"Big" Frank Washington

"Big" Frank Washington, a high-flying 6-foot-5-inch center, was a member of the first Harlem Globetrotter team to trek around the world in 1952. He played with the Globetrotters from 1946 to 1960 and traveled on six world tours with such historic Globetrotters as William "Pop" Gates, Marques Haynes, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and Reece "Goose" Tatum. During World War II, Washington volunteered for the U.S. Navy, where his basketball career flourished and he was discovered by Globetrotters founder Abe Saperstein. During his journeys with the Globetrotters, Washington had two audiences with the Pope, met kings and queens, and appeared in two Globetrotter movies. Washington received his "Legends" Ring during a special ceremony on March 16, 2002, in his native Philadelphia.