’Trotters put on a show

It’s not supposed to be fierce competition on the hardcourt. The Harlem Globetrotters play basketball for fun and put on a show that’s pure entertainment. They’re world travelers, which is why they’re called Globetrotters and since their formation in 1926, it’s estimated they’ve played close to 30,000 games in 124 countries. Don’t expect the Globies to honor basketball rules. When they play, anything goes. It’s not disrespect, it’s just the Globetrotters’ way. No eight-second rule to cross the timeline, no three-second violation, no travelling infractions. Referees are part of the act and make the show even more hilarious with their tolerance.

Back in the 1940s, the Trotters were competitive, even playing NBA teams but that wasn’t their calling. If serious players like Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins or even ex-PBA import Chris Morris wore the Harlem colors, it was for uncomic relief. Although ownership of the Trotters has changed hands from Abe Saperstein to George Gillett to Metromedia to Thomas Scallen to Mannie Jackson to Shamrock Holdings to the Herschend family over the years, the team has been a constant and so is its spirit of fun.

Last Tuesday, the Globies performed at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with sparring partners the Washington Generals and a single referee. It was Harlem’s fifth appearance here, starting in 1953 then 1964, 1982 and 2009. From Manila, the Trotters will continue their Asian tour in Malaysia today, Jakarta on Saturday and Sunday and Singapore on Nov. 23 and 24. Then, they embark on a 209-game North American tour on Dec. 12, ending on April 19. The team has a 41-strong roster so there are days when games are played in two or three venues at a time, splitting the players. In Manila, there were 10 Trotters and seven Generals who performed.

At Araneta, the Globies used a four-point line 30 feet from the basket and introduced a Change The Game call where the courtside announcer could double the points scored or halt the action for a fan to shoot a free throw or launch a trick shot. A feature that brought the house down was when the Trotters did a slo-mo replay of a sequence in real time. Other features were the water bucket throw to fans, antics from mascots Globie and Big G, a stretcher routine with a fan and dunks galore. Could the Trotters or Generals compete in the NBA? That’s the subject for tomorrow’s column.