULD SMELL
THE SWEAT.

TWO GUYS GOING
AGAINST EACH OTHER

IN A CONFINED AREA.

YOU'RE RIGHT ON TOP
OF THE ACTION.

- THE TEAM,
WHEN THEY CAME OUT,

IT WAS PANDEMONIUM
IN THE RENAISSANCE.

TO SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE
IN THE BOX SEATS,

THESE WOMEN AND MEN
ALL IN THEIR FINERIES,

TO SEE THEM IDOLIZE
THESE GUYS...

- THEY WERE LIKE GODS

WHEN THEY COME AROUND
THE HARLEM COMMUNITY.

AND EVERYBODY
WOULD KNOW

THAT THEY WERE AROUND.

EVERYBODY WANTED
TO MEET THE BALL PLAYERS.

- THEY REPRESENTED HARLEM.

SEE, WE WEREN'T KNOWN AS
AFRICAN-AMERICANS AT THAT TIME.

WE WERE COLORED OR NEGROES

AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME,

SO THEY REPRESENTED US.

- NO MATTER
WHERE YOU PLAYED

OR WHAT YOU DID
OUT THERE,

IF YOU WERE ON THE RENAISSANCE,

YOU WERE
ON THE A-NUMBER-ONE TEAM.

- AT THE END OF THE GAME,
ABOUT 11:00 P.M.,

THE TWO PORTABLE BASKETS
AT EITHER END OF THE COURT

AND THE WOODEN CHAIRS
FOR SPECTATORS WERE REMOVED.

AND THEN THE ORCHESTRA
BEGAN TO PLAY.

[swing music]

- BOB DOUGLAS WOULD RUN ME
OUT OF HIS OFFICE

AND TELL ME GO PLAY,

AND THERE WOULD BE DANCING
BEFORE THE GAME

AND ALSO AFTER THE GAME.

- IT WAS FINGER-POPPING TIME,
YOU KNOW.

- IT WAS A NIGHT OF BASKETBALL
AND JAZZ...

ALL FOR 55 ADMISSION.

WHICH I THOUGHT
WAS SO COOL

BECAUSE IT JUST REPRESENTED
SUCH A CONFLUENCE

OF BLACK CULTURE--

THIS CONFLUENCE OF DANCE
AND ATHLETICISM--

ALL OF IT RIGHT THERE
IN THAT ONE BUILDING.

- I'VE SEEN THE PICTURES.

I CANNOT BELIEVE
THE SHAMBLES...IN WAS IN.

AND THAT SHOULD BE...

THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
A NATIONAL LANDMARK.

THAT WAS REALLY HEARTBREAKING
TO ME.

- I PASS
BY THE OLD RENAISSANCE BALLROOM

EVERY SINGLE DAY.

IN FACT, JUST THE OTHER DAY,
I WAS LOOKING AT IT.

AND I JUST WANTED
TO VISUALI--

MAN, I WONDER WHAT IT WAS
TO BE INSIDE THAT THING.

- THE MEN
WHO WERE INSIDE THAT THING

WERE HARLEM.

- HARLEM DID NOT HAVE
A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM.

DID NOT HAVE
A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM.

BUT IT DID HAVE
A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM.

NOT JUST ANY OLD PROFESSIONAL
BASKETBALL TEAM.

- THEY WERE LEGENDARY.

YOU'D HEAR ABOUT THEM
FROM THE OLD GUY.

I WOULD SIT AROUND THE PARKS

AND WATCH SOME OF THE TEAM,

AND THE OLD GUY
WOULD ALWAYS SAY,

"YEAH, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN
THEM RENS."

- WHAT MADE THE RENS
SO INCREDIBLE?

THOSE PLAYERS
CAME FROM THE HEART

OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE.

AND NOT ONLY WERE THEY GREAT,

YOU JUST HADN'T LIVED
UNTIL YOU'D BEEN

IN NEW YORK CITY.

IF YOU CAME FROM THE SOUTH,
IF YOU CAME FROM THE MIDWEST,

YOU CAME FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE,

UNTIL YOU'D SPENT TIME
ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK

AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN,
YOU HADN'T LIVED

TILL YOU EXPERIENCED
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE

IN NEW YORK.

AND THE RENS KIND OF EMBODIED
THAT EXCELLENCE.

- I'VE ALWAYS FELT
THAT HARLEM'S

THE HEART AND SOUL
OF NEW YORK CITY.

AND THESE CHARACTERS
WERE THE HEART AND SOUL

OF BASKETBALL.

- THERE ARE FIVE PEOPLE
ON THE COURT

THAT KNOW HOW TO WORK TOGETHER

AND KNOW HOW TO GET
SOMETHING DONE AS A GROUP.

AND THEY HAVE A CERTAIN FLAIR
AND STYLE,

WHICH WAS HARLEM.

SO IT MADE PEOPLE
FROM HARLEM FEEL PROUD

BECAUSE THE STYLE
OF THE RENS

WAS THE STYLE OF HARLEM.

- THEY WERE NOT ONLY
GREAT PEOPLE ON THE COURT,

THEY WERE GREAT PEOPLE
OFF THE COURT.

AND A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
ADMIRED THEM.

- WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE RENS
WEARING HARLEM LIKE A DARE,

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT
YOU HAD A NO-NONSENSE APPROACH

TO THE GAME, AND THEY PLAYED
VERY, VERY TOUGH,

SUFFOCATING KIND OF DEFENSE.

AND IT WAS DEFYING
THE OTHER TEAM TO FIGURE OUT

A WAY TO BEAT THEM.

BUT YOU HAD TO BEAT
ALL OF 'EM.

- YOU DIDN'T HAVE A TREMENDOUS
ASSORTMENT OF SHOTS.

SO I MEAN, BASICALLY,
YOU HAD THE LAY-UP,

YOU HAD A SET SHOT,

AND SO THEY WERE
VERY LOW-SCORING GAMES.

I MEAN, IF YOU GOT
IN THE 30s,

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS--
THAT WAS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT.

- BASKETBALL BEGAN
AS A VERY ROUGH GAME, ACTUALLY,

WHERE DEFENDERS WOULD MAUL
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS.

THE COACHES STARTED
TO DEVISE SYSTEMS

TO KEEP THE BALL MOVING
AND AVOID THE DEFENSE.

- THEY PLAYED TWO-HAND DRIBBLE.

THIS IS UNHEARD OF,
YOU KNOW.

IN OTHER WORDS,
YOU COULD GO LATERALLY

AS MUCH AS YOU WANTED.

YOU PUT THE BALL DOWN,
YOU COULD DRIBBLE...

AND THE REST OF US
COULD READ NEWSPAPERS

TILL YOU GOT TIRED.

- BUT THERE WAS ALSO A PUSH
TO SPEED UP THE GAME

AND MAKE IT MORE ENTERTAINING.

AND SO THE RENS,
WITH THEIR PASSING GAME,

WERE ABLE TO SORT OF MOVE
A LITTLE QUICKER

AND PLAY A MORE FLUID STYLE
OF GAME.

- YOU WEREN'T PLAYING
AGAINST ANY CLOCK.

SO YOU COULD CONTROL THE BALL
AS MUCH AS YOU WANTED TO

UNTIL SOMEBODY KNOCKS YOU DOWN,

AND THEN YOU GOT THE MESSAGE,

DON'T DO THIS ANYMORE.

- YOUR FEET HAVE TO DANCE.

YOU CAN'T PLAY BALL
IF YOU DON'T HAVE DANCING FEET.

YOU HAVE BAD FEET,
YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

- THEY MOVED.
THEY WERE VERY QUICK,

CUT SHARP,

GOOD ELEVATION...

BUT THEY PLAYED
VERY WELL TOGETHER.

THE BALL WAS ALWAYS AHEAD
OF THE MAN.

THAT'S A BIG THING
IN BASKETBALL.

YOU DON'T CATCH IT BEHIND YOU.

WHAT THEY DID
THEY DID WELL.

- BACK THEN, FOR GUYS TO NOT PUT
THE BALL ON THE GROUND,

THAT'S HARD TO DO.

EVEN NOW THAT'S HARD TO DO,
TO MAKE FIVE PASSES

WITHOUT THE BALL
HITTING THE GROUND

AND PEOPLE
CUTTING THROUGH THE LANE

WITHOUT THE BALL
HITTING THE GROUND.

THAT'S TOUGH.

- STYLE CHANGES.

GREATNESS DOES NOT GO AWAY.

I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT THAT
BASKETBALL IS THE PRETTIEST GAME

TO WATCH WHEN THEIR PEOPLE
ARE COORDINATED.

IF YOU WATCH FIVE PEOPLE

WHO ARE COORDINATED MENTALLY,

IT'S LIKE FIVE BRAINS
CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER.

- A LOT OF THOSE PLAYERS

WHO PLAYED DURING THAT ERA,

WHEN THEY REFLECT
AND LOOK

AT TODAY'S PLAYERS,
THEY'LL SAY,

"OH, WE WEREN'T
AS GOOD AS THOSE PLAYERS,

"BUT THERE'S ONE THING
WE COULD DO BETTER.

"WE COULD REALLY PASS THE BALL.

WE KEPT THAT BALL MOVING
LIKE IT WAS A HOT POTATO."

- IF A GUY'S DRIBBLING
THE BASKETBALL,

HE'S NOT CONTROLLING THE BALL.

HE'S ABOUT TO LOSE THE BALL.

GET IF OFF YOUR WRIST,
SUCKER.

GET A BALL UP.

- GET IT OFF YOUR WRIST.

TREAT IT LIKE A HOT POTATO.

MAKE IT HUM.

GIVE AND GO.

- WHEN A BALL IS MOVING,
YOU GOT TO WATCH EVERYBODY.

BUT IF THE BALL AIN'T MOVING
AND THIS GUY DRIBBLING,

THEY SAY,
"GET IT OFF YOUR WRIST."

