Leaders in breaking barriers and making history, the world-famous, Harlem Globetrotters™ today announced a collaboration with legendary designer, Jeff Hamilton to create the organization’s Centennial look, including a redesign of its uniform for the historic season. Hamilton, whose work with a host of organizations, especially NBA teams and athletes, has made him one of the most sought-after designers in the industry, will lead the creative for the Globetrotters as the 2026 Centennial season unfolds.
“Our 100-year anniversary has provided the perfect opportunity to refresh our uniform. Our goal is to create a look that better reflects our iconic history, leverages the equity that we’ve built up over the years, while also doing something that is fresh and appealing to our global audience,” said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. “Partnering with Jeff Hamilton, one of the sporting world’s most legendary designers, is an opportunity to build something truly special for our centennial and beyond.”
“While we have worked to design fashion pieces with some of the biggest and most storied franchises in sports, especially in the NBA, this collaborative partnership with the Globetrotters is both special and will be one of our most unique,” Hamilton said. “There is no organization with such positive global appeal than the Globetrotters, and our pieces will be both reflective of their history in sports, pop culture and diplomacy, as well as their appeal to an audience that will learn about their story for the first time. It will be one of the must haves for the world of fashion and sport as their 100th season unfolds.”
Hamilton is perhaps best known for the memorabilia he has designed for stars of the NBA and is himself considered to be a part of the sport’s history. At the 1997 All Star game, when a panel selected the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, each honoree received a unique NBA-commissioned Hamilton leather jacket to wear to the ceremony. Hamilton also designed the commemorative jackets 25 years later when the NBA announced a 75th Anniversary Team to honor the 75 greatest players in NBA history. Hamilton designed jackets for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, as well as the 2000-2002 Los Angeles Lakers. Celebrities who have commissioned Hamilton pieces include: Madonna, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Vanilla Ice, Guns n’ Roses, A$AP Rocky, Bill Clinton, and Nelson Mandela. Hamilton’s designs for the NBA continue to influence the designers of other clothing brands. In 2021, lifestyle brand Converse, released a collection of footwear inspired by Hamilton’s best-known NBA championship jackets.
In addition to the Centennial uniform, Hamilton will be working on a series of fashion collaborations which will roll out throughout the centennial calendar beginning this fall.
This past year, Globetrotter athletes again set a new bar for excellence on and off the court, bringing their talents to 50 markets around the world and an additional 46 cities in North America. Athletes set 18 new Guinness World Records, the second-most in one season in their history.