Basketball Slave

Basketball Slave: The Andy Johnson Harlem Globetrotter/NBA Story is filled to the brim with extraordinary tales from behind the scenes of the early Original Harlem Globetrotters that played before 1960. These men were the first to draw standing-room-only crowds and showcase basketball all over the world. At a time when the NBA was struggling for attendance. This book is loaded with a wealth of historical information never disclosed about the slow, quota-based inception of Black Athletes in the NBA. It discloses the real story of why there was not an All-Black Basketball team part of the NBA in the 1950s. Clarifying the role of the Pre 1960 Original Harlem Globetrotters in making the NBA the Multibillion-Dollar organization it is today. Many fans have fond memories of these men because of their clowning antics and tricks with the ball. This book tells the untold secret behind the player's smiles. These men did not want to be referred to as a clown. I ask, “If most of the best Black Basketball Players from around the country could not fully participate in the NBA, where do you think they played?”

This is the heart-wrenching account of a young boy who became a man through the lessons of basketball. He grew up watching his family work in the cotton fields of Louisiana and began playing basketball barefoot in the streets of North Hollywood, California. As a high school basketball phenom, his education was undervalued. He was sent to a major university without graduating high school. In reviewing his college transcript, you will note manipulation of grades that allowed him to play and a course load that would never lead to a degree. Finally, he was sold on the professional basketball auction block three times, with no ability to negotiate his pay or where he could play. It shows that players such as Le Bron, Kobe, Michael Jordan and Magic all came along at the right time. Andy was that dominate player in the 50’s. Unfortunately, he came along at a time when Black Basketball players were barely accepted and not allowed to play freely in the NBA. Johnson turned every devastating event into another opportunity by staying positive in the game of life. 

Learn more about the Original Harlem Globetrotters.