New York, New York – In efforts to grabbing its "long overdue seat at the table", the Harlem Globetrotters wrote an open letter in efforts to become its own NBA franchise.

The Harlem Globetrotters have been an exhibition-style basketball team for nearly 100 years, yet they don't garner the same respect that NBA franchise teams do, and that's something the team hopes to change.

What started as the Savoy Big Five in Chicago, Illinois in 1926 has become a global phenom serving up immense athletic ability with a side of comedy.

That humor really shouldn't undercut the skill set of the players on the Harlem Globetrotters team though.

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On Tuesday, the organization shared an official statement on their open letter to the NBA on Monday, saying that "it's time the NBA recognized our contribution to the game".

In 1949, the Harlem Globetrotters took on the reigning champions in the Minneapolis Lakers in a game won by the Globetrotters for the second consecutive year.

At the time, the NBA was still white-only. Since then, the Harlem Globetrotter said they've played an "instrumental" role in the integration of the NBA.

In the letter, the team wrote, "instead of just letting us in, you took our players. The first Black player to sign an NBA contract – Nat Sweetwater Clifton, a Harlem Globetrotter. The first Black man to play in an NBA game – Earl Lloyd, another Globetrotter."

They continued, "It's time to right the wrongs and rewrite history. It's time for the NBA to honor what the Globetrotters have done for OUR sport."

After years of standing by and watching the NBA take credit for the players who first honed their skills with them, the Harlem Globetrotters feel it's time the league recognizes their contribution in the most significant way possible: making them an NBA franchise.