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Harlem Globetrotters ask NBA to become league’s 31st franchise

By NBC Sports Washington Staff

Harlem Globetrotters ask NBA to become league's 31st franchise originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Harlem Globetrotters sent a letter to the NBA yesterday petitioning to join the league as its 31st team.

The legendary exhibition basketball team, known for its players’ innovative basketball skills, was founded in 1926. Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton had been playing for the Globetrotters when he became the first Black player to sign an NBA contract in 1950. That same year, the Boston Celtics selected Globetrotter Chuck Cooper at No. 14 overall, making him the first Black player to be drafted.

As Globetrotters general manager Jeff Munn’s letter notes, there have been rumors that the NBA is considering adding more teams in the near future. Seattle and Las Vegas are two cities likely to be considered if the league expands.

The NBA has not publicly responded to the Globetrotters’ letter yet.

Brittney Griner reflects on gut-wrenching moment she was detained in Russia in exclusive “20/20” special

By ABC Radio
(NEW YORK) -- WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap in December 2022, opened up for the first time about her harrowing experience in a Russian prison in an exclusive interview that will air May 1 on a special edition of ABC News' 20/20. ABC's Good Morning America will have a first look earlier that day. Griner, 33, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a nine-time WNBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, reflected on the “mental lapse” that led to her months-long detention in Russia when vape cartridges containing cannabis oil -- an illegal substance in the country -- were found in her luggage.
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