Marvin Cooper[a] (born c. 1943)[2] is a former dancer who performed under the stage name Dancing Harry at professional basketball games.
"[5] Later, Cooper sang and danced as part of an eight-piece band that played in clubs around Baltimore.
His hexes excited the crowd and distracted opponents, adding to the Knicks' already formidable home-court advantage.
With Dancing Harry performing, the Nets with star Julius Erving won the 1974 ABA championship.
[7] Harry danced for another decade, including a move to Indianapolis, where he became the Indiana Pacers' first mascot and was paid nightly.
[2] The New York Daily News called Harry a "trailblazer of sorts", even though he never danced for Portland, as nearly every NBA team by 2003 had a paid squad of dancers, providing entertainment other than basketball as part of the game experience.
[2] He also inspired Dancing Barry, who debuted at a Houston Rockets game against the Knicks in the 1975 NBA Playoffs.