The Washington Generals Are Back!

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- It's been a long three years, but finally the day that basketball fans worldwide have been waiting for has arrived: The Washington Generals are returning to the court.

While many have assumed that the Generals are a franchise mired by poor talent, shoddy coaching, and the world's longest losing streak (to their arch nemesis the Harlem Globetrotters), that will be no longer. Beginning in June, the refreshed and reinvigorated Generals will mark their return to basketball action in the summer hoops extravaganza, The Basketball Tournament (TBT).

Fans can follow along with all the team's activities at www.washingtongenerals.com, as well as on Twitter (@TheGenerals).

"These are not your daddy's Generals," said newly appointed Washington Generals General Manager Kenny "The Jet" Smith, an Emmy-award winning NBA analyst with Turner Sports who played 10 seasons in the NBA. "People credit Sam Hinkie with creating 'The Process,' but with all due respect, we had the idea first. Now 48 years later, everyone will see that we finally have the foundation in place to be the world's best."

Great teams are led by great leaders, and with Smith and Sam Worthen serving as their head coach, the Generals are looking forward to showcasing their new, more competitive profile and taking home the $2 million championship prize in the TBT, which will be televised on ESPN.  Worthen is a former All-American guard at Marquette University, who played two seasons in the NBA and is a Rucker Park Tournament legend with a wealth of coaching experience at the professional level.

"I've seen the Washington Generals play about 45 times in my lifetime and they're 0-45 in those games," said Jon Mugar, the founder and CEO of the TBT.  "I'm not sure if they've won a game since launching in 1952. But everyone's record in TBT 2017 is 0-0 right now, so this could be the fresh start they need."

Of course, the leadership nucleus behind the reinvigorated team will look to enhance its basketball prowess by adding high-quality players to its roster. After taking on the field in the TBT, there is little doubt which team the Generals have in their sights after: the Harlem Globetrotters.

"Soon everyone will see what we've made of," Smith added. "This is our year!"

"This is going to be the season we've all been waiting for," Worthen said. "We'll be bringing this band of Generals all over the country, finally fulfilling Red Klotz's grand vision. This is the ultimate underdog story. Simply put, fans have been waiting for this season for years. We can't wait to march to victory!"

About the Washington Generals
The Washington Generals have been around as a franchise since 1952.   Founded by the legendary Louis "Red" Klotz, who was a member of the 1948 NBA Champion Baltimore Bullets, the Generals were the Harlem Globetrotters opposition team for nearly six decades.  As an Army veteran, Klotz named the team the Washington Generals in honor of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had just been elected President of the United States.  The Generals franchise has lost well over 17,000 games to the Globetrotters but has not been without its triumphs. They defeated the Globetrotters in 1954 and 1958, and on Jan. 5, 1971, thanks to a last-second basket by Klotz – they beat the Globetrotters 100-99 in Martin, Tenn., and snapped a 2,495-game winning streak for the Globetrotters. Sadly, Klotz passed away on July 14, 2014, at the age of 93, but his legacy lives on as the "new" Generals will renew their rivalry with the Globetrotters later this year.  For more information, check out www.washingtongenerals.com or follow on Twitter: @TheGenerals.

About THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT (TBT)
Conceived by CEO Jon Mugar as the ultimate opportunity for fans, athletes and social media mavens to live out their dreams and chase once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, TBT's foundation as a high-stakes, professionally run and organized sporting event now sees it entering its fourth year. In each of its first three seasons, The Basketball Tournament drew over 400 team entries from around the country, with participants ranging from professional players and recent college stars to pickup basketball players and people who have never played above high school. This year, teams will be competing for a winner-take-all prize of more than $2 million, with the networks of ESPN once again airing all games beginning with the regional rounds through the semifinals and final in Baltimore on August 1 and 3. For more information, check out www.thetournament.com

SOURCE Washington Generals