- STOP DRIBBLING.
PASS THE BALL.

MOVE THE BALL.

GET IT OFF YOUR WRIST.

- IT WAS JUST A TEAM EFFORT.

AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE
HAD DIFFERENT ROLES.

IT WAS LIKE AN ORCHESTRATION.

- MY VIEW OF THE GAME,
IN THAT ERA,

THE PACE OF THE GAME
CHANGED RAPIDLY.

THE RULES WERE ADOPTED
TO A GAME PLAYED MUCH SLOWER

AND MUCH MORE METHODICAL.

WHEN YOU CHANGE THE SPEED
OF THE GAME,

YOU ELIMINATE A LOT OF PEOPLE
FROM IT.

AND WHEN THE SPEED CHANGED,
THE RHYTHM CHANGED.

AND THE NEED TO IMPROVISE
BECAME PARAMOUNT.

AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS
PLAYED THE GAME, FREELANCED.

- BASKETBALL IN NEW YORK
HAS BASICALLY

BEEN VERY INDIVIDUALIZED.

LIKE JAZZ--
THERE'S THAT CONNECTION.

- IT'S LIKE ASKING
WHAT DOES A BLACK CHURCH

MEAN TO HARLEM.

THERE'S A CONNECTION THERE.

- AS LONG AS YOU TALK ABOUT JAZZ
BEING PLAYED FREELANCE,

AND THEY TRANSPORTED THE GAME
FROM A STRUCTURED GAME

TO RECORDED NOTES
AND DIRECTIONS

AND PLACES TO BE...

[jazz music]

*

- MUSIC IS A PART OF CULTURE,

AND CULTURE'S A GREAT THING
FOR HUMAN BEINGS

TO HAVE AS A LANGUAGE,
LANGUAGE OPTION.

SPORTS
IS A GREAT LANGUAGE OPTION TOO.

- BEING OF THE MOMENT
DRAWS PARALLELS

BETWEEN THE ARTISTIC SIDE

AND THE ATHLETIC SIDE.

- AND I THINK ALL THAT STAYS
INSIDE YOUR MIND AND YOUR BODY.

AND I THINK
IT GIVES YOU RHYTHM.

- THERE'S A THING WE HAVE
WITH THAT RHYTHM,

WHICH ALL COMES DOWN
TO THE DRUM.

*

- JAZZ IS BASED ON IMPROVISING

AND USING SYNCOPATION.

EVERYTHING IS LAID OUT.

YOU DRIBBLE THE BALL,
WE CAN SEE

WHAT THE FORM OF IT IS.

THE OBJECTIVE IS TO SHOOT.

EACH POSITION
HAS A DIFFERENT ROLE.

THE DRUMS POWER THE BAND.

THAT WOULD BE LIKE THE POWER
FORWARD OF A BASKETBALL TEAM.

THAT'S LIKE AN ENFORCER,
SOMEBODY WHO CAN BRING

A LOT OF ENERGY
AND ENTHUSIASM

TO THE GAME.

- THE RENS AT ONE TIME HAD
A PLAYER NAMED WEE WILLIE SMITH

THAT HAD US SCARED TO DEATH,
I'LL SAY THAT.

HE WAS ONLY I THINK
AROUND 6'6"

WITH BEAUTIFUL...
[indistinct].

- THE BASS IS THE BOTTOM
OF THE HARMONY.

IT'S A PART
OF THE STRING ORCHESTRA.

IT PLAYS IN THE RHYTHM SECTION,

SO THAT WOULD BE LIKE
THE CENTER OF THE TEAM.

EVERYTHING GOES
THROUGH THE BASS.

THE BASS IS THE FOUNDATION.

- AND THEY HAD LEATHER
BASKETBALLS,

AS THEY WERE IN THOSE DAYS,

IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT
TO HOLD THAT BALL,

AND HIS HANDS WERE SO LARGE,

IT WAS VERY SIMPLE
FOR HIM TO DO IT.

- TARZAN COOPER
WAS A BRUTE OF A PLAYER.

HE WAS A TREMENDOUS REBOUNDER.

BUT ALL OF THAT WAS DONE

STRICTLY ON SKILL
AND MUSCLE

AND DETERMINATION.

- AND GENERALLY, PIANO PLAYERS
ARE CONDUCTORS.

THAT WOULD BE
LIKE THE POINT GUARD.

PIANO PLAYERS ARE LIKE THAT
IN A BAND.

YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE VIBE
OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON,

THE PIANO PLAYER
CAN START COMPING.

HE'S IN THE RHYTHM SECTION.

WHEN YOU NEED POINTS,

WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING,

HE'S THE MAN
THAT YOU CAN RELY ON.

- FATS WAS A KIND OF ANCHOR.

FATS JENKINS WAS NEVER LOST.

HE WAS THE PASSER,
THE CONTROL GUY.

HE DID THE PASSING
AND MORE OF A GUY

THAT RAN THE TEAM,
SO TO SPEAK,

LIKE YOU WOULD SAY
THE GUY THAT WOULD BE

THE POINT GUARD TODAY.

- YOU HAVE A STAR,
KIND OF SOLOIST ROLE,

THAT'S LIKE THE PERSON
WHO'S GOING TO TAKE

A MAJORITY OF THE SHOTS.

THAT WOULD BE LIKE A MILES DAVIS
OR LIKE DIZZY GILLESPIE

OR LIKE CHARLIE PARKER
IN HIS OWN BAND.

HE'S GONNA DO ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT MAKE PEOPLE SAY,

"OOH, MAN, DID YOU SEE THAT?"

- WELL, HE WAS LIKE
A MICHAEL JORDAN OF HIS TIME.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY--

ANYBODY ANYWHERE
IN ALL MY EXPERIENCE

HANDLE A BALL
LIKE POP GATES.

- IN THE JAZZ BAND,
EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO SOLO,

SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE BANDS
WHERE EVERYBODY'S THAT PERSON.

AND BASKETBALL
IS ALSO LIKE THAT.

SO YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR OFFENSE

SO THAT YOUR GET-OFF MAN
ALWAYS CAN GET OFF.

JAZZ BAND IS THAT WAY TOO.

- ISAACS WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

WHEN IT CAME
TO THE BALL CONTROL,

HE SHINED OUT
IN EVERY GAME.

- DOUGLAS'S STARTING FIVE
COULDN'T COMPETE

FOR A TITLE
AGAINST WHITE TEAMS,

BUT THEY COULD PLAY

SO-CALLED EXHIBITION GAMES,
AND THEY DID,

PLAYING FOUR TO FIVE GAMES
A WEEK EVERY WEEK.

- YOU KNOW,
NOW WE, YOU KNOW,

SORRY TO SAY,
WE COMPLAIN

ABOUT PLAYING A BACK-TO-BACK,

YOU KNOW, TWO GAMES.

THEM GAMES PLAY EIGHT GAMES

IN SEVEN DAYS.

YOU REALLY
DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

- BUT NO MATTER HOW GOOD
THE RENS WERE,

THEY WERE JUST A COLORED TEAM

WHO COULD NEVER COMPETE
FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP

AGAINST THE BEST WHITE TEAMS,

ESPECIALLY
NOT THE BEST WHITE TEAM OF ALL,

THE ORIGINAL CELTICS.

- THE ORIGINAL CELTICS
WERE THE NEW YORK YANKEES

OF PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL.

THEY SET THE STANDARD.

- NAMES LIKE NAT HOLMAN

AND DUTCH DEHNERT

WERE ALREADY PART
OF BASKETBALL LEGEND.

AS WAS 6'5" JOE LAPCHICK.

- THE RENS
WERE THE UP-AND-COMING TEAM.

THE ORIGINAL CELTICS
WERE THE ESTABLISHED TEAM.

JOE LAPCHICK,
THEIR CENTER,

WROTE QUITE FREQUENTLY

ABOUT HOW THEY
WOULD ALL GET TOGETHER

AND JUST SORT OF BRAINSTORM

ABOUT HOW THEY COULD DEVELOP
UNIQUE PLAYS.

- MY FATHER'S GOAL
IN LIFE

AND EVERYTHING
ABOUT BASKETBALL

WAS TO WIN BASKETBALL GAMES.

HE COACHED TO WIN,
HE PLAYED TO WIN.

HE WAS DETERMINED

TO MOTIVATE HIS TEAMMATES
WHEN HE WAS A PLAYER

AND HIS PLAYERS
WHEN HE WAS A COACH

TO WANT TO ACHIEVE
THAT ULTIMATE GOAL

BECAUSE HE LOVED THE CONCEPT
OF TEAMWORK.

- SO THE ORIGINAL CELTICS
WERE A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TEAM

IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF BASKETBALL STRATEGY.

- AND THAT STRATEGY WORKED.

IN JUST ONE SEASON,

THE CELTICS WON 94 OF 100 GAMES.

- PLAYING AGAINST THE CELTICS--

THAT WAS AN EDUCATION
PLAYING AGAINST THEM.

WHEN I GOT TO THE RENS,
I SAID,

"OOH, OH, OH, OH.

"WE HAVE TO STOP
THIS MUSCLE BASKETBALL.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START
THE PLAYING UP HERE."

I SAID, "OTHERWISE THE CELTICS
PLAY GIVE-AND-GO ALL NIGHT."

- THERE WAS, YOU KNOW,

DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS TO TRY

TO GET THE BALL
AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

THERE WAS GREAT PASSING
ON BOTH TEAMS.

THEY WERE BOTH QUICKER
THAN THE OTHER TEAMS.

- THEY DIDN'T LIKE FOR YOU
TO RUN.

AND I SAID, "NOW WE HAVE
TO RUN THESE FELLAS.

"THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO RUN.

WE HAVE TO RUN THEM."

AND WE RAN 'EM
AND RAN 'EM.

