Editing Washington Generals (section)

==Record against Harlem Globetrotters==<!-- This section is linked from [[Harlem Globetrotters]] -->
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Figures vary as to exactly how often the Generals have beaten their rivals. Some reports say six times,<ref name="SCS">{{cite news |last1= Whitley| first1= David |title=Globetrotters won't have Washington Generals to kick around anymore| url= http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20150816/SPORTS/150819713|access-date=19 March 2018|work=Santa Cruz Sentinel|date=16 August 2015 |language=en}}</ref> while the team's official website reports having three victories over the Globetrotters, one each in 1954, 1958 and 1971.<ref name="Official_history">{{cite web|title=Get to know the history behind the Washington Generals| url= http://www.washingtongenerals.com/history|website= washingtongenerals.com|access-date=9 March 2018|language=en}}</ref> The 1971 win is the most storied of these and is sometimes reported as the team's sole victory.<ref name="SB2015" />

Playing as the New Jersey Reds, they won 100–99 on January 5, 1971, in [[Martin, Tennessee|Martin]], [[Tennessee]], ending their 2,495-game losing streak. Klotz credits the overtime win to a guard named Eddie Mahar, who was team captain.<ref>{{cite news| title= The Last Time the Globetrotters Came Up Short| work= [[Newsday]] |place= New York| date= February 17, 1991}}</ref>  Harlem's captain, [[Curly Neal]], did not play in this game.<ref name=Arkansas>{{cite news| title= Curly Neal says he's an athlete first| work= [[Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]]| place= Little Rock, Arkansas| date= January 7, 1990}}</ref>

While the Globetrotters were entertaining the crowd that day, they lost track of the game and the score. They found themselves down 12 points with two minutes left to go. Forced to play normal basketball, the Globetrotters rallied but could not recover.<ref>{{cite news| title= Showtime in NBA Can Be Traced to Trotters| work= [[Sporting News]]| publisher= March 12, 1990}}</ref> 

The Reds secured their victory when the 50-year-old Klotz hit the winning basket with seconds left. Then, [[Meadowlark Lemon]] missed a shot that would have given the game back to the Globetrotters. The timekeeper tried to stop the clock but could not. When the final buzzer sounded, the crowd was dumbfounded and disappointed. Klotz described the fans' reaction: "They looked at us like we killed [[Santa Claus]]."<ref>{{cite news| url= http://mywebpages.comcast.net/coklotz/redklotz/news2.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070816071354/http://mywebpages.comcast.net/coklotz/redklotz/news2.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= 2007-08-16 | format= reprint | work= [[The Augusta Chronicle]] | date= March 6, 1998 | title= Klotz's klutzes unfazed | last= Kimes | first= Kent }}</ref><ref name= Courant>{{cite news| url= https://www.courant.com/2000/03/19/an-upset-that-shook-the-globe/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101165219/http://articles.courant.com/2000-03-19/news/0003190083_1_harlem-globetrotters-new-jersey-red-ex-nba| archive-date= November 1, 2016| title= An Upset That Shook The Globe| work= [[Hartford Courant]]| place= Hartford, Connecticut| date= March 19, 2000| url-status= live| access-date= April 9, 2024}}</ref>

Some children in the stands cried after the loss.<ref name=Arkansas/> The Reds celebrated by dousing themselves with orange pop instead of champagne. Lemon was furious, saying, "You lost, I didn't lose", but still visited the opposing team’s [[locker room]] to congratulate the Reds.<ref name= Courant/>