Marques Haynes(1926-2015)
- Actor
Widely regarded as the world's finest ballhandler during his 40-plus
year career in basketball spent with the Harlem Globetrotters (1947-53,
1972-79) and the Magicians (1953-72, 1981-1983), MARQUES HAYNES enjoyed
international fame as a basketball entertainer and athlete. A native of
Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Haynes' basketball career began at Booker T.
Washington High School where he led the school to a high school
national championship in 1941 and was named a Second Team scholastic
All-America that season. Haynes then starred collegiately at Langston
University (1942-46), where he was a four-time All-State, All-
Conference and team MVP selection. Haynes led Langston in scoring all
four years and led the university to a 112-3 record, a mark that
included a 59-game winning streak. The acrobatic Haynes caught the
attention of Abe Saperstein, owner of the Harlem Globetrotters in 1946,
during a game in which Langston defeated the Globetrotters, 74-70.
Following graduation, Haynes joined the Globetrotters and starred for
the team when it defeated the George Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers in
1948 (61-59 before 17,823 at Chicago Stadium) and in 1949 (49-45 before
21,866 fans). In a four-decade career, Haynes played in over 12,000
games, traveled over four million miles and entertained fans in 97
countries around the globe. His dribbling style would confuse and
confound opponents and became one of the Globetrotters' most potent
offensive weapons. In 1953, due to a contractual disagreement with
Saperstein, Haynes left the Globetrotters and started his own team, the
Magicians. He toured with the Magicians for 18 years before rejoining
the Globetrotters as player/coach in 1972. Haynes has been elected into
five Halls of Fame, including NAIA (1985), Jim Thorpe (1993) and
Langston University (1995).