ON THE NIGHTS THAT WE
HAD GOOD SHOOTING NIGHTS,

THEY WOULD SAY, "WHAT ARE YOU
TRYING TO DO, KILL THE GAME?"

I SAID, "WE NEVER COMPLAIN

WHEN YOU HAD
YOUR GOOD SHOOTING NIGHT."

JUST HAD A NIGHT
WHERE EVERYTHING--

IF YOU FELL ON YOUR HEAD
AND THREW IT UP,

IT WOULD GO IN.

- BOTH TEAMS INVENTED PLAYS

AND WEREN'T GIVEN CREDIT
FOR CHANGING

THE WAY THE GAME WAS PLAYED.

I THINK EVEN THEN
THEY WERE BREAKING STEREOTYPES.

AN ATHLETE SIMPLY ISN'T SOMEBODY

WHO HAS A BODY
THAT CAN LET HIM DO SOMETHING

BUT A MIND
THAT CAN LET HIM FIGURE OUT

HOW TO DO THINGS BETTER.

- ALONG THE WAY,
THE RENS AND THE CELTICS

DID MANAGE TO PLAY
SOME EXHIBITION GAMES.

AND THE RENS
WERE BEGINNING

TO LOOK LIKE REAL CONTENDERS.

- THEY LIKED TO DRINK.

THEY DRANK BEER.
THEY DRANK TEQUILA.

DUTCH DEHNERT, YOU KNOW,
HE POURED IT,

AND HIS HAND
HAS NEVER LOST ITS TOUCH.

SO THE FIRST THING YOU DID
ON THE FIRST JUMP-OFF,

BAM, RIGHT IN HIS STOMACH.

YOU HAD NO MORE PROBLEM WITH HIM
THE REST OF THE NIGHT, YOU KNOW.

- IN THE RENS'
OWN 1928 AND 1929 SEASON,

THEY WON 95 OF 107 GAMES.

DOUGLAS'S HOPE WAS TO PIT
HIS RENS AGAINST THE CELTICS

IN AN UNOFFICIAL,
HIGHLY PUBLICIZED,

POST-CHAMPIONSHIP DUEL,

A BEST-OF-THREE SERIES.

EVEN THOUGH IT WOULDN'T COUNT
PROFESSIONALLY,

A RENS WIN MEANT
THAT A LOCAL BLACK TEAM

HAD BEATEN
THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS.

BUT ON GAME DAY,
THE RENS JUST COULDN'T KEEP UP.

IN GAME TWO, NAT HOLMAN,

DUTCH DEHNERT,
JOE LAPCHICK,

AND PETE BARRY LED THE TEAM
TO A 30-25 VICTORY

OVER THE RENS.

A FEW DAYS LATER,
THE CELTICS DEFEATED THE RENS

A THIRD TIME,
26-23.

[buzzer blares]

ALL THE CHEERING
HAD COME TO NOTHING.

THE RENS,
THE HOPE OF HARLEM,

HAD LOST.

[bluesy music]

*

THE RENS WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES
TO EXPERIENCE LOSS.

BY THE LATE 1920s,

THE COUNTRY ITSELF
WAS LOSING MOMENTUM.

THERE WOULD BE BAD TIMES AHEAD.

THE RENS PLAYED
ALMOST EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK

JUST TO KEEP AFLOAT.

THE RENAISSANCE CASINO
AND BALLROOM WAS NEARLY BANKRUPT

DUE TO POOR MANAGEMENT.

SO BOB DOUGLAS
DID TWO THINGS--

HE TOOK OVER MANAGEMENT
OF THE RENNIE,

AND THE RENS TOOK THEIR TALENT
ON THE ROAD.

- IN THE EARLY DAYS
OF BASKETBALL,

THERE WAS NO LEAGUE.

LIKE, IT DIDN'T ORGANIZE ITSELF
THE WAY

THAT FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL
WERE ORGANIZED.

SO PEOPLE WERE BARNSTORMERS.

THEY'D GET A GOOD TEAM TOGETHER,

AND THERE'D BE
LIKE A STAR PLAYER,

AND THEY WOULD GO
AND THEY WOULD PLAY

OTHER PEOPLE'S GOOD TEAMS.

- IT WAS A BARNSTORMING KIND
OF TEAM

WHO WENT FROM TOWN TO TOWN

AND COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY

TAKING ON WHOEVER
WOULD HAVE THE GUTS

TO GET ON THE COURT
WITH THEM.

- THE RENS DIDN'T TRAVEL
IN FULLY-CATERED CHARTER JETS

EQUIPPED WITH SLEEPER SEATS

TO ACCOMMODATE
SEVEN-FOOT PLAYERS.

- YOU KNOW, NOW WE FLY
PRIVATE JETS.

THE OWNERS HAVE
THEY OWN TEAM PLANES.

YOU GOT CATERED FOOD,
YOU KNOW, ON THE PLANES.

YOU GOT MEALS
WHEN YOU GET

TO THE HOTELS,
MEALS BEFORE THE GAMES.

BACK THEN,
YOU DIDN'T HAVE NONE OF THAT.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE
NO PRIVATE PLANES.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE NO CATERERS.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THAT.

- ALL THEY HAD
WAS THE BLUE GOOSE.

[kaluga horn blasts]

IT WAS MORE THAN A BUS.

IT WAS A SANCTUARY.

- SO WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT, LIKE, $37 A WEEK

TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

WHETHER IT WAS STORMING

OR WHETHER IT WASN'T STORMING,

UP NORTH, DOWN SOUTH,

AND ALL THE THINGS YOU HAD
TO CONTEND WITH TRAVELING.

WE'RE ALL RIDING AROUND.

THERE'S ONLY EIGHT OF US.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE WAS,

IF YOU HAD 150 MILES TO DO

TO GO PLAY A GAME,

YOU STILL HAD THAT 150
TO RIDE BACK

IF YOU WANTED TO SLEEP.

- THEY PLANNED
HOW THEY WERE GONNA LIVE

AROUND THAT BUS
IN TERMS OF MEALS,

IN TERMS OF ACCOMMODATIONS,

BECAUSE THEY KNEW
THAT THERE WOULD BE

A LOT OF PLACES
THAT THEY WERE GONNA TRAVEL TO

THAT THEY WEREN'T GONNA BE
WELCOME.

- AT A TIME
WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERED

BY LAW INFERIOR,

IT TOOK EFFORT TO SAY,
"I'M BLACK, AND I'M PROUD."

IT TOOK EFFORT
TO KEEP CONVINCING YOURSELF

AND OTHERS
THAT YOU WERE NOT INFERIOR,

THAT YOU WERE WORTHY.

- MANY TIMES, THEY WOULDN'T
BE ABLE TO GET INTO HOTELS.

A LOT OF TIMES
THEY STAYED IN JAILS

BECAUSE THAT WAS
THE SAFEST PLACE

THEY COULD STAY.

- THEY HAD TO ENDURE
JUST HARSH TREATMENT.

THEY WERE NOT VIEWED UPON
AS EQUAL CITIZENS.

- WHAT WOULD BE MY MINDSET

IF I HAD TO PLAY
UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES?

I COULD IMAGINE
I WOULD HAVE BEEN AFRAID,

KNOWING THAT I WAS
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

AND KNOWING THAT I WAS HATED

AND NOT UNDERSTANDING
WHY THERE WAS SO MUCH HATE.

- IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT REALLY ENRAGED PEOPLE

AND MADE THEM FEEL
THAT NOTHING EVER WOULD CHANGE.

- I CAN'T IMAGINE
NOT BEING ABLE TO GO

TO A CERTAIN HOTEL,
NOT BE ABLE TO SIT

IN A CERTAIN SECTION
OF RESTAURANTS.

- WHERE, AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT,
IF YOU WERE WALKING

ON THE WRONG SIDE
OF THE STREET,

IF YOU SAID THE WRONG THING,

IF YOU LOOKED SOMEBODY
IN THE EYE

WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED
TO LOOK DOWN--

ANYTHING COULD TRIGGER SOMETHING

THAT WOULD END
IN YOU GETTING ARRESTED

OR GETTING KILLED
OR GETTING LYNCHED,

AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE
YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

- I WASN'T AN EARLY PIONEER,

BUT I EXPERIENCED
IN THE '50s

AMD IN THE '60s,
AS A YOUNG ATHLETE,

BEING CALLED THE "N" WORD,

YOU KNOW, BEING TAUNTED.

A LOT OF THINGS
THAT GET DISCUSSED

ALONG THE LINES
OF AMERICA'S HISTORY

SOMETIMES FALLS ON DEAF EARS.

THERE ARE SOME GUYS
WHO JUST DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT.

- IMAGINE BARNSTORMING
IN THE SOUTH

AND HAVING WHITE PEOPLE
PRICK YOU WITH HAT PINS,

PUT LIT CIGARS OUT ON YOU,

CALLING YOU NAMES,
THROWING BOTTLES AT YOU,

AND STILL PLAYING
EXCELLENT BASKETBALL

WITH CLASS.

- THERE WERE OCCASIONS
WHEN THE RENS

WOULD COME ON THE COURT
WITH KNIVES

PACKED IN THEIR SOCKS
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES

FROM FANS
WHO MIGHT STORM THE COURT.

- ALL THIS HAPPENED
IN THE BACKDROP

OF THE PLAYERS BEING FATIGUED,
BEING INSULTED,

OFTENTIMES TRYING
TO FIND A BATHROOM TO GO TO,

PLACES TO EAT,
AND THE RIGORS OF TRAVELING

IN THE RURAL PART
OF THIS COUNTRY.

- THEY HAD A PHILOSOPHY THAT,
IF THINGS TURNED NEGATIVE,

THEY WOULD GO BACK-TO-BACK,

AND THEY'D HAVE TO FIGHT
THEIR WAY OUT.

