Harlem Magicians was a basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 enterprise founded in 1953 by Lon Varnell through his Varnell Enterprises, that was similar in fashion and activities to the basketball entertainment program the Harlem Globetrotters

Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...

. The full name of the barnstorming

Barnstorm (sports)

Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 team was The Fabulous Harlem Magicians with the main star attraction of the team being Marques Haynes

Marques Haynes

Marques Haynes is an American former professional basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters, notable for his remarkable ability to dribble the ball and keep it away from defenders...

. Haynes had been a member of the Globetrotters, but had left the team due to a contract dispute to join the Magicians. Other famous players in the team were Goose Tatum and Ron Cavenall

Ron Cavenall

Ronnie Goodall "Ron" Cavenall is a retired American basketball player. He played collegiately for Texas Southern University. He played for the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets in the NBA for 58 games. He went to Charlton-Pollard High School in Beaumont, Texas. His playing height was often...

. Dempsey Hovland

Dempsey Hovland

Dempsey Hovland was a well-known national baseball and basketball barnstorming entrepreneur and promoter and multiple sports team owner. He also founded the 20th Century Booking Agency, a sports booking management for arranging and marketing of barnstorming events and booking of venues...

, founder of 20th Century Booking Agency and himself owner of several barnstorming teams was recruited to book the Harlem Magicians' games.

In late 1961, Abe Saperstein

Abe Saperstein

Abraham M. Saperstein was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters...

, founder and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters opened a lawsuit against Lon Varnell for alleged violation of Harlem Globetrotters' registered trademarks, "Harlem Globetrotters" and "Magicians of Basketball" by promoting a basketball team known as the "Harlem Magicians". In 1964, the parties settled the litigation by entering a consent decree approved by the District Court for the Southern District of New York.