Harlem Globetrotters pursuing D Wade, LeBron
As if this summer of superstar NBA free agency couldn’t get any more bizarre, the Harlem Globetrotters have stepped into the fray.
The Globetrotters are pursuing Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and have even made Globie jerseys -- D-Wade # 3; King # 6 – available for preorder on their website for $75 apiece. “Coming Soon?...We’ll find out July 1,” the site says.
Now, as unlikely and implausible (and all the other no it’s not going to happen synonyms you can supply) as it seems, consider what the Globetrotters are prepared to offer: part ownership in the team (that’s prohibited in the NBA) and 51 percent of revenue from sales of licensed merchandise with their name and likeness, a Globebtrotters source says. There are no salary cap restrictions either.
And perhaps most important of all? Especially if Wade and James are only concerned about winning?
The Globetrotters have an unrivaled winning streak that dates back nearly four decades. The last time the Globetrotters lost to the Washington Generals was in 1971.
The Globetrotters were expected to contact agents for Wade and James, but it’s unknown if they’ve connected yet. No word yet from Wade’s agent Henry Thomas on the unusual offer.
CRAIG DAVIS In more than 33 years at the Sun Sentinel, Craig Davis has written about a wide variety of sports topics from baseball to yachting, fishing to triathlons, and also worked as a copy editor and page designer. Recently he reported on local sports, including running, swimming, cycling, equestrian and beach volleyball. He enjoys sports as a participant as well as a spectator, is active in the South Florida running scene plays in the curling club at Saveology Iceplex. This blog offers a glimpse at the business side of sports in the interest of enhancing enjoyment of the games and sporting options as a spectator as well as a participant.
