As told by former Globetrotters, current and former NBA players and coaches, journalists, and celebrities, this documentary traces the development of the team through its roots in Depression-era Chicago and early barnstorming years, through the volatile racial politics of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, when they were at their peak. During those years, the team was regularly competing against the nation's best college players--and even beating NBA squads before the league was integrated. The Globetrotters turned sport into a form of vaudeville without sacrificing amazing displays of skill, as footage of Marques Haynes and Reece "Goose" Tatum makes clear. As they toured the world, the Globetrotters shook off their "minstrel show" reputation, becoming a symbol of racial progress and American good will.