ESPN To Celebrate 90 Years Of Harlem Globetrotters Magic

Nationally-televised special will include a memorable tribute to fallen legends Meadowlark Lemon and Marques Haynes

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Jan 04, 2016, 06:32 ET

ATLANTA, Jan. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The celebration of the Harlem Globetrotters' 90^th year will grace television screens with a one-hour, nationally-televised special, premiering on ESPN2 on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. EST. The special will re-air multiple times during the next two months on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

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"The Harlem Globetrotters ESPN Special Presented by Ticket Galaxy" will feature the Globetrotters performing in Chicago, the birthplace of the team, and include congratulatory celebrity video tributes, as well as vignettes on the team's iconic history and today's Globetrotters stars.

The special will include a tribute to Meadowlark Lemon and Marques Haynes – two of only five Globetrotters to have their jersey retired – who both passed away in recent months. The Globetrotters are dedicating their 2016 World Tour to the iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers.

In a salute to the players that paved the way for the new generation of stars, in the first half of the special, the Globetrotters will wear white throwback uniforms from the early 1940s. They are the same uniforms that helped inspire fashion designer Angela Simmons' creation of a white, commemorative 90^th-year Globetrotters jersey that was unveiled in September at New York Fashion Week.

The North American leg of the Globetrotters' historic 2016 World Tour will see over 330 games in more than 260 cities in 48 U.S. states, eight Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico. To find a performance near you and purchase tickets, visit harlemglobetrotters.com.

With a star-studded roster featuring Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm – plus female standout Sweet J Ekworomadu – the Globetrotters' one-of-a-kind show is unrivaled in the world of family entertainment. Every game will showcase incredible ball handling wizardry, rim-rattling dunks, trick shots, hilarious comedy and unequaled fan interaction.

Celebrating 90 iconic years of providing smiles, sportsmanship and service to millions, The Harlem Globetrotters® are a worldwide icon, synonymous with one-of-a-kind family entertainment and great basketball skills. Throughout their history, the Original Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 122 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades. Sponsored by World Vision, Greyhound Lines and Baden Sports, Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed entertainment company in the U.S. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters, and to purchase tickets and team merchandise, visit the Globetrotters' official Web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com and follow them on Twitter @Globies.

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SOURCE Harlem Globetrotters