- THE GREATEST FIGURES
WEREN'T JUST GREAT

AT WHAT THEY DID
IN TERMS OF TALENT,

BUT THEY EMBODIED DIGNITY

IN THE FACE OF OPPRESSION,

DIGNITY IN THE FACE
OF INDIGNITIES.

- COMPETITION IS TOUGH ENOUGH.

AND NOW YOU GOT
ALL THESE EXTERNAL FACTORS

THAT YOU GOT TO DEAL WITH,

WHICH MAKES IT
EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.

- BUT THE GAME
OF BASKETBALL WAS SO COMPELLING

THAT THE PLAYERS
WERE SO MOTIVATED

THAT THEY DID IT,
AND THEY DID IT IN FASHION.

[train whistle blows]

- THEY HAD A GAME IN ATLANTA,

AND JOHN GOT SICK,

SO HE MISSED THE BLUE GOOSE,

SO HE SAID
HE WOULD TAKE A TRAIN

THE NEXT DAY
AND MEET UP WITH THE TEAM,

SO HE GOES
TO THE TRAIN STATION,

AND THEY HAVE A LINE
THAT SAYS, "WHITES THIS LINE,

COLORED THIS LINE."

SO JOHN, HE DOESN'T PAY
ANY ATTENTION.

HE GOES IN THE WHITE LINE.

- I SAID, "MAY I HAVE A TICKET
TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA?"

PUT MY MONEY UP THERE,

AND THE NEXT VOICE
I HEARD WAS,

"WHAT IS IT YOU WANT, BOY?"

I SAID, "DO I LOOK LIKE A BOY?

I'M AN ADULT
JUST LIKE YOU."

NEXT VOICE, "YOU MUST BE
FROM UP NORTH."

I SAID, "YES,
I'M FROM UP NORTH."

HE SAID, "WELL, BY GOD, WE DO
THINGS DIFFERENTLY DOWN HERE."

NEW YORK'S TALKING AGAIN.

"WELL, BY GOD,
YOU OUGHT TO CHANGE."

- SO HE GOES OUT THE DOOR,

HE GOES OVER
TO WHERE IT SAYS, "COLORED,"

HE GOES OVER TO THE COUNTER,

AND THE SAME GUY
JUST SHIFTS OVER

AND SAYS, "CAN I HELP YOU?"
AND JOHN READ HIM THE RIOT ACT.

BUT HE GOT HIS TICKET.

- ONE OF THE THINGS
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT,

THE WHITE SUPREMACY,

A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD TRY TO ENFORCE IT

IN THE GAMES
THAT THE RENS PLAYED.

SO THEY ENDED UP
WHERE THEY SAW THEMSELVES

AS JUST ONE LITTLE UNIT
AGAINST THE WORLD.

THE REFEREES
AND TIMEKEEPERS

IN THE GAMES
THAT THEY PLAYED

WOULD HAVE LOVED
TO SEE THEM LOSE.

AND THAT WAS
JUST ONE MORE OBSTACLE

FOR THEM TO OVERCOME.

- WHEN WE WENT OUT
ON THE FLOOR,

WE BELIEVED THAT WE
WERE PLAYING, NOT FIVE GUYS,

BUT SEVEN--
THE REFEREE AND THE TIMEKEEPER.

SO WE HAD TO PLAY HARDER

AND STAY FURTHER IN FRONT.

- IT WAS A WHITE GAME.

WHEN YOU PLAY
AGAINST WHITE BALL CLUBS,

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO
IN THAT ERA?

DO YOU THINK THAT THEY'RE
GONNA JUST PLAY BASKETBALL?

THEY WANT TO KILL YOU.

YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO,
YOU KNOW, HARM YOU A LITTLE BIT

IF THEY CAN.

- THE RENS OFTEN PLAYED
TWO OR THREE GAMES A DAY,

130 GAMES
AND 38,000 MILES PER SEASON.

AND TO SAY THEY DOMINATED
IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

IN JUST ONE YEAR,

THE '32-'33 SEASON,
THEY WON 88 GAMES IN A ROW,

WHICH INCLUDED GAMES
AGAINST THE ORIGINAL CELTICS.

- GROWING UP, ALL
OF THE SPORTS WRITERS WOULD SAY,

"OH, YOUR DAD PLAYED
FOR THE GREATEST TEAM

OF ALL TIME,"
AND EVERY SINGLE TIME

THAT MY FATHER HEARD THAT,
HE WOULD PULL ME ASIDE

AND SAY, "I DIDN'T PLAY FOR
THE GREATEST TEAM OF ALL TIME.

WE HAD A TEAM THAT COULD BEAT US
EVEN ALL THE TIME, THE RENS."

- AND AS THEY ENCOUNTERED
EACH OTHER AGAIN AND AGAIN,

THE RENS
AND THE ORIGINAL CELTICS

BECAME FRIENDS.

BUT THEY KEPT THE RIVALRY GOING
TO SELL TICKETS

SINCE BLACK VERSUS WHITE GAMES
OUTSOLD BLACK ON BLACK

AND WHITE ON WHITE
BY A LONG SHOT.

- THEY BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND

ABOUT THE LIVES
OF EACH OTHER

AND THE DIFFERENCES
IN THEIR LIVES.

I KNOW FROM MY FATHER,

HE FELT THAT HE BEGAN
TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT RACISM REALLY MEANT

BY WATCHING THE EFFECTS
OF RACISM ON THE RENS.

THREE TIMES
THEY LEFT TOWN IN TANDEM,

AND THE CELTICS PULLED UP

IN THEIR STUTZ BEARCATS
BEHIND THE RENS' BUS

TO SEE THE OWNER
OF THE GAS STATION

COME OUT WITH A RIFLE,
CHASING AWAY THE RENS

FROM HIS GAS STATION
BECAUSE HE WASN'T ABOUT

TO SERVE THIS GROUP
OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYERS

FROM HIS LILY-WHITE PUMPS.

IN FIVE OF THE GAMES THAT THEY
PLAYED AGAINST EACH OTHER,

THERE WERE ACTUALLY RACE RIOTS
THAT TOOK PLACE

DURING THE GAMES,
ANGRY FANS STORMING THE COURTS

'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT
TO SEE BLACK PLAYERS

AND WHITE PLAYERS MIXING
ON THE SAME--IN THE SAME ARENA.

- THE FANS IN SOME OF THE PLACES

WE WENT TO,
THEY WERE RIDICULOUS.

I'D RUN BY,
AND THEY'D TAKE AN UMBRELLA,

THE HANDLE
WOULD HOOK IN YOUR LEG,

AND YOU'D GO SLIDING
ALONG THE FLOOR.

- WITH DOUGLAS MANAGING
THE RENNIE,

ERIC ILLIDGE BECAME THE RENS'
FINANCIAL MANAGER.

- ON THE ROAD, MR. DOUGLAS,
HE LEFT EVERYTHING

UP TO ONE PERSON,
ERIC ILLIDGE.

HE WAS THE ROAD MANAGER.

- HE WAS THE GUY--
HIS SOLE JOB

WAS TO GET THE MONEY.

- SOMETIMES SHYSTER PROMOTERS
WOULD WANT TO GET OUT

WITH ALL THE MONEY
AND LEAVE THE RENS HIGH AND DRY.

- THE OWNERS WOULD CONSISTENTLY
TRY TO GIVE THE RENS CHECKS,

EVEN THOUGH
IT WAS A CASH GUARANTEE,

IF THERE WASN'T
ENOUGH CASH AROUND MAYBE,

AND GIVE THE CELTICS
THE CASH.

- THE GUY WHO BOOKED THE GAME
COMES UP

AND SAYS, "COACH LAPCHICK,
HERE'S YOUR PAYMENT,"

AND GAVE HIM $500 IN CASH.

HERE COMES BOB DOUGLAS,
HE GIVES HIM A CHECK.

- AND MY FATHER KNEW
OR ASSUMED

WHAT THE OUTCOME WOULD BE

WAS THAT THE RENS
WOULD NEVER GET PAID.

- HE SAID, "NO, NO,
WAIT A MINUTE.

"GIVE BOB THE CASH.

I CAN ALWAYS CASH MY CHECK."

ASIDE FROM BASKETBALL,

THAT SHOWS THE HUMANITY,

THE CARE,
BUT THE WAY THINGS WERE.

- TODAY, SEEING BLACK
AND WHITE PLAYERS

ON A COURT IS A GIVEN.

AND EVEN PUBLIC DISPLAYS
OF AFFECTION

BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE PLAYERS
ARE COMMONPLACE.

BUT BACK THEN,
IT WAS SHOCKING.

- IN LOUISVILLE,
MY DAD WENT ON THE COURT

AND WENT UP TO TARZAN COOPER
AND KISSED HIM ON THE CHEEK,

AND, WHEN THEY GOT BACK
TO THE HOTEL

THAT THE CELTICS
WERE STAYING AT,

THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAD
BEEN EVICTED FROM THE HOTEL

AND THAT THE GAME THE NEXT NIGHT
HAD BEEN CANCELED.

- WHEN WE GOT READY TO LEAVE,

THEY HAD TO BACK A PADDY WAGON
UP FLAT UP AGAINST THE DOOR.

"BRING YOUR CLOTHES WITH YOU.

"DON'T BOTHER TO GET DRESSED.

"JUST BRING YOUR CLOTHES
WITH YOU

AND GET IN THE PADDY WAGON."

GOOD THING WE LEFT OUR BUS,

LIKE, THREE BLOCKS AWAY.

- ERIC ILLIDGE CARRIED A PISTOL
EVERYWHERE HE WENT.

HE SAID WE WERE NOT GOING
TO LET ANYONE

PREVENT US FROM MAKING A LIVING.

- I MEAN, THE BACKDROP IS THAT
TO BE BLACK IN AMERICA

FOR 350 YEARS
WAS TO TRY TO PRESERVE

YOUR SANITY, DIGNITY,
AND INTEGRITY

IN THE FACE OF BEING TERRORIZED,
TRAUMATIZED,

AND STIGMATIZED.

