Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour Brings Centennial Celebration to New Jersey with Historic Residency, Major Partnerships, and Statewide Games
For a franchise that has redefined basketball entertainment for a century, there is perhaps no more fitting place to amplify its legacy than New Jersey — a state with deep sports roots, iconic venues, and a global entertainment footprint. The Harlem Globetrotters’ 100 Year Tour is not simply passing through the Garden State. It is embedding itself into it.
From sold-out arenas to a groundbreaking permanent residency in East Rutherford, the centennial celebration of the Harlem Globetrotters has transformed New Jersey into one of the most important hubs of this historic tour.
As Explore New Jersey continues to expand its basketball coverage across professional, collegiate, and global exhibitions, this moment represents far more than a tour stop. It is a convergence of history, innovation, and community impact — all unfolding in our backyard.
Trenton and Atlantic City Take Center Stage
The Globetrotters’ 100 Year Tour is actively energizing New Jersey arenas this February.
On Saturday, February 28, 2026, the team brings its signature high-flying theatrics, precision passing, and crowd-driven entertainment to the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton for a 2:00 PM showcase that blends nostalgia with modern basketball artistry.
Earlier this month, Atlantic City played host to a centennial celebration game at the iconic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Monday, February 16, 2026. That event served as both a tribute to the Globetrotters’ historic past and a demonstration of how the brand continues to evolve in today’s sports entertainment landscape.
Boardwalk Hall, long known for championship boxing, concerts, and marquee sporting events, provided a fitting stage for a franchise that has spent 100 years redefining what a basketball experience can be.
These appearances reinforce what we have consistently highlighted in our basketball coverage at Explore New Jersey: the state is not just a participant in national sports culture — it is a driver of it.
A Sports First: Permanent Residency at American Dream
The most significant New Jersey connection in this centennial year may not be a single game at all. It is a permanent footprint.
In a first-of-its-kind sports residency, the Harlem Globetrotters launched an exclusive, ongoing presence at the American Dream in East Rutherford. This groundbreaking partnership introduces live performances, interactive fan engagements, and immersive historical exhibits inside one of the largest entertainment and retail destinations in North America.
The centerpiece of this residency is the “Globetrotter Experience,” an interactive attraction that allows fans to test their skills, explore the team’s century-long legacy, and engage directly with the techniques that made the Globetrotters global icons.
This is not a pop-up activation. It is a permanent New Jersey installation.
From a strategic standpoint, the move is transformational. East Rutherford already sits at the crossroads of sports and entertainment, anchored by major venues and high-profile events. Adding a live Globetrotters residency strengthens the Meadowlands corridor as a year-round basketball destination.
For families, tourists, and basketball enthusiasts across New Jersey, it creates something previously unavailable: continuous access to the Globetrotters’ brand, history, and on-court artistry without waiting for a scheduled tour date.
A New Jersey Corporate Powerhouse at the Center
The centennial season also features a major New Jersey corporate partnership that further cements the state’s influence on the tour.
The primary partner for the 100 Year Tour is Jersey Mike’s Subs, headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey. This alignment is more than branding synergy. It reflects shared community values and national reach built from Garden State roots.
Together, the Globetrotters and Jersey Mike’s launched the “Great Assist” initiative — a community-focused campaign designed to support local organizations during tour stops. As the team travels city to city, the initiative extends the impact beyond the hardwood, reinforcing both organizations’ emphasis on giving back.
For New Jersey, this partnership is particularly symbolic. It showcases how a homegrown brand can play a central role in a global centennial sports celebration.
The Cultural Impact of 100 Years
The Harlem Globetrotters are not merely an exhibition team. They are cultural ambassadors of basketball. Over the last century, they have:
Elevated trick basketball into an art form
Helped globalize the sport long before international leagues flourished
Bridged entertainment and athleticism in ways that influenced modern fan engagement
In the context of New Jersey’s basketball ecosystem — from grassroots youth leagues to high-profile arenas — the Globetrotters’ centennial presence underscores how deeply embedded the sport is in the state’s identity.
The tour’s stop in Trenton connects with local families and youth programs. The Atlantic City celebration highlights the region’s historic event infrastructure. The American Dream residency transforms the Meadowlands into a continuous basketball entertainment destination.
This is statewide impact, not isolated promotion.
Economic and Tourism Momentum
The Harlem Globetrotters’ 100 Year Tour arrives at a moment when experiential sports entertainment is surging. Fans increasingly seek interactive and immersive events rather than passive viewing.
New Jersey is uniquely positioned to capitalize on that shift.
With its dense population, tourism corridors, and world-class venues, the state offers an ideal platform for hybrid sports-entertainment models. The American Dream residency alone drives foot traffic, multi-day tourism, and family-centered visitation that extends beyond game day.
Meanwhile, major arena events in Trenton and Atlantic City stimulate local hospitality sectors, from restaurants to hotels, reinforcing basketball’s role in the state’s broader economic engine.
Why This Matters for New Jersey Basketball
At Explore New Jersey, we consistently emphasize that basketball in the Garden State is layered. It is professional and grassroots. It is developmental and global. It is historic and innovative.
The Harlem Globetrotters’ 100 Year Tour touches all of those dimensions simultaneously.
It honors tradition while introducing immersive technology-driven fan engagement.
It supports local communities through corporate partnerships rooted in New Jersey.
It establishes a permanent residency that transforms East Rutherford into a live basketball entertainment hub.
