Marques Haynes, a legendary basketball entertainer and athlete, spent over four decades of his illustrious career with the Harlem Globetrotters and the Magicians. Born in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Haynes began his basketball journey at Booker T. Washington High School, where he led the team to a high school national championship in 1941 and was named a Second Team scholastic All-America.
Haynes then took his talents to Langston University, where he starred collegiately from 1942 to 1946. During his time at Langston, he was a four-time All-State, All-Conference, and team MVP selection, leading the team to a remarkable 112-3 record, including a 59-game winning streak. Haynes' impressive performance caught the attention of Abe Saperstein, the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, who signed him to the team in 1946.
Haynes went on to star for the Globetrotters, playing in over 12,000 games, traveling over four million miles, and entertaining fans in 97 countries around the world. His unique dribbling style, which often confused and confounded opponents, became one of the team's most potent offensive weapons. In 1948, Haynes helped the Globetrotters defeat the George Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers, and in 1949, they defeated the Lakers again in front of a crowd of 21,866 fans.
However, in 1953, Haynes left the Globetrotters due to a contractual disagreement with Saperstein and started his own team, the Magicians. He toured with the Magicians for 18 years before rejoining the Globetrotters as a player/coach in 1972.
Throughout his career, Haynes has been elected into five Halls of Fame, including the NAIA (1985),Jim Thorpe (1993),and Langston University (1995).