AND NO OTHER PEOPLE'S
HAD TO DEAL WITH TERROR

ON THE PLANTATION,

TERROR HANGING FROM THE TREES,

TRAUMATIZED BECAUSE,
EARLY ON,

YOU'RE TOLD YOU'RE LESS
BEAUTIFUL, YOU'RE LESS MORE,

YOU'RE LESS INTELLIGENT.

AND THEN STIGMATIZED--
KEEP TRACK OF 'EM.

YOU GOT THAT BADGE
OF BLACKNESS, YOU SEE.

- THEN JOE LOUIS CAME ALONG.

MY LORD.

AND WHAT IT MEANT
IN A LITTLE VILLAGE

IN ARKANSAS
AT MY GRANDMOTHER'S STORE...

WHEN ALL THE BLACKS
SAT AROUND THE STORE

AND MADE LUNCHES,
CHEESE SANDWICHES.

THEN THE RADIO WOULD COME ON.

- THE DETROIT BROWN BOMBER.

- AND THIS VOICE WOULD SAY,

"AND NOW JOE LOUIS..."
[muttering]

AND, I MEAN, HE WAS
FIGHTING SCHMELING.

- ALWAYS A GREAT CREDIT
TO HIS CHOSEN PROFESSION

AND THE RACE
HE REPRESENTS,

THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD,

JOE LOUIS.

- AND SCHMELING JUST HIT HIM--

OH, THE PEOPLE WOULD GROAN.

GROAN.

IT WAS OUR PEOPLE FALLING.

IT WAS BACK IN SLAVERY.

IT WAS THE END OF EVERYTHING.

AND THEN HE SAID,

"LOUIS IS UP,
"AND HE'S HIT HIM.

"HE'S HIT HIM WITH A LEFT.

"AND THERE HE IS
WITH A RIGHT.

"AND HE'S--
AND HE'S GOING DOWN,

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
HE'S GOING DOWN.

AND HERE IT IS.
ONE, TWO..."

AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHOUTED.

- FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT...

- AND HE HELD UP HIS HAND

AND HE SAID,
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD."

[cheers and applause]

"CHAMPINE."
- JOE LOUIS!

- JOE LOUIS!

AND THE PEOPLE CRIED,

AND I CAN CRY NOW.

AND PEOPLE WHO LIVED
TOO FAR AWAY

STAYED, SLEPT.

WE MADE PALLETS FOR THEM

ON THE PORCH

AND INSIDE THE STORE.

BECAUSE IT WAS DANGEROUS
FOR ANY BLACK MAN

TO BE ON A DIRT ROAD

ON A NIGHT WHEN JOE LOUIS
HAD JUST PROVED

WE WERE THE STRONGEST PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD.

[cheers and applause]

- THE STRONGEST PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD

STILL HAD TO MAKE A LIVING,

EVEN IN RACIST STATES
LIKE INDIANA.

- YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TALKED
ABOUT ALABAMA

AND THE SOUTH
AND THE LYNCHINGS.

I DON'T THINK
ANYTHING COULD HAVE TOPPED

THE STATE OF INDIANA

'CAUSE IT WAS THE BIRTH
OF THE KU KLUX KLAN.

BUT THE RENS PLAYED THERE.

THEY PLAYED THERE A LOT.

- THERE, THEY WERE DESTINED

TO MEET A COMPETITOR

WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY
BECOME KNOWN SIMPLY AS COACH,

THE LEGENDARY JOHN WOODEN.

- MY COLLEGE COACH
JOHN WOODEN

PLAYED AGAINST THE RENS OFTEN

WHEN THEY BARNSTORMED
IN THE MIDWEST.

AND HE WILL TELL YOU

THAT THEY WERE THE BEST TEAM
THAT HE EVER SAW PLAY.

- WHEN WE GOT TO PLAY 'EM,
IT WAS REALLY A TREAT.

BUTLER FIELDHOUSE,
WHICH SEATED MAYBE 18,000,

THEY'D BE TURNING 'EM AWAY.

- HIS PRESS WAS PART
OF WHAT HE HAD LEARNED

PLAYING AGAINST THE RENS.

PRESSURE DEFENSE
AND NOT GIVING ANYBODY A CHANCE

TO--TO FREELY ROAM
AROUND THE COURT.

- MOST OF THE TIMES
WE PLAYED THE RENS,

YOU COULD SAY
THAT THEY'RE GONNA BEAT US.

BUT IT'LL ONLY BE
BY TWO OR THREE POINTS.

- I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT INCREDIBLE CROWDS

TO SEE
THIS BLACK BASKETBALL TEAM

THAT WAS NOT ACCEPTED
IN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS,

PROBABLY IN THE TOWNS
THEY WERE PLAYING IN,

AND YET EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD
THE EXCELLENCE.

EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD

HOW SMOOTH THEY WERE.

- WHILE THE RENS CONTINUED
TO PERFECT

THEIR AGGRESSIVE GAME
AND ATTITUDE,

THERE WAS ANOTHER BLACK TEAM
THAT HAD FOUND

A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY TO PLAY.

- COMING TO YOU FROM
THE COTTON CLUB IN HARLEM...

- THEY REFLECTED
ANOTHER HARLEM.

[upbeat jazz music]

ONE THAT CATERED
TO A WHITE AUDIENCE,

PRESENTING A MORE AGREEABLE
IMAGE OF BLACKS.

*

- WHITE BROTHERS AND SISTERS
COME UPTOWN

AND SEE BLACK PEOPLE
AS EXOTIC, AS PRIMITIVE,

AS PUTTING ON A SHOW
FOR THEM

AND NOT DIGGING DEEP INTO THE
RICH HUMANITY OF BLACK PEOPLE.

SO BLACK PEOPLE
ON THE ONE HAND

CELEBRATING OUR HUMANITY,

MOST OF THE WHITE BROTHERS
AND SISTERS

ON THE OTHER
WANTING BLACK PEOPLE

TO BE ALMOST MINSTREL-LIKE,

WANTING BLACK PEOPLE
TO TITILLATE

AND STIMULATE THEM,
WANTING BLACK PEOPLE

TO TAKE THEM CLOSER TO NATURE
BECAUSE, OF COURSE,

PART OF RACISM,
PART OF THE LEGACY

OF WHITE SUPREMACY
IS THIS NOTION

THAT BLACK PEOPLE
ARE CLOSER TO NATURE

AND FAR REMOVED
FROM INTELLIGENCE.

- THE GLOBETROTTERS PRESENTED
A MORE DOCILE,

LESS THREATENING IMAGE
OF THE BLACK PLAYER

THAN THE RENS DID,

INCORPORATING TRICKS
AND COMIC ROUTINES

INTO THEIR ACT.

EVEN THEIR NAME,
THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS,

WAS NOT QUITE REAL,

IN THAT THEY DIDN'T TROT
THE GLOBE OR COME FROM HARLEM.

THEY WERE FROM CHICAGO.

BUT THEIR OWNER ABE SAPERSTEIN

WANTED TO MAKE SURE
EVERYONE KNEW

THEY WERE BLACK.

- WHEN I WAS A KID,
I THOUGHT

THE GLOBETROTTERS
WERE FROM HARLEM.

I DIDN'T KNOW
THAT THEY WERE FROM CHICAGO.

I WAS A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE
BEFORE I REALIZED

THAT THE GLOBETROTTERS
WERE FROM ILLINOIS.

- ABE KNEW THAT,
WHEN HE WENT INTO THE TOWNS,

THE SMALL TOWNS
LIKE WATERLOO, IOWA,

OR SOMEPLACE,
THAT HE HAD TO PREANNOUNCE

THE TEAM COMING IN
WAS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEAM.

AND THE WAY HE DID THAT

WITHOUT A LOT OF FANFARE

WAS PUT THE NAME--ATTACH HARLEM
TO THE FRONT OF THE NAME.

AND WHEN THEY'D SHOW UP
IN A CITY,

PEOPLE EXPECTED TO SEE A TROUPE

OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENTERTAINERS
COME IN.

NO ONE WAS SHOCKED.

THE ONLY THING THEY WERE SHOCKED
ABOUT WAS HOW GOOD THEY WERE.

BUT HE WOULD SOFTEN THAT A BIT

BY PUTTING ON
THE ENTERTAINMENT PIECE.

- AND THEIR COACHES TOO
HAD WILDLY DIFFERENT STYLES.

THE BLACK PRESS WAS MOSTLY
IN SMILIN' BOB'S CAMP,

CALLING HIM THE FATHER
OF BLACK BASKETBALL

OR THE CAGER KING,

WHILE ABE WAS CALLED SQUAT,
PUDGY,

ROLY-POLY,
OR EVEN THE BOWLING BALL.

AND SMILING BOB'S PLAYERS
LOVED HIM.

- HE WAS A TRULY HONEST MAN.

HE WAS NOT A POLITICIAN.

- HE WAS A MAN
OF HIGH INTEGRITY,

A MAN WHO WAS VERY, VERY SMART.

HE KNEW BUSINESS
LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND,

AND HIS WORD
WAS HIS BOND.

- AND THEY WERE VERY PROUD
IN NEW YORK

AND BALTIMORE
AND BOSTON

TO SAY I'M PART
OF BOB DOUGLAS'S ORGANIZATION.

HE WAS A MAN
THAT PEOPLE IDOLIZED

AND LOOKED UP TO
AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN

WHO HAD DONE WELL,
BUT ALSO A VERY LOYAL LEADER.

I THINK HIS LEADERSHIP
CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED.

- ABE'S PLAYERS,
ON THE OTHER HAND,

WEREN'T AS KIND.

- ABE SAPERSTEIN
IS ABOUT THE MONEY

AND HE'S ABOUT KEEPING YOU
IN YOUR PLACE.

