Honoring The Teams, Leagues, and Players That Gave Us Game.
The Lids “They Gave Us Game” Historic Collections represents an unprecedented collaboration with the three Black sports enterprises that defined the 20th century and the games we love today: Negro Leagues Baseball, The Black Fives, and the Original Harlem Globetrotters.
This heritage-inspired apparel features authentic replicas honoring these early Black teams and will be sold year-round in 700+ Lids locations nationwide.
Products from each collection – including jerseys, caps, and shorts – are inspired by original vintage details previously worn by pioneering African American players from these barrier-breaking teams and leagues. Each collection is brought to life using premium-quality materials, historical patches, and team logos. No other retailer has committed this level of design, product, and visibility to these historical leagues and teams.
Designed to stand out on today’s fashion-forward street scene, each collection highlights many of the impactful but often previously unknown stories and players from decades past.
Through its nearly 2,000 locations, Lids continues to be the largest destination for licensed team headwear and apparel across all major North American leagues and teams, past and present.
Giving The Next Generation Game. Collaborating with Community Youth Organizations.
To honor these historic teams, leagues, and players, Lids is also partnering with important youth-based organizations across the country to create positive, long-lasting community impact. A portion of all product proceeds from the Permanent Collections will benefit specific community-based organizations around the country to help them renovate aging sports facilities, promote Black History education, and advance vital programs for youth in many of the places where these early pioneers played. Watch this space in the days ahead for inspiring examples of how – together – we are helping to give the next generation game.
“This initiative is a monumental moment for Lids, as fans everywhere will be able to properly support and celebrate this history year-round – the way it deserves to be. Lids is proud to partner with these three historical entities that not only changed the course of American history but continue to have an lasting impact today.” – Lawrence Berger, Chairman at FanzzLids Holdings; Partner at Ames Watson.
“The histories of these three historic sports genres forever changed sports in the U.S. and across the world. By ensuring a permanent home for them in hundreds of Lids locations, and more to come, we’re proud to help provide countless teachable moments to communicate the full history of sports in America, and the stories future generations need to hear.” – Britten Maughan, President, Lids.
“We are proud and honored to partner with Lids in this unprecedented retail initiative toward making a meaningful difference in spreading awareness of the important pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.” – Claude Johnson, founder and executive director of the Black Fives Foundation.
“The Lids ‘They Gave Us Game’ collaboration is a perfect opportunity to honor the Harlem Globetrotters who pioneered the game of basketball with their superb skills and outstanding flair for showmanship that is known throughout the world today. We couldn’t be more excited to kick off the collection, celebrating the great, Fred “Curly” Neal – #22 who played for 22 Globetrotter seasons. By introducing this first-of-its-kind merchandise in collaboration with Lids, the Globetrotters are continuing to expand our legendary brand reaching an entirely new, diverse generation of fans while continuing to build toward an even more thrilling future.” – Keith Dawkins, President of Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios.
“The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is thrilled to team with Lids on this historically significant and fashionable salute to the Negro Leagues. The Negro Leagues not only changed the game of baseball but more importantly helped change America. This partnership with Lids will be instrumental in increasing greater awareness of this powerful story of triumph over adversity.” – Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Content for TheyGaveUsGame.com generously provided by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Black Fives Foundation, the Harlem Globetrotters, courtesy of Herschend Entertainment, and Citizen Group.
About Lids
Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed sports retailer in North America, selling fan and fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico through almost 2,000 retail locations. Indianapolis-based Lids Sports Group carries officially licensed and branded gear aimed at empowering customers to represent their unique and individual style, team, passion and fun. Lids Sports Group operates stores under the Lids, Locker Room by Lids, Fanzz, Yankees Clubhouse Shops, Dodgers Clubhouse, Cardinals Clubhouse, and numerous other nameplates. Lids also has locations within select Macy’s department stores nationwide. To find a retail location near you visit blog.lids.com or join the #LidsLoyal on Instagram (@lids), Facebook (@lids), Twitter (@lids), or LinkedIn.
About the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Established in a one-room office in 1990, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is a privately funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its profound impact on the social advancement of America. In 2006, the United States Congress designated the NLBM as “America’s National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.” Please join our efforts to ensure that the legacy of the Negro Leagues plays on to inspire future generations. We invite you to visit the Museum at 1616 East 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, or visit us online at: www.nlbm.com.
About The Black Fives Foundation
The Greenwich, CT-based Black Fives Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach, and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, a period known as the Black Fives Era that lasted from the early 1900s to 1950, when the NBA signed its first Black players. The organization advocates expanding Black history education overall to amplify and include this important basketball history, utilizing nearly 1,000 related artifacts in its historical archive as well as a portfolio of related intellectual property and other difference-making initiatives. http://www.blackfives.org/.
About Harlem Globetrotters
The originators of basketball style, influencers on today’s game, and skilled athletes of the highest order, the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 124 countries and territories on six continents since their founding in 1926. Proud inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, their mission to spread game and bring entertainment to the world continues to drive them today. The Globetrotters are basketball innovators who popularized the jump shot, slam dunk, and invented the half-court hook shot. For nearly a century, the Globetrotters have exhibited Black excellence on and off the court, entertaining, inspiring, and uniting families. The Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed entertainment company in the U.S. www.harlemglobetrotters.com Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.