Note: A pre-event Magic Pass ($22) will allow ticketholders to spend time on the court with the Globetrotters.By: Brian Howard Story Links GRAMBLING, La. I’ve got to hold my The Harlem Globetrotters “You don’t want to be out there looking foolish. What Ekworomadu loves to do is play basketball, and she said she has become much better since joining the Globetrotters. “It’s amazing to see the history of our organization and what the pioneers had to go through just for us to have the freedom to do what we love to do.” “She opened the path for me to be a part of a great legacy,” Ekworomadu said of Woodward, who has since been named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Irving, Texas, native is one of three women on the roster and the 12th female Globetrotter since Lynette Woodward’s debut in 1985. “This give me the ability to impact as well as entertain,” Ekworomadu said. Kids are never far from their minds, she said.
The franchise operates an extensive community-outreach program designed to help children through bullying-prevention and exercise programs, in addition to character-building initiatives. Armed Forces, the Globetrotters aim to lift the spirits of everyone who comes into their orbit. From hospital visits to overseas tours for the U.S. ‘What brought us together as a family was a Globetrotter game.’ ”Įkworomadu, 28, has only been with the Globetrotters for two years, but already she has seen what they can do off the court. Ekworomadu said the Globetrotters provide wholesome entertainment for everyone, rather than appealing to certain segments of the population. Globetrotter games - which pit the hoop heroes against their foils, the long-suffering Washington Generals - have become a tradition for generations of families. “The first time I got on the phone with them, I was like, ‘Wait, I’m talking to the Globetrotters? This is crazy.’ I never would have guessed in a million years that I would be a Globetrotter.” When she was recruited to join the team, she could barely believe her luck. Ekworomadu was a fan herself, long before she ever got to pull on the purple jersey. From their peak in the 1970s until today, the satin, star-laden jerseys are instantly recognizable to a huge segment of the population. And make no mistake: It is a powerful brand. Three 10-player units are now zig-zagging across North America, which amounts to a show a day for the Globetrotters brand. It’s something you have to sharpen every day.” A lot of people have very extensive basketball resumés, but if you stop playing basketball for one day, you’re going to lose your skill set. “It’s like anything else - you have to work at your craft. You actually have to be able to play basketball.”Įkworomadu and her teammates practise 90 minutes every day. “You can’t just be good at ball handling or trickery, or you’re not going to be on the team.
Their ability to entertain is important, Ekworomadu said. Two hold Guinness World Records for their basketball prowess. One player was a teammate of NBA icon Michael Jordan. Her fellow Globetrotters’ credentials are no less impressive. A member of the Nigerian national team, she also played briefly for the San Antonio Silverstars of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Ekworomadu, for example, is a former Texas State University standout who played professionally in Poland and Italy. The copious trick shots - half court, centre court and the like - obscure the fact that every one of the 30 players on the Globetrotters roster is a high-calibre player with an extensive basketball resumé. “The most important part is bringing smiles to people’s faces,” she said.
The Globetrotters are goodwill ambassadors, and though being in a different city every day is a bit overwhelming, Ekworomadu said her packed itinerary is forgotten come game time. The reality for the players, according to current Globetrotter guard Joyce (Sweet J) Ekworomadu, is something much more important on a personal level. It’s a lather, rinse, repeat scenario for the Globetrotters in 2015 - or so it would seem. The Globetrotters have worked in this capacity since 1929, to the delight of spectators of all ages.
Working from a script, the players offer all sorts of acrobatics and parquet party tricks, from ball-handling displays to the tune of Sweet Georgia Brown to buckets of water and confetti emptied on the audience. Each year, the storied Harlem Globetrotters franchise brings its rotating cast of basketball players to cities across the world.
0 kommentar(er)