HE WAS GOD.

- HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE.

IF YOU'RE ON A TEAM
THAT'S A TOP TEAM

AND YOU'RE LIKE THE YANKEES,
YOU'RE GONNA GO FIRST CLASS,

YOU'RE GONNA BE A BETTER TEAM,
RIGHT?

ABE WASN'T LIKE THAT.

THEY WERE UNDERPAID.

THEY WEREN'T TREATED RIGHT.

- HE'D NEVER GIVE HIS WORD,
YOU KNOW.

HE WANTED TO KEEP YOU HUMBLE.

I NEVER CALLED HIM
MR. SAPERSTEIN OR SKIP.

THE MANAGERS AND THE COACHES,

THEY WERE ALL SCARED OF ABE.

THEY WANTED THEIR JOB.

I CALLED HIM ABE.

- ABE REPRESENTED TO ME

A PERSON WHO, "A",
WAS AN OPPORTUNIST,

AND "B",
WAS INDIFFERENT

TO THE ISSUE OF RACE
WHEN IT CAME TO MARKETING

AND PROMOTION.

HE ALSO WAS A PERSON
OF GREAT VISION.

AND I TOLD THE STORY
THAT ABE ONCE TOLD ME

THAT THE GAME OF BASKETBALL

WAS A BLACK MAN'S GAME.

HE BELIEVED THE DISENFRANCHISED
TOOK THIS GAME UP

BECAUSE IT WAS EASY TO PLAY,

THE ECONOMICS WERE THERE,

AND IT WAS A GAME THAT YOU
COULD ADOPT TO YOUR LIFESTYLE.

- THE GLOBETROTTERS WERE WINNING

AN IMPRESSIVE 90%
OF THEIR GAMES.

- THEY WOULD PUT THEIR SHOW ON
IF YOU WERE BEING DEFEATED,

BUT IF YOU WERE CLOSE TO THEM,

THEY WOULDN'T PUT THEIR SHOW ON.

THEY'D PLAY
THEIR STRAIGHT BASKETBALL.

- BUT THEY WERE STILL CONSIDERED

A NOVELTY ACT.

- THEY WERE A FIRST-RATE,
WORLD-CLASS TEAM,

BUT I THINK THEIR WILLINGNESS
TO CATER

TO NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES
WAS UNFORTUNATE.

- THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY
ON THE PLANTATION

WHO'S SENT UP TO THE BIG HOUSE.

THEY GIVE HIM THAT BANJO

OR DO A JIG,

AND...THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT I'VE HAD TO STRUGGLE WITH,

BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SOMEONE--

PEOPLE LAUGHING WITH YOU

AND PEOPLE LAUGHING AT YOU.

- NOW THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
IN THE STREET WOULD SAY,

"WE LIKE THE GLOBETROTTERS.
THEY'RE A LOT OF FUN,

"BUT THAT'S A WHITE PERSON'S
ORGANIZATION AND SHILL,

A WHITE LEADER AND ALL."

THEY MAY ALSO BE OFFENDED
BY THE ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT,

THE FACT THAT THEY WERE REMINDED

OF THE MINSTREL SHOWS
OF STEPIN FETCHIT

AND THAT KIND OF STUFF...

WHERE THE RENS WERE PORTRAYED
AS HARDCORE WARRIORS.

HARDCORE WARRIORS.

- DOUGLAS USED THE TERM,

PARTICULARLY IN THE LATER YEARS,

THEY WERE NOT
BURLESQUE BASKETBALL.

HE WOULDN'T GO THE ROUTE
OF SAPERSTEIN

AND THE GLOBETROTTERS
AS JUST AN ENTERTAINMENT ASPECT.

IT HAD TO BE BASKETBALL.

- THE GLOBETROTTERS
CARRIED THE BURDEN

OF TRYING TO EMULATE
THE RENS

IN LIFESTYLE
AND IN REPUTATION

AS WELL AS TRYING TO ENTERTAIN

AND MAKE THEMSELVES
NON-THREATENING TO WHITES.

BOB DOUGLAS DIDN'T CARE
ABOUT THAT.

BOB DOUGLAS'S TEAM
WAS ON THE COURT TO PLAY

AND TO WIN.

AND WIN THEIR WAY.

- IN PUBLIC, SAPERSTEIN
WOULD CHALLENGE THE RENS

TO COMPETE
AGAINST HIS GLOBETROTTERS.

AND DOUGLAS AND HIS TEAM
SAID THEY WERE READY.

BUT BEHIND SCENES,

SAPERSTEIN
DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH.

THE BOTTOM LINE WAS THE RENS
AND THE GLOBETROTTERS

HAD COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STYLES.

IN 1939, SAPERSTEIN MADE
THIS BOLD PUBLIC STATEMENT--

- "I'VE BEEN CHALLENGING
THE RENAISSANCE BIG FIVE

"FOR FOUR YEARS.
FOUR YEARS!

"THEY ARE TERRIFIED
TO PLAY US

BECAUSE WE ARE
THE STRONGER TEAM."

- ROAD MANAGER ERIC ILLIDGE

BLEW A FUSE.

"AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED,"
HE SAID,

"THE GLOBETROTTERS ARE NOTHING
BUT CLOWNS OF THE COURT.

"WE WILL PLAY
THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE."

EVEN THE PRESS WANTED
THIS PRETEND RIVALRY SETTLED.

ABE SAPERSTEIN NEVER DID ANSWER.

BUT HE AND SMILING BOB DOUGLAS

WERE TO HAVE THEIR SHOWDOWN
AFTER ALL,

THOUGH NOT IN THE WAY THAT
ANYONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED

IN THEIR WILDEST DREAMS.

OUT OF THE BLUE,
AN INVITATION ARRIVED

TO THE FIRST-EVER

INTEGRATED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
OF BASKETBALL.

ONLY TWO BLACK TEAMS
WERE INVITED TO CHICAGO

TO PARTICIPATE.

ONE WAS THE RENS.

THE OTHER,
THE GLOBETROTTERS.

- ABE WANTED TO BE THOUGHT OF,
AS HIS PLAYERS DID,

AS BEING THE GREATEST
BASKETBALL TEAM IN THE COUNTRY.

BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS
THE QUESTION,

ARE YOU BETTER THAN THE RENS?

HE REALLY RESENTED THAT.

THE SECOND THING HE RESENTED

WAS THE FACT
THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS

OVERWHELMINGLY
HAD ADOPTED THE RENS

AS THEIR FAVORITE
BASKETBALL TEAM.

EVEN IN CHICAGO.

- THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME
BOTH BLACK AND WHITE TEAMS

WOULD COMPETE FOR THE TITLE
WORLD'S BEST BASKETBALL TEAM.

THE RENS DIDN'T HAVE TO PLAY
THE OPENING ROUND,

WHICH MEANT THE GLOBETROTTERS
WOULD HAVE TO WIN TWO GAMES

ON SUNDAY FOR THEIR ONE SHOT
AT THE RENS.

SOMETIMES A GAME
IS JUST A GAME.

BUT SOMETIMES,
SUCH AS THIS TIME,

IT WAS SO MUCH MORE.

- THERE WAS A BUZZ

ABOUT THE PLAYERS
WHO WERE ON THE RENS,

AND THEY KNEW
THERE WAS AN EMERGING TEAM

CALLED THE GLOBETROTTERS THAT
PEOPLE HAD TAKEN FOR GRANTED

AS BEING JUST ENTERTAINERS,
CLOWNS.

THEY KNEW THAT THERE
WAS DISCUSSION GOING ON,

THERE WAS MONEY ON THE TABLE,

SIDE BETS
LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE,

HAPPENING AROUND CHICAGO
AND NEW YORK

ABOUT THESE TWO TEAMS.

MOST THOUGHT, FRANKLY,

THAT THE RENS WERE
HEAD AND SHOULDER BETTER.

AND I THINK ABE AND HIS PLAYERS

PROBABLY THOUGHT

THE WORLD WAS WRONG,

THAT THEY COULD BEAT
THE RENS EASILY.

THE WORLD KNEW AT THAT MOMENT
THEY WERE SEEING

THE TWO BEST BASKETBALL TEAMS
IN THE WORLD COMPETE.

- AMERICA'S BASKETBALL PLAYERS
GATHER IN CHICAGO TO PRY THE LID

OFF THE FIRST WORLD'S
CHAMPIONSHIP

FOR PROFESSIONAL TOSSERS.

- IT WAS THE BIGGEST ARENA

THE GAME OF BASKETBALL
HAD EVER SEEN.

8,000 FANS CROWDED
THE STADIUM.

FINALLY, AFTER ALL THE YEARS OF
PUBLICLY TAUNTING EACH OTHER,

THE RENS AND GLOBETROTTERS
WERE FACE-TO-FACE.

- IT WAS A THRILLING GAME
TO SEE

TWO BLACK TEAMS
PLAYING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER,

BOTH OF THEM,
IN OUR OPINION,

IN OUR TEENAGE OPINION,
BEING CAPABLE

OF BEATING ANY OTHER TEAM.

- EVERYBODY SEEMS TO THINK
THAT THEY WERE PUT

IN THE SAME BRACKET
SO THERE COULDN'T BE

TWO BLACK TEAMS
IN THE FINALS.

- SO THEY HAD TO EARN THAT--

THAT KIND OF LIKE COMING
TOGETHER, RIGHT?

- RIGHT.
AND THEY HAD TO FIGURE OUT

WHICH WAS THE BEST BLACK TEAM.

- WOW.

- THAT WAS GONNA
GET A CHANCE

TO GO AGAINST
THE BEST WHITE TEAM.

- AND I CAN SEE
FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE

SITTING AROUND THE TABLE
SAYING, "WE GOT TO MAKE SURE

THE FINALS DOES NOT END UP
WITH TWO BLACK TEAMS."

