I read with great interest your piece on “Reimagining Atlanta” (July 10 issue), a terrific and comprehensive look at our city’s thriving sports culture through its world-class venues, major events and professional and collegiate sports teams.
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I was surprised, however, the coverage failed to include mention of the winningest sports franchise in the Atlanta area — the Harlem Globetrotters. In 2015, shortly after being acquired by Atlanta-based Herschend Enterprises, we moved the Globetrotters’ corporate headquarters and global business operations to Atlanta from Phoenix. Being co-located with the parent company clearly weighed heavily in our decision, but we also recognized the many strategic advantages that Atlanta provides for the organization: Home to many Fortune 500 companies, a passionate sports community, a thriving entertainment industry, a skilled talent pool and the best airport in the world — which comes in handy for us Globetrotters. Last year, we also made the decision to relocate the annual Globetrotters training camp to nearby LakePoint Sporting Community, which is one of the best new basketball facilities in the U.S.
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The historic franchise always has fun.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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The Harlem Globetrotters are one of the most storied and beloved sports franchises in the world. Every year we play nearly 500 games in over 30 countries and entertain millions of fans in markets large and small throughout the world. Known as the “Ambassadors of Goodwill,” our stars take great pride in knowing they are inspiring generations of kids and athletes to pick up the game of basketball. So, no matter where we play (whether it’s MSG, Staples, or Wembley Arena) the Globetrotters are every city’s home team, but we are proud that Atlanta is home to our global operations and we always look forward to playing in front of our local fans at Philips Arena and Infinite Energy Arena.
Atlanta is on a roll and we would like to think we are contributing to its momentum — we haven’t lost a game since we moved here!
Howard Smith
Atlanta
Smith is president of the Harlem Globetrotters
