Globetrotting with the Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters recently went to London to perform at a school there. The Trotters were formed 84 years ago and have wowed audiences for that whole time. They are not a professional basketball team but they use a mix of tricks and fancy moves on the court and with a basketball to entertain people all over the world.
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition team going from place to place entertaining people with their skills with a basketball. Creativity is a major factor among them and they learn tricks, like spinning the ball on their finger, but then they take it a step further by adding new tricks into their routines and doing creative things with the ball. The Globetrotters are trying to encourage the next generation of basketball players to take an interest in the sport all over the world. Their shows are sold out and their objective is not only to showcase their talent but also to inspire a feeling that basketball is a game open to all and can be played by anyone. Their message is one of enjoying yourself while playing basketball and they want people to pick up the sport and take it to new heights in places it isn’t traditionally that popular. They feel if they can entice someone with their skills and tricks, maybe that person will go on to play the game and slowly it will become more and more popular all over the globe.
The Harlem Globetrotters are a team that is more than just about the sport of basketball. They are international ambassadors of goodwill and the fact that they travel the world and play so many exhibition games has led to them promoting peace, understanding and goodwill among the people of all the countries they visit. “For 84 tremendous years, the Harlem Globetrotters have thrilled audiences around the world. Today, a new generation of stars carries on this storied tradition with timeless basketball exhibitions. The Globetrotters have played more than 25,000 games, entertaining everyone from Presidents to Popes.”
There is something unique about this talented team of players that have an agreeable factor and makes them very watchable. It is so because of the amazing tricks and skills they have with the ball. They play to packed houses and incorporate crazy stunts and also gel humour into their games to keep the audiences enthralled. The likeability factor of the team comes from the fact that the team is made up of a bunch of great guys and in the video linked above; the students at the school where they performed recently only had pleasant things to say about them. They said things like they were nice and great fun to hang out with. They have made it their mission to try and show people the nice side of basketball and the fun time that one can have playing it.
It seems more sports could benefit from an exhibition team like the Globetrotters. A sport like football could benefit greatly from a team made up of tricksters that had a lot of skill and went around the world promoting football and trying to dissuade the stereotypes of hooliganism and violence. Cricket too might benefit greatly from something like this because it might reverse the negative image of match fixing and illegal practices that are now attached to the game. It seems basketball is easier to be turned into an exhibition match because of the amount of things that can be done with a basketball, things like spinning on one finger or dribbling between the legs numerous times or making blind passes to a teammate. These things can be done in other sports as well but are harder to master.
The Harlem Globetrotters are leading the way forward for basketball and introducing a whole new generation to the game and how fun playing it and watching it can be. Along the way they are destroying stereotypes and enthralling audiences around the world. We definitely need more teams like them in the world of sports. Harlem Globetrotters we salute you.
Tags: