Frank Streety
This post is part of a Black History Month series on SUNY Broome students, faculty and staff of color, who have been a valued part of the campus community since the college’s founding in 1946.
By any measure, Frank Streety is a legend.
Known as “Shake n’Bake” for his wild moves on the basketball court, he was among the original Harlem Globetrotters – and a graduate of Broome Tech, as SUNY Broome was once called. ESPN named the Brooklyn native “a streetball legend” and included him among the two dozen best players produced by the famed Rucker Park – along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and other greats.
A native of Harlem described as an orphan in early newspaper articles, Streety first began playing basketball at the age of 12 and was a standout on the Eastern Districts High School’s basketball team. He came to Broome Tech in 1966 during its basketball heyday under legendary Coach Dick Baldwin.
“Frank is the most exciting and flamboyant player we’ve ever had. He was a great dribbler and had that show-biz appeal,” Coach Baldwin told a reporter in a 1977 news article.
Streety had originally planned to attend Southern Illinois University, but found out last minute that his grades weren’t high enough for acceptance. Broome offered him the opportunity to improve academically as well as a needed scholarship, and he went on to earn a degree in Business Administration in 1968.
During his years on SUNY Broome team, the college went 53-12, won multiple tournaments and championships and headed to nationals both years. He also had to navigate the racial prejudice of the day, finding it difficult to even get his hair cut at a Broome County barber until Coach Baldwin stepped in. Despite these obstacles, Baldwin described his top-notch player in a 1967 newspaper article as “well-adjusted to racial problems in a white community” and without a trace of bitterness.
After graduating from Broome, he continued his education and his basketball success at Kentucky’s Murray State, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business. Streety, who had led teams from both colleges in NCAA playoff games, was inducted into the NCAA Hall of Fame in 1992.
In 1969, he joined the Harlem Globetrotters and played in venues across the globe.
“I’m the type of individual who likes to see people happy. I like to help cover up some of the frustrations and problems of the world. And with the Trotters, where basketball is half-serious and half-fun, people can come out and laugh. I just love kids, too,” he told the predecessor to the Press & Sun-Bulletin in a 1977 article.
After retiring, he ended up in Florida, where he continued to show off his hoop tricks on occasion. He combined his love of the game with community service, as an instructor for the Youth Basketball of America Hoopsters program in Orlando and as CEO of the 360 ESAH Foundation, which aims to inspire, educate and empower communities around the world through grassroots efforts to bring about positive changes in the lives of children.
