Abe Saperstein

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Abe M. Saperstein (b. July 4, 1902 in London, England – d. March 15, 1966) was the founder and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters.

In the Harlem Globetrotters documentary 6 Decades of Magic, it was noted that Saperstein chose "Harlem" to indicate that the players were African-American, even though they were actually from Chicago, and the "Globetrotters" moniker to make it seem as though the team had traveled all around the world.

Saperstein, whose 5'3" stature may have rendered him as Basketball Hall of Fame's shortest member, was elected to the Hall in 1970. In 1979, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

He was buried in the Westlawn Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.