I got to be a kid again Thursday night when the Harlem Globetrotters came to The Sack as part of their latest tour.
This time, however, I watched the event through a different set of eyes. Two grandsons – ages 11 and 7 – got their first Globetrotter experience with me and watching them watch the action was something I’m not sure I was ready for.
Growing up, the Globetrotters were an annual staple in my life. Whenever they came to Hirsch Coliseum, I was there. My group would practice all of their moves before and after their appearance. I had the “Sweet Georgia Brown” 45 rpm which would be played through an open bedroom window as we practiced our Globetrotter imitations in the driveway.
It doesn’t hurt that I lived through what I consider to be the Golden Age of the Globetrotters. Old timers might disagree with me, but the Meadowlawk Lemon/Curly Neal Era was unmatched.
Those two stopped playing decades ago — Lemon died in 2015 and Neal in 2020 — but the Globetrotters live on. It’s different, but it’s also the same. And that was the joy I found in it all.
“Sweet Georgia Brown” was played in the arena. The old water bucket gag was as predictable as ever. The Washington Generals played their typical NBA-style non-existent defense, which was interesting to me when in the first quarter, Grandson One mentioned that this whole thing might not be on the up-and-up.
The kids were far less impressed with the three-man weave and the dunking exhibition as they were with what happened when the action stopped and it was time for a skit. They went nuts when a kid was brought out of the crowd to try to make a basket and win a jersey and an autographed ball. (He did.)
I was more worried about the shocking lack of depth on the Generals (only one substitute). No wonder they can’t win a game!
But it was when the lightbulb went off and the grandkids realized what this was all about is when they fully committed to the whole thing. They were then ready to be entertained and took every opportunity to be a part of that.
Of course, while they were waiting for the next crowd engagement, I kept watching it from a basketball perspective. I fully understand – and have always understood – the choreography of it all, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that there are some pretty special ball handling tricks that are going on as well as some gravity-defying dunks.
And the kids quickly found the Globetrotter players to be completely relatable. These days, the players go by a single stage name (just like the old American Gladiators), but because of that, it was easier to remember who’s who.
The ringleader position has been passed down from Meadowlark Lemon, then to Minden’s Louis Dunbar (now one of the coaches of the multiple Globetrotter teams that go on tour at the same time) and that mantle these days goes to 6-foot-8 Alex Weekes, who goes by “Moose.” He’s got big hair and a big personality to go with it. Moose is in his 12th year with the Globetrotters but does not lack for energy.
One look at the number of Moose 45 jerseys in the audience told you all you needed to know about his popularity. Yes, I got the tap. “Can we get a Moose jersey?”
No matter how old you are, it’s still evident that there is nothing quite like the Harlem Globetrotters. Whether you want to call it a show or a game is up to you.
The impact is the same. You just have to know how to look for it.
Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com