- NOW I THINK
WHITE AMERICANS

ACKNOWLEDGE
THE TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTIONS

THAT BLACK ATHLETES
HAVE PLAYED IN SPORTS.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE
THEIR INCREDIBLE SKILLS.

BACK IN THE '30s
AND '40s,

WE WEREN'T ACKNOWLEDGING
ANYTHING.

WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP US
AS THE BEST IN EVERYTHING,

MEANING PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME.

[whistle blows]

- THE REF CALLED THE TEAMS
TO CENTER COURT.

THE BALL WENT UP,

AND EVERYONE SCRAMBLED.

- FIRST THREE QUARTERS,

THE 'TROTTERS COULDN'T DO
ANYTHING RIGHT.

THE RENS GO OFF
TO AN 11-2 POINT LEAD.

SO, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE NINE POINTS AHEAD

WHEN THERE'S NO LIMIT
ON HOW LONG

YOU CAN HOLD THE BALL
AND NO SHOT CLOCK.

IT'S ALMOST INSURMOUNTABLE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
IN THE LAST QUARTER,

THINGS START TO CHANGE.

THE GLOBETROTTERS START HITTING
SOME SHOTS.

AND THE RENS' LEAD SHRINKS,

SHRINKS.

IT'S DOWN TO FOUR POINTS.

IT'S DOWN TO TWO POINTS,

BUT IT'S UNDER TWO MINUTES
TO PLAY.

THE RENS ARE HOLDING
ONTO THE BALL.

AND THEY'RE JUST PLAYING
KEEP-AWAY.

THEY GOT FOUR GUYS
IN THE CORNERS,

TARZAN COOPER
IN THE CENTER.

EVENTUALLY, THE GUY GUARDING

TARZAN COOPER,
WHO IS THE CENTER,

GETS BETWEEN HIM
AND THE BALL.

THERE'S NOBODY,
AT THAT POINT,

BETWEEN TARZAN
AND THE BASKET.

AND THE GUY'S PAYING ATTENTION
TO WHAT'S GOING ON

WITH THE BALL AND NOT KEEPING
AN EYE ON TARZAN COOPER.

TARZAN COOPER
RECOGNIZES THIS,

HIS TEAMMATE SEES HIM,
FEEDS HIM A PASS,

HE'S UNDER THE BASKET ALL ALONE,

HITS THE LAY-UP,

THE RENS ARE AHEAD
BY FOUR POINTS,

THERE'S LESS
THAN 20 SECONDS TO GO.

IT'S A WRAP.
GAME'S OVER.

- IF YOU COULD GO 30,000 FEET UP

AND LOOK AT THE WORLD
AS IT EVOLVES,

THAT WAS THE BEGINNING
OF THE EVOLUTION

OF A MAJOR, MAJOR CULTURAL
IMPACT, THE GAME OF BASKETBALL.

TO THINK
THAT TWO AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEAMS

WERE INSTRUMENTAL
IN THAT EVOLUTION

TAKING PLACE.

NOW, NO OTHER ATHLETE CAN SAY

THAT THEY STARTED
THAT KIND OF CULTURAL

AND ECONOMIC REVOLUTION
ON THE FRONT END.

AND THOSE TWO TEAMS REALLY,

BECAUSE OF WHERE BASKETBALL
IS TODAY,

WERE ON THE FRONT END
OF THAT.

THEY CHANGED THE GAME.

THEY CHANGED
HOW THE WORLD SAW THE GAME.

THEY MADE IT A GAME
FOR THE MASSES.

- BUT THERE WAS STILL
ONE GAME TO GO.

ON MARCH 28, 1939,

A GROUP OF YOUNG BLACK MEN
FROM HARLEM

STOOD
ON THE POLISHED WOODEN FLOOR

FACING A GROUP
OF YOUNG WHITE MEN

IN THE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
OF THE FIRST-EVER

WORLD PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT.

- OH, THE ATMOSPHERE
WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

20,000 PEOPLE THERE
IN THE STANDS.

IT WAS BUILT UP
TO A BIG CRESCENDO.

THE OFFICIALS
WERE TWO TOP-NOTCH OFFICIALS.

AT THAT TIME,
IT WAS TWO OFFICIALS.

AND YOU KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE
A FANTASTIC GAME.

- OSHKOSH ALL-STARS PLAYED
AGAINST THE NEW YORK RENS

33 TIMES,
AND 17 OF THOSE TIMES

ALL-STARS WON.

SO IN THE MINDS OF EVERY PLAYER
ON THE RENS,

THAT WAS PROBABLY
THE TOP TEAM TO BEAT.

AND THERE'S NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT

FOR OSHKOSH THAT THE RENS
WERE EQUALLY AS COMPETITIVE

AND A CHALLENGING TEAM TO PLAY.

- IN '37, THE RENS
HAD BEEN REJECTED

BY THE NATIONAL
BASKETBALL LEAGUE.

BOB DOUGLAS'S TEAM HAD BEEN
DENIED FOR 16 LONG YEARS.

DOUGLAS SAID,
"IF WE LOSE NOW,

WHO KNOWS WHEN WE WILL EVER GET
THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN?"

- SO THE RENS
JUMP OUT TO A LEAD,

AND THEY JUST KEPT RUNNING
THE FAST BREAK.

THEY HAD BOTH OF THEIR BIG MEN,

TARZAN COOPER
AND WEE WILLIE SMITH,

THEY FOULED OUT OF THE GAME.
- MM.

- BUT THEY HAD SO MUCH SPEED
ON THE COURT

AND THEIR PASSING GAME
WAS SO EFFECTIVE

THAT OSHKOSH REALLY
COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THEM.

- OSHKOSH, WE PLAYED THEM
OFTEN ENOUGH,

BUT THEY WERE ALSO BIG,

BUT THEY COULDN'T JUMP
WITH US,

AND THAT WAS
THE UNFORTUNATE PART ABOUT IT.

AND THEY COULDN'T PASS WITH US.

BUT THEY WOULD ROLL YOU OVER

IF YOU GOT IN THEIR WAY,
YOU KNOW.

SO WE MADE SURE
THAT WE'D PASS AND GO THROUGH

OR PASS AND GO AWAY,

AND THEN KEEP THE BALL
OFF THE FLOOR

BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULDN'T...

AND EVERYBODY'D BE
ON THE FLY PATTERN,

AND BASICALLY THAT WAS IT.

- THE RENS ARE THE WONDER TEAM
ON [indistinct] HARDWOODS.

THE CLUB THAT GOT ITS NAME
BY ACCIDENT 16 YEARS AGO

NOW RANKS AS BEST
IN U.S. BASKETBALL.

- AT THAT POINT,
WHEN THE RENS WIN

THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP OF BASKETBALL

THAT IS OPEN TO ALL TEAMS...
- RIGHT.

- THE WHITE PRESS DECIDES
THAT THEY'RE GONNA IGNORE THAT.

THEY'RE GONNA ACT LIKE
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

- WOW.

SO, WHAT, IT WAS
A SMALL FOOTNOTE IN THE BACK

OF THE SPORTS PAGES?

- IF IT GOT ON THERE
AT ALL.

BUT IN BLACK AMERICA,

BLACK AMERICANS UNDERSTOOD
WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

- AS HISTORY HAS BEEN WRITTEN
AND REWRITTEN

BY PEOPLE
OTHER THAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS,

I THINK THAT YOU DON'T GET
A SENSE OF THE GLORY.

YOU DON'T GET A SENSE
OF THE POWER.

YOU DON'T GET A SENSE
OF THE MAJESTY.

- 37-23.

- THAT GAME EXEMPLIFIES,
I THINK,

THE POWER
AND THE MAJESTY OF THE RENS.

IT SAYS EVERYTHING
ABOUT THE RENS.

- THERE WERE RESERVATIONS

OF WHETHER THE RENS WOULD BE
GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY

AGAINST THE GREAT WHITE
BALL PLAYERS.

THEY WEREN'T DISCIPLINED ENOUGH
WHEN THE CHIPS WERE DOWN.

DID THEY GET A WAKEUP CALL
IN 1939

LIKE THEY'D NEVER HAD BEFORE.

- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
THE EQUIVALENT

OF THE BLACK YANKEES
BEATING THE YANKEES

FOR A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND IT'S IN '39, OKAY?

SO IT'S AHEAD

OF JACKIE ROBINSON
BREAKING INTO THE LEAGUE.

AND IT'S A TEAM AGAINST A TEAM.

IT'S NOT AN INDIVIDUAL
GETTING ON A WHITE TEAM.

- BLACK AMERICANS
KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

THEY TOOK A LOT OF PRIDE IN IT.

AND, AT THAT POINT,
THAT WAS ANOTHER SERIOUS

MILESTONE IN BLACK AMERICANS
ACHIEVING EQUALITY.

- IT'S AN ELUSIVE BUTTERFLY.

EVERYONE THINKS IT'S EASY
TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT'S NOT.
IT TAKES AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT

OF GOOD FORTUNE,
THE RIGHT BALANCE--

AND PEOPLE SAY YOU MAKE
YOUR OWN BALANCE.

THAT'S NOT TRUE.
IT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

IT'S A PRIDEFUL THING.

YOU WANT TO BE A CHAMPION.

- SMILING BOB DOUGLAS

ARRANGED A DINNER
FOR HIS TEAM.

- HE GAVE THEM
THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP JACKETS.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE RINGS
IN THOSE DAYS.

AND ON THE JACKET, IT SAID,
"WORLD'S COLORED CHAMPIONS."

'CAUSE BOB DOUGLAS HAD HAD
COLORED PUT ON THE JACKETS

JUST BECAUSE HE WAS STILL
DEALING WITH THE OLD FRAME

OF REFERENCE.
- RIGHT.

- BUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT
HAD HAPPENED.

