Why did some people believe the New York Rens and Harlem Globetrotters were placed in the same tournament bracket?

In 1939, the New York Rens and the Harlem Globetrotters were both invited to participate in the inaugural World Professional Basketball Tournament, which was notable for being the first professional championship to allow teams to compete without racial restrictions.12

Many observers believed that the two teams were placed in the same tournament bracket specifically to ensure that only one Black team would be able to advance to the final round of the competition. Despite this, the Rens defeated the Globetrotters 27–23 in the third round and ultimately went on to win the tournament, becoming the first champions of professional basketball.2