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Harlem Globetrotters honored in Chicago with street renaming

By FOX 32 News
Published  May 6, 2025 4:32pm CDT
Bronzeville
FOX 32 Chicago
Harlem Globetrotters honored in Chicago

Harlem Globetrotters honored in Chicago

From the Savoy Big Five to "Globetrotters Way"—Chicago honors a sports legacy nearly 100 years in the making.

The Brief

    • The original Harlem Globetrotters team was honored Tuesday with a street naming in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.
    • "Globetrotters Way" sits near Wendell Phillips High School, close to where the team debuted in 1926.
    • The Globetrotters began as the Savoy Big Five and helped shape athletic history in Chicago.

CHICAGO - A stretch of road on Chicago’s South Side now bears the name of one of sports’ most iconic teams.

What we know:

On Tuesday, city officials unveiled "Globetrotters Way" near Wendell Phillips High School in Bronzeville, honoring the original Harlem Globetrotters team that got its start in Chicago nearly a century ago.

Few may realize that the Harlem Globetrotters were born in Chicago—not Harlem—in 1926. The team debuted under the name "Savoy Big Five," playing exhibitions on the South Side under the leadership of Abe Saperstein, a Jewish immigrant from London.

By 1929, they had taken on the name "Harlem Globetrotters," signaling the style and flair associated with the New York neighborhood, even though they didn’t actually play a game in Harlem until 1968.

The street naming recognizes the team’s local legacy and national cultural impact. The Globetrotters’ early success helped shape athletic history for both Chicago and Wendell Phillips High School.

What they're saying:

Former Globetrotter Charles "Choo" Smith was on hand to reflect on what the moment means for the next generation.

"Young people, this is really about you all," Smith said. "And I always understood that somebody was doing something before I was even thought of. And when you can have that selfless understanding, then you know what you’re fighting for, you know what you’re working towards."

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