Red Klotz
Encyclopedia
Louis Herman "Red" Klotz (born October 21, 1921) is a former NBA point guard
with the original Baltimore Bullets, who is best known for forming the teams that play against and tour with the Harlem Globetrotters
: the Washington Generals
and the New York Nationals
.
. He led the school team to city basketball championships in 1939 and 1940, both times earning Philadelphia Player of the Year honors.
After attending Villanova University
and serving in World War II
, Klotz played one season for the Baltimore Bullets, getting into 11 games and scoring 15 points. He also played in six playoff games, scoring six points.
At 5' 7", he is the third-shortest person to play in an NBA game, and the shortest to play on a championship team.
of the ABL
. In an exhibition game, the Sphas defeated the Harlem Globetrotters
, Klotz's first game against them.
Klotz later bought the Sphas, and changed the name to the Washington Generals
. In 1953 Abe Saperstein
, owner of the Globetrotters, approached Klotz about having his team tour with the Globetrotters and play them on a regular basis. From 1953 until 1995, the Generals played exhibitions against the Globetrotters, winning only six games, the last in 1971, and losing more than 13,000. Klotz played with the team as a point guard until the age of 62, and at 50 years old hit the game winning shot for the New Jersey Reds with 3 seconds left in their final win. "The crowd wanted to kill me", he said.
In 1995 Klotz "disbanded" the Generals and formed the New York Nationals
to take their place, to erase their record and "change their luck". The team remained the Nationals until 2007, when they reverted to the "Generals" name. The Generals remain a separate organization from the Globetrotters. Klotz claims the team still tries to win every game.
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
with the original Baltimore Bullets, who is best known for forming the teams that play against and tour with the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
: the Washington Generals
Washington Generals
The Washington Generals are an American exhibition basketball team, best known for their spectacular losing streak in exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters.-History:...
and the New York Nationals
Washington Generals
The Washington Generals are an American exhibition basketball team, best known for their spectacular losing streak in exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters.-History:...
.
Background
Klotz was born in Philadelphia on October 21, 1921, where he attended South Philadelphia High SchoolSouth Philadelphia High School
South Philadelphia High School also known as Southern High is a public secondary high school located in the south section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue, just north of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex residential neighborhood, Marconi...
. He led the school team to city basketball championships in 1939 and 1940, both times earning Philadelphia Player of the Year honors.
After attending Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
and serving in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Klotz played one season for the Baltimore Bullets, getting into 11 games and scoring 15 points. He also played in six playoff games, scoring six points.
At 5' 7", he is the third-shortest person to play in an NBA game, and the shortest to play on a championship team.
Generals
Klotz had played for the Philadelphia SphasPhiladelphia Sphas
The Philadelphia Sphas, also written SPHAs and SPHAS, were a team that competed in the Eastern Basketball League and then the American Basketball League 1925-55. They played their home games in social halls and, from 1938, in the ballroom of the Broadwood Hotel...
of the ABL
American Basketball League (1925-1955)
The American Basketball League was an early professional basketball league. During six seasons from 1925-26 to 1930-31, the ABL was the first attempt to create a major professional basketball league in the United States...
. In an exhibition game, the Sphas defeated the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, Klotz's first game against them.
Klotz later bought the Sphas, and changed the name to the Washington Generals
Washington Generals
The Washington Generals are an American exhibition basketball team, best known for their spectacular losing streak in exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters.-History:...
. In 1953 Abe Saperstein
Abe Saperstein
Abraham M. Saperstein was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters...
, owner of the Globetrotters, approached Klotz about having his team tour with the Globetrotters and play them on a regular basis. From 1953 until 1995, the Generals played exhibitions against the Globetrotters, winning only six games, the last in 1971, and losing more than 13,000. Klotz played with the team as a point guard until the age of 62, and at 50 years old hit the game winning shot for the New Jersey Reds with 3 seconds left in their final win. "The crowd wanted to kill me", he said.
In 1995 Klotz "disbanded" the Generals and formed the New York Nationals
Washington Generals
The Washington Generals are an American exhibition basketball team, best known for their spectacular losing streak in exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters.-History:...
to take their place, to erase their record and "change their luck". The team remained the Nationals until 2007, when they reverted to the "Generals" name. The Generals remain a separate organization from the Globetrotters. Klotz claims the team still tries to win every game.
Achievements
Klotz was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He became the first non-Globetrotter to receive the Globetrotter's "Legend" award on March 10, 2007 Red has stated he has lost over 13,000 games in his coaching career.External links
- Crothers, Tim. "The General Whose Army Never Wins," Sports Illustrated, February 20, 1995
- Branch, John. "When the Generals Lose to the Globetrotters, Everyone Wins," The New York Times, Friday, February 13, 2009