For residents searching for upcoming basketball events in New Jersey, for families planning interactive sports experiences, and for fans tracking the Harlem Globetrotters’ centennial celebration, this tour represents one of the most dynamic basketball stories unfolding in 2026.
The Garden State is not just hosting a centennial tour stop. It is helping define how the next 100 years of basketball entertainment will look.
From Trenton to Atlantic City to East Rutherford, the Harlem Globetrotters’ 100 Year Tour is a full-court celebration — and New Jersey is running the offense.
For 100 years, the Harlem Globetrotters have done more than play basketball. They have reimagined it. Now, with the launch of the Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour, the most legendary exhibition team in sports history is celebrating a century of innovation, athletic excellence, and over-the-top entertainment — and New Jersey is at the center of the celebration.
This milestone tour is not simply a nostalgic look back. It is a bold, high-energy, next-generation showcase featuring all-new surprises, including the debut of the Golden Basketball by Spalding — a dazzling symbol of 100 years of global impact on the hardwood.
At Explore New Jersey, we cover basketball from every angle — professional, grassroots, collegiate, and international exhibitions. The Harlem Globetrotters’ centennial tour stands at the intersection of all of it: heritage, spectacle, skill, and community.
A Century That Redefined the Game
Since their founding in 1926, the Harlem Globetrotters have transformed basketball into a hybrid of elite athleticism and theatrical mastery. Long before modern sports entertainment blurred the line between competition and showmanship, the Globetrotters were executing gravity-defying dunks, precision passing exhibitions, and trick shots that seemed to defy physics.
Over the decades, they have toured globally, broken cultural barriers, and inspired generations of players who grew up mimicking behind-the-back passes and half-court magic.
The 100 Year Tour is a culmination of that legacy — and a platform to push it forward.
The Golden Basketball by Spalding: A Centennial Statement
One of the signature elements of this historic tour is the introduction of the Golden Basketball by Spalding.
More than a commemorative prop, the Golden Basketball represents a symbolic throughline from the team’s origins to its present-day innovation. Spalding, one of the most recognized names in basketball equipment manufacturing, collaborated with the Globetrotters to produce a ball that captures the grandeur of the centennial moment.
Visually striking and instantly iconic, the Golden Basketball is woven directly into the live performance experience, elevating trick shots, high-wire dunks, and choreographed sequences into a spectacle worthy of a 100-year celebration.
For fans attending New Jersey stops, the Golden Basketball is not just a centerpiece — it is a photo-worthy emblem of basketball history in motion.
The Most Legendary Tour Ever
The Harlem Globetrotters describe the 100 Year Tour as their most legendary tour ever, and that designation is not hyperbole.
This year’s show integrates:
All-new trick shot sequences
Expanded audience participation moments
Next-level dunk choreography
Interactive halftime skills challenges
Enhanced lighting and arena production
The experience blends nostalgia with innovation. Longtime fans will recognize the signature comedic timing and crowd engagement that define every Globetrotters performance. First-time attendees will witness a modernized, fast-paced basketball event that feels as immersive as it is athletic.
New Jersey audiences are uniquely positioned to appreciate that evolution. The state’s basketball culture runs deep — from youth leagues to professional arenas — and the Globetrotters’ show taps directly into that passion.
New Jersey as a Centennial Hub
The Garden State has emerged as one of the key regions in the 100 Year Tour rollout. With a dense population, world-class arenas, and a basketball-savvy audience, New Jersey provides an ideal stage for this milestone.
As Explore New Jersey continues to expand its basketball coverage, including feature stories, event previews, and athlete spotlights in our Basketball section, the Globetrotters’ centennial presence underscores how exhibition basketball remains a powerful force within the broader sports landscape.
From family outings to multi-generational fan experiences, the 100 Year Tour is designed to resonate across age groups. Parents who grew up watching the Globetrotters can now bring their children to experience the same energy — amplified by modern production and the Golden Basketball spectacle.
Beyond the Court: Community and Cultural Impact
The Harlem Globetrotters’ influence extends beyond entertainment. For decades, the organization has served as ambassadors for the sport, promoting inclusivity, global outreach, and youth engagement.
The 100 Year Tour continues that mission.
Live games are structured to maximize fan interaction. Players routinely break the fourth wall — pulling spectators into the action, leading on-court challenges, and creating moments that transcend a traditional sporting event.
In an era dominated by digital viewing and streaming, the Globetrotters’ live model stands out. It prioritizes presence. It rewards participation. It celebrates shared experience.
New Jersey, with its strong community-centered sports culture, provides fertile ground for that engagement.
Why the 100 Year Tour Matters in 2026
Basketball today is global, data-driven, and commercially expansive. Yet the Harlem Globetrotters remain one of the most recognizable brands in the sport’s history.
Their 100 Year Tour is a reminder that innovation did not begin with analytics or social media virality. It began with creativity, performance, and the courage to evolve.
The Golden Basketball by Spalding encapsulates that arc — a tribute to the past and a beacon for the future.
For fans searching for Harlem Globetrotters New Jersey tickets, centennial tour dates, Golden Basketball appearances, or family-friendly basketball events in NJ, this tour represents one of the most dynamic live sports experiences of the year.
The Harlem Globetrotters are not simply celebrating 100 years. They are proving that even after a century, they can still redefine what basketball entertainment looks like.
In New Jersey, that celebration becomes more than a tour stop. It becomes a landmark moment in the state’s ongoing relationship with the game.
