The Harlem Globetrotters added six new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles to their long record of accomplishments–including a record title for the most sovereign countries played in by a basketball team—in honor of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Day (GWR Day) highlighting this year’s theme, Spirit of Adventure.
The six new record titles bring the team’s total to 22 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles, some of which are featured in the latest Guinness World Records 2020 edition.
The new record titles, broken at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz., and verified onsite by official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Adjudicator, Christine Fernandez, include the record title for the most bounced basketball figure-eight moves blindfolded in one minute, set by Globetrotter guard Wham Middleton with 63.
Globetrotter veteran Bull Bullard broke two record titles for the furthest under the legs basketball shot (62 feet and 10.38 inches) as well as the record title for the farthest behind-the-back basketball shot (42 feet 6.5 inches). Bullard now owns four GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles overall.
In addition, Hammer Harrison broke the record title for the longest underhand basketball shot (85 feet and 4.25 inches), while Handles Franklin broke the record title for the farthest kneeling basketball shot made backward (63 feet and 7.5 inches).
As a team, the Globetrotters were acknowledged by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS to have also broken the record most sovereign countries played in by a basketball team with 101, a record title that was set between the team’s founding in 1926 and 2019. The latest addition to the list of countries visited was Uzbekistan in April 2019.
This marks the seventh straight year that the Globetrotters have taken part in GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Day, which was launched in 2004 and last year saw hundreds of thousands of people around the world attempting to secure their place in history.
The Globetrotters will begin their 94th year of touring on November 4, when the “Pushing the Limits World Tour” officially tips off. As part of the tour, the team will play in more than 250 North American markets, as well as 30 countries worldwide. Tickets are now available at harlemglobetrotters.com.