View source for Red Klotz

{{Short description|American basketball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name            = Red Klotz
| image           = Red Klotz 2.png
| number          = 20
| position        = [[Point guard]]
| height_ft       = 5
| height_in       = 7
| weight_lb       = 150
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1920|10|21}}
| birth_place     = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|2014|7|12|1920|10|21}}
| death_place     = [[Margate City, New Jersey]], U.S.
| high_school     = [[South Philadelphia High School|South Philadelphia]]<br/>(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
| college         = [[Villanova Wildcats men's basketball|Villanova]] (1940–1942)
| career_start    = 1942
| career_end      = 1989
| years1          = 1942–1947
| team1           = [[Philadelphia Sphas]]
| years2          = [[1947–48 BAA season|1947–1948]]
| team2           = [[Baltimore Bullets (1944–54)|Baltimore Bullets]]
| years3          = 1953–1989
| team3           = [[Washington Generals]]
| highlights      = 
* [[BAA champion]] ([[1948 BAA Finals|1948]])
}}
'''Louis Herman''' "'''Red'''" '''Klotz''' (October 21, 1920&nbsp;– July 12, 2014)<ref name="wapo" /> was an American professional [[basketball]] player. He was a [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) [[point guard]] with the original [[Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954)|Baltimore Bullets]], and he was best known for forming the teams that play against and tour with the [[Harlem Globetrotters]]: the [[Washington Generals]] and the [[Washington Generals|New York Nationals]]. He was the oldest-living NBA champion at the time of his death.

Over Klotz's professional basketball career, he coached or played in over 14,000 games during eight decades and in over 100 countries.

==Early life==
Klotz was born in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], into a [[Jews in the United States|Jewish]] family.<ref name="NYTimes obit">{{cite news| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/15/sports/basketball/red-klotz-beloved-foil-for-globetrotters-dies-at-93.html |title= Red Klotz, Beloved Foil for the Harlem Globetrotters, Dies at 93| first= Richard | last= Goldstein | work=The New York Times | date= 14 July 2014| accessdate= 17 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=basketball&ID=163 |title=Klotz, 'Red' |publisher=Jews In Sports| date= |accessdate=August 27, 2010}}</ref> He began playing basketball at age 12.<ref name=carol /> He attended [[South Philadelphia High School]] where he led the school team to city basketball championships in 1939 and 1940, both times earning Philadelphia Player of the Year honors.<ref name=carol />

He attended [[Villanova University]] on an athletic scholarship, playing on the undefeated freshman basketball team.<ref name=carol /> He left college for [[World War II]], serving stateside.<ref name=carol />

==Career==
Klotz "played for a number of teams in those early and turbulent days of professional basketball", according to Joe Posnanski of ''Sports Illustrated''.<ref name=carol /> Klotz played with the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association (the [[Philadelphia Sphas]]) of the [[American Basketball League (1925-1955)|American Basketball League]] (ABL) as a [[point guard]] in the 1940s. In an exhibition game, the Sphas defeated the [[Harlem Globetrotters]], Klotz's first game against them.<ref name=jrn /> He played with the Sphas until 1947.<ref name=jrn />

Klotz played during the 1948 season on the Baltimore Bullets team, the year they won the [[Basketball Association of America]] championship.<ref name="NYTimes obit" /> He played in 11 games, scoring 15 points.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=KLOTZHE01 |title=Herm Klotz Past Stats, Playoff Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards |publisher=Databasebasketball.com |date=October 21, 1921 |accessdate=August 27, 2010 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111052646/http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=KLOTZHE01 |archivedate=November 11, 2011 }}</ref> He also played in six playoff games, scoring six points.

At {{convert|5|ft|7|in|m}}, he is tied as the [[List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history|fourth-shortest person to play in an NBA game]],<ref name=jrn>{{cite news| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20040404182836/http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/cns/2004-03-15/543.asp| url= http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/cns/2004-03-15/543.asp | date= 15 March 2004| title= The greatest loser in sports is fighting for a second win | first= Ethan |last= Rouen | publisher= Columbia News Service |archivedate= 4 April 2004 | accessdate= 17 July 2014}}</ref> and the shortest to play on a championship team.<ref name=carol>{{cite web| url= http://joeposnanski.com/joeblogs/a-basketball-carol/ | first= Joe | last= Posnanski | title= A Basketball Carol | work= Joe Blogs | publisher= Sports Illustrated | date= | accessdate= 17 July 2014}}</ref>

===Washington Generals===
Klotz played for the Philadelphia Sphas of the ABL until 1947; the team had beaten the Harlem Globetrotters on more than one occasion.<ref name=carol /> He later coached and managed the Sphas. In 1953, after playing on several all-star teams against the Trotters during their first international tours, Klotz was approached by Globetrotters owner [[Abe Saperstein]] about having his team tour with the Globetrotters and play them on a regular basis. Klotz named his new enterprise the Washington Generals, in honor of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].<ref name="NYTimes obit" /> From 1953 until 1995, the Generals played exhibitions against the Globetrotters, winning only two games and only one recognized by the Trotters, the last in 1971, and losing more than 14,000.<ref name="NYTimes obit" /><ref name=jrn/>