YOU KNOW, THEY BEAT
THE BEST OF THE BEST.

THEY BEAT THE BEST
OF ALL THE BASKETBALL TEAMS

IN THE COUNTRY.

IT WASN'T JUST BLACK TEAMS
THAT THEY HAD BEATEN.

SO THEY ACTUALLY WERE
THE WORLD'S CHAMPS.

- I WENT INTO HIS OFFICE,
I SAID, "HI, MR. DOUGLAS.

MAY I BORROW A RAZORBLADE?"

AND EVERY THREAD
THAT SAID COLORED,

I CUT IT,
TOOK THE COLORED OFF,

AND THREW IT ON THE FLOOR.

"IT SAYS WORLD CHAMPION,"
I SAID,

"BECAUSE THIS IS WHO WE ARE.

"AND IT CAN'T BE
ANY WORLD COLORED CHAMPION

BLAH BLAH BLAH."

I SAID, "NO, NO, NO.
WE CUT IT OFF."

EVERYBODY LOOKED AT ME
AND SAID...

EVEN DOUGLAS CAME OUT.

HE SAID,
"YOU RUINED THE JACKET."

I SAID, "NO, I MADE IT REAL."

- I JUST THINK
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY

OF SAYING,
"I'M A CHAMPION...

"NO MATTER WHAT.
NO MATTER THE COLOR OF MY SKIN.

"I PERFORMED.
I DID THE JOB.

I DID THE DUTY."

AND I THINK
IT WAS A STRONG STATEMENT

DURING A TIME
WHERE WE HAD COLORED FOUNTAINS

AND WHITE FOUNTAINS.

IT WAS ALMOST COMPATIBLE

TO THE JANE PITTMAN STORY

WHEN SHE HAD TO DRINK

FROM THE WHITE FOUNTAIN.

THERE WAS NO COLOR.

IT WAS JUST WATER
COMING OUT OF THERE.

[cheers and applause]

- IT IS IN SOME WAYS URGENT

FOR NBA PLAYERS
TO UNDERSTAND

HOW THE GAME HAS DEVELOPED AND
HOW THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM

HAVE DEVELOPED.

- WE WERE THE STRONGEST PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD.

- TO COME AS FAR
AS IT HAS COME

IS ACTUALLY A TRIBUTE
AND A TESTAMENT

TO THE GAME OF BASKETBALL,
THE SPORT OF BASKETBALL.

- OUR BLACK ATHLETES,
YEARS AGO,

THEY NEVER GOT THE CREDIT
THEY DESERVED,

NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.

AND I'M SURE
THE HISTORY OF BASKETBALL

COULD BE REVISED

IF SOME OF THOSE YOUNG MEN
HAD AN OPPORTUNITY

TO PLAY AT THE LEVEL
THAT THE PLAYERS PLAY TODAY.

- THE MORE ATHLETES UNDERSTOOD

THE STORIES OF THE RENS,

THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE
THAT CREATED

THE PATH THAT THEY'RE ON,

IT WOULD MAKE THEM,
"A", MORE RESPONSIBLE

AND CONSCIENTIOUS,

BECAUSE THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND

WHAT WAS INVESTED IN THEM,

AND IT WOULD MAKE THEM

ALSO NOT COWER SO EASILY
TO CHALLENGES.

- THE RENS ARE KIND OF LOST
TO HISTORY,

UNLESS YOU READ ABOUT IT.

AND WE'RE IN A CULTURE

WHERE PEOPLE READ
LESS AND LESS.

IF IT ISN'T ON THE TUBE,
THEN IT'S LARGELY FORGOTTEN.

- WE'RE ALL VERY FORTUNATE

AND BLESSED
TO PLAY THIS GAME

AND TO LIVE
THE KIND OF LIFESTYLE

AND HAVE THE KIND OF SECURITY
FINANCIALLY THAT WE HAVE.

THE HARLEM RENS,
WHO DID NOT HAVE THAT

AND WHO SORT OF PAVED
THE WAY...

AND I THINK
WITH THE WAY

THEY WERE ABLE TO PLAY,
THE INNOVATION

THAT THEY BROUGHT
TO THE TABLE,

THE PROFESSIONALISM,

I THINK HELPED OPEN DOORS.

- THE RENS
DIDN'T FARE MUCH BETTER

THAN THE RENAISSANCE CASINO.

WHILE THE GLOBETROTTERS
WENT ON

TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST
POPULAR TEAMS

IN THE WORLD TODAY,
THE RENS FADED FROM VIEW.

WEE WILLIE SMITH
BECAME A SCHOOL JANITOR.

TARZAN COOPER,
WHO HAD SUNK THE WINNING SHOT,

TOOK UP HOUSE PAINTING AS HIS
ONLY MEANS TO EARN A LIVING.

ROBERT "SMILING BOB" DOUGLAS,

WHO DIED IN 1979,

WAS INDUCTED
INTO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME

IN 1972.

HE WAS
THE FIRST BLACK INDIVIDUAL

TO BE INDUCTED.

- MY DAD AND BOBBY DOUGLAS WENT

TO THE PREDECESSOR
OF THE NBA

TO TRY AND GET THE RENS ADMITTED
AS A TEAM.

AND THEY MADE A PRESENTATION
TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

OF--I THINK
IT WAS CALLED THE B.A.A.

AND THEY WERE PRETTY SURE

THAT THEY HAD A GOOD SHOT
AT GETTING THE RENS IN.

NED IRISH WAS THE OWNER
OF THE KNICKS AT THE TIME,

AND HE CAME BACK OUT

AND TOLD MY FATHER
AND BOBBY

THAT THEY DECIDED
NOT TO ADMIT THE RENS.

AND MY DAD TOLD BOBBY DOUGLAS

THAT HE WAS GONNA RESIGN
AS THE COACH OF THE KNICKS,

THAT HE DIDN'T WANT
TO BE IN A LEAGUE

THAT WOULD MAKE A DECISION
LIKE THIS.

AND BOBBY DOUGLAS INSISTED THAT,
"YOU NEED TO STAY THERE, JOE.

"SOMEDAY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY

TO DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT
IN THIS LEAGUE."

AND OF COURSE HE DID STAY

AND THREE YEARS LATER
SIGNED CLIFTON.

- SWEETWATER CLIFTON
GOING ALL THE WAY.

- GUYS LIKE
SWEETWATER CLIFTON,

ALL THE OLDER GUYS,
WE COULDN'T THANK THEM,

YOU KNOW, ENOUGH
FOR WHAT THEY DID.

- AND FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS,

JOHN "BOY WONDER" ISAACS

SPENT HIS LAST 30 YEARS
COACHING KIDS' BASKETBALL

AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
IN THE BRONX.

- FIRST OF ALL,
I DON'T CARE

HOW BIG OR HOW SMALL
YOU ARE--

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE
TO HANDLE THE BALL.

SECONDLY,

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE
TO BE AN ADEQUATE PASSER.

OH, YES,

YOU DO HAVE TO PLAY DEFENSE.

HE WAS NOMINATED FOR INCLUSION
INTO THE HALL OF FAME

BUT NEVER INDUCTED.

JOHN ISAACS DIED
ON JANUARY 26, 2009.

HE NEVER SAW
THE COVETED INDUCTION

OR THIS DOCUMENTARY
HONORING THE RENS.

- WHEN YOU THINK
OF WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED,

THE FACT THAT,
AT THE END,

THEY WIN 2,318 GAMES

AND THEY ONLY LOSE 381...

- THEY WERE DESTINED
TO BE GREAT ATHLETES,

AND GREAT BALL PLAYERS
IS WHAT THEY WERE.

THE FACT THAT THEY GOT MONEY
MADE IT REALLY NICE.

IT BECAME AN ASPIRATION
FOR OTHERS.

BUT THE ORIGINAL GUYS WOULD
HAVE BEEN THERE FOR NOTHING.

IT WAS ABOUT THE GAME.

THEY REALLY LOVED THE GAME.

Captioning by CaptionMax
www.captionmax.com

[jazz music]

*

- * PEOPLE GATHER AROUND

* WE'LL BE STOMPING
INTO YOUR TOWN *

* ON THE SHOULDERS
OF GIANTS *

[continues singing]

- * OH YEAH

*

[scatting]

* WE'RE STOMP STOMP
STOMPING *

* STOMPING IN YOUR TOWN,
TOWN *

* PEOPLE JUST GATHER
AROUND *

* ROUND
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS *

* AND WE GOTTA ALLOW
HERBIE HANCOCK PLAYING *

[jazzy music]

*

[scatting]

- * YEAH

- * JAZZ, HIP-HOP, BE-BOP
RHYTHM AND BLUES *

* OOZES ON HIS HORN
SO EFFORTLESS *

* WITH NO EFFORT,
IT'S QUITE SIMPLE *

* ANY TUNE OR RHYTHM,
THIS GIFT WAS GIVEN *

* HANDED DOWN
FROM HARMONIOUS MONKS *

* MILES AND CHARLIE,
THELONIOUS MONK *

* COLTRANE
WILL MAKE YOU DIZZY *

* THE LIPS
OF LOUIS AND BILLIE *

* MAKE A HOLIDAY
FOR MISSISSIPPI *

* NEW ORLEANS,
LET'S CELEBRATE THE CITY *

* TOAST TO THE GREAT
SIMONE AND BLAKEY *

* JONES FOR THE JUKE JOINT
WORDS ABOUT OUR TECHNIQUE *

* TAKIN' OFF LIKE NOW

*

YOU KNOW THAT SONG.
- I KNOW THAT SONG.

- YOU KNOW THAT SONG.

[scatting]

*

- * YEAH...AH

*

* YEAH

* YEAH

* YEAH

* WILL.I.AM IN THE HOUSE

* YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH
- [scatting]

[scatting]
- * YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

- [scatting]
- * YEAH