A Tribute to the end of March Madness

Here's a 45 I recently came across.  It's the official Harlem Globetrotters anthem.  So sweet.

For those not familiar, before becoming strictly entertainment, the origins of the Globetrotters resided in Chicago as a very competitive group of local African Americans.  The informally conceived team went on to become very good and even beat the preeminent, and all-white Minneapolis Lakers.  Their back-to-back wins over the Lakers in 1948 and '49 had a large part in breaking down the color barrier in the NBA.  1950 saw the first African-American drafted into the NBA, Chuck Cooper.

As a competitive outlet for talented African-American ball players, the Globetrotters became less relevant.  The team eventually became an entertainment act displaying individuals' skills in the form of flashy tricks.

Brother Bones, "Sweet Georgia Brown"

The spirit of the original Harlem Globetrotters still permeates blacktops across the country, including the infamous Rucker Park.  Of course, it didn't take long for the similarly flashy and original moves of the latest generation to become marketed for a profit.  Upstart basketball shoe company, And 1, used Rucker Park legend, Rafer Alston, as their first spokesperson.  As a promo tool, And 1 put out the first infamous And 1 Mixtapes on VHS.  The first tape was a collage of lo-fi Rafer Alston, aka "Skip to my Lou", footage from Rucker Park tournaments set to underground hip-hop tracks.  I was working at Footaction at the time of the release.  Footaction received these tapes exclusively.  It didn't take long for the videos to spread like wildfire across the country.  Their demand far exceeded And 1's wildest expectations.  There were a crazy amount of bootlegs and many sold on eBay for exorbinant prices.  Absolutely incredible considering the videos were given away to anyone who tried on a pair of shoes initially.  Many volumes were created and a TV show/traveling tournament was created by ESPN.  Rafer Alston currently plays for the Orlando Magic.

Because this was the first track on an And 1 Mixtape, this will forever be And 1's anthem for me...

Common feat Sadat X, "1-9-9-9"