Klotz played with the team as a [[point guard]] until the age of 68. At 50 years old, he made the game-winning shot for the [[New Jersey Reds]] with three seconds left in their final win. "The crowd wanted to kill me," he said.<ref name="NYTimes obit" /><ref name=si>{{cite web| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/franz_lidz/03/16/klotz/1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219224835/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/franz_lidz/03/16/klotz/1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 19, 2008 |title=  The Generals changed their name from time to time, being known as the Boston Shamrocks, Baltimore Rockets, Atlantic City Seagulls, and the New Jersey Reds. |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=March 16, 2006 |accessdate=August 27, 2010}}</ref> In 1995 Klotz "disbanded" the Generals and formed the New York Nationals to take their place, to erase their record and "change their luck".<ref name=si/> The team remained the Nationals until 2007, when they reverted to the "Generals" name.<ref>[http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/news/faq/#11 What ever happened to the Washington Generals] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105045431/http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/news/faq |date=2014-01-05 }}, Harlemglobetrotters.com</ref> The Generals remained a separate organization from the Globetrotters until 2017, three years after the passing of Klotz.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-05-24 |title=Generals make comeback as Globetrotters' foe |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19455306/washington-generals-purchased-herschend-entertainment |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> Klotz claimed the team still tried to win every game.

==Achievements==
Klotz was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He became the first non-Globetrotter to receive the Globetrotters' "Legend" award on March 10, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://harlemglobetrotters.com.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/Team/Legends/Louis%20Red%20Klotz.html |title=Klotz |publisher=Harlemglobetrotters.com.ismmedia.com |accessdate=August 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713063144/http://harlemglobetrotters.com.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/Team/Legends/Louis%20Red%20Klotz.html |archivedate=July 13, 2011 }}</ref> Red has stated he has lost over 13,000 games in his coaching career.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

In 2009 the Philadelphia Sportswriter's Association presented Klotz with the "Living Legend" award, previously given to such Philadelphia notables as [[Robin Roberts (baseball)|Robin Roberts]], [[Chuck Bednarik]], [[Harry Kalas]] and [[Wilt Chamberlain]].

The Globetrotters inducted Klotz into their Legends Ring, the team's version of a hall of fame, in 2007. He remains the first non-Trotter so honored. In 2011, the Trotters and Generals retired Klotz's number 3 jersey and raised a banner honoring him to the rafters at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Klotz's biography, ''The Legend of Red Klotz: How Basketball's Loss Leader Won Over the World, 14,000 Times'', was published in November 2013.

==Personal life==
Klotz was married. He attributed much of his success to his wife, Gloria.<ref>According to Author Tim Kelly's book, ''The Legend of Red Klotz''. In September 2013, Red Klotz "Dedicated the book in the honor of his wife, Gloria. She made it possible for my success in the world of Basketball."</ref>

He died at age 93 in [[Margate City, New Jersey]], where he had long kept his office.<ref name="NYTimes obit" />

==BAA career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y}}

===Regular season===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! GP
! FG%
! FT%
! APG
! PPG
|-
|style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"| [[1947–48 BAA season|1947–48]]†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1947–48 Baltimore Bullets season|Baltimore]]
| 11 || .226 || .333 || .6 || 1.4
|-
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 11 || .226 || .333 || .6 || 1.4
|-
|}

===Playoffs===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! GP
! FG%
! FT%
! APG
! PPG
|-
|style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"| [[1947–48 BAA season|1948]]†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1947–48 Baltimore Bullets season|Baltimore]]
| 6 || .222 || .667 || .2 || 1.0
|-
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 6 || .222 || .667 || .2 || 1.0
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[List of Jews in sports#Basketball|List of select Jewish basketball players]]
*[[List of shortest players in National Basketball Association history]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs = 
<ref name="wapo">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/red-klotz-who-led-basketballs-biggest-losers-the-washington-generals-dies-at-93/2014/07/18/91dbf08e-0d02-11e4-b8e5-d0de80767fc2_story.html |title=Red Klotz, Who Led Basketball's Biggest Losers, the Washington Generals, Dies at 93 |last=Schudel |first=Matt |date=July 18, 2014 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |publisher=[[Nash Holdings LLC]]}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{basketballstats|bbr=k/klotzhe01}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090220124856/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1006252/index.htm Crothers, Tim. "The General Whose Army Never Wins,"] ''Sports Illustrated'', February 20, 1995
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/sports/basketball/13generals.html?ref=sports Branch, John. "When the Generals Lose to the Globetrotters, Everyone Wins,"] ''The New York Times'', Friday, February 13, 2009
* [http://www.southjersey.com/lifestyles/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=18810 "The Winningest Loser"], ''South Jersey Magazine'', June 2008.

{{Philadelphia Sphas 1942–43 ABL champions}}
{{Philadelphia Sphas 1944–45 ABL champions}}
{{Baltimore Bullets 1947-48 BAA champions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klotz, Louis}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:American men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American sports owners]]
[[Category:Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954) players]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Basketball player-coaches]]
[[Category:Jewish American basketball players]]
[[Category:People from Margate City, New Jersey]] <!-- Lived in Margate, NJ -->
[[Category:Philadelphia Sphas players]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Washington Generals players]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:South Philadelphia High School alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish American basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Jews from Pennsylvania]]