PLAYER PROFILE

GOOSE TATUM

STATISTICS & HISTORY

Reece “Goose” Tatum was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. He attended Booker T. Washington High School where he played basketball, football and  baseball. Tatum’s early success in professional sports was playing baseball. Tatum started with the Louisville Black Colonels and later played for the Birmingham Black Barons (1941 and 1942), and the Indianapolis Clowns (1945–1948).  Early in his career, he began enlivening the games with comic antics, including catching throws behind his back, kneeling in mock prayer before going to bat, and inviting fans (especially children) onto the field during a game. These performances caught the attention of Abe Saperstein, owner of the Harlem Globetrotters. His natural athletic ability and sense of comic timing made him a natural fit for the Globetrotters. He soon became the team’s clown, eventually earning  the nickname “Clown Prince” for his antics on the basketball court.  Tatum played with the Globetrotters in the early 1940’s  before he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps for service during World War II. After the war, he returned to play with the Globetrotters for another ten years. Tatum choreographed several of the famous Globetrotter reams including hiding in the crowd and spying on the opposition’s huddle. In the 1940’s, the Globetrotters still played some of their games against top-notch professional teams. In these games, Tatum could exhibit his ample basketball skills. He was wily defender, an outstanding ball handler and and  deadly hook shooter. In February of 1948, Tatum and the Trotters beat the George  Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers in back to back games. A few months, later,  the Lakers went on to win both the National Basketball League title and the World’s Professional Basketball Tournament. In 1955, after twelve season with the Trotters. Tatum, along with teammate  Marques Haynes,  formed a barnstorming basketball team of their own, the Harlem Magicians. Tatum continued to barnstorm until 1966, the year before his death at the age of 45. In 2011, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

 

GOOSE TATUM Height: 6:02 Weight: 190 College: None
Reece Tatum Born: May 3, 1918      Died: Jan 18, 1967 Hometown: Eldorado, Ak.
REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year Team League     GA  FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS   AVG 8
1040-41 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1941-42 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1942-43 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1943-45 Military Service
1945-46 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1946-47 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1947-48 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1948-49 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1949-50 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1950-51 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1951-52 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1952-53 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1953-54 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1954-55 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1955-56 Harlem Magicians Indep
1956-57 Harlem Magicians Indep
1957-58 Harlem Stars Indep
1958-59 Harlem Trotters Indep LA Harlem Clowns
1959-60 Harlem Magicians Indep
1959-60 Harlem Stars Indep
1960-61 Harlem Stars Indep
1961-62 Harlem Globetrotters Indep
1961-62 Harlem Stars Indep
1962-63 Harlem Roadkings Indep Harlem Stars Harlem Sttalites
1963-64 Harlem Roadkings Indep
1964-65 Harlem Roadkings Indep
1965-66 Harlem Roadkings Indep
POST SEASON RECORD
Year Team League     GA  FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS   AVG 8
1942-43 Harlem Globetrotters WBT 1 8 1 5 .000 17 17.0
Major League Totals 1 8 1 5 .200 17 17.0
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