The Harlem Globetrotters, the exhibition basketball team, played at WSU on Tuesday night in Beasley Coliseum.
The two teams made their entrance on the court shortly after 7 p.m. The Globetrotters’ rivals, the Washington Generals, took to the court first, followed by the Globetrotters. The Globetrotters began by performing their “magic circle,” where they all sat in a circle and took turns getting in the middle and performing a few tricks.
The Globetrotters were founded in 1926 and have played more than 26,000 games. One of the main differences between the Globetrotters and normal basketball teams is the timer very rarely stops, even if the game stops and the Globetrotters break into a comedy bit or other segway, and the players have their microphones turned on so you can hear what they are saying.
In addition, the Globetrotters also all have nicknames, which they use during the games instead of their actual names.
The Globetrotters have come to WSU before. Wheaton Schroeder, assistant professor at the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, said he has seen them play before but not at WSU.
“It was in Iowa,” Schroeder said. “It would have been about 15 or 16 years ago.”
Schroeder said despite having seen them before, he had no specific expectations for the game.
“I’m just excited to see what tricks they come up with,” he said. “It’s nice to just take some time out.”
Pullman resident Christine Schroeder said she’s also seen the Globetrotters around the same time as Wheaton.
Having seen the Globetrotters before, Schroeder said that experience did not have much of an impact on her feelings towards the game. She treated it the same as most other sporting events.
“We’re just showing up for some entertainment,” she said. “I’m just glad to be out of the house.”
The Globetrotters scored the first point of the game with a two-point shot. However, the Generals took the lead with a three-point shot, which the Globetrotters quickly matched.
By the end of the quarter, the Globetrotters had a lead over the Generals they never lost. The Globetrotters made a point to end each quarter with a slam dunk with only seconds left.
With seven minutes left in the first quarter, Thunder and Speedy stole the ball and passed it over the referee’s head after a foul was called. This was the first of their many antics during the game. Thunder went on to take the referee’s whistle and blow it at him.
Early in the third quarter, the Globetrotters performed another trick where Speedy stopped time to take the ball from one of the Generals.
The Generals had to shoot two free-throws with three minutes left in the third quarter. Speedy got into another fight with the referee and ended up giving 51 on the Generals a wedgie. He made his first shot but missed the second, which took place after his altercation with Speedy.
With 30 seconds left in the third quarter, Speedy got into another fight, this time with teammate Splash. Splash offered Speedy a cup of water only to splash him with it. The two of them got into a big argument which ended in Speedy chasing Splash around the court and into the audience.
During the fourth quarter, Thunder brought a child from the audience on court and claimed he was his son. He allowed him to shoot but he missed. He then shot again and made it.
After getting into another fight with the referee, the Globetrotters reversed time to prove the Generals committed a foul. Both teams then recreated the play in slow-motion after the Globetrotters called for an instant replay.
By the end of the fourth quarter, the Globetrotters led 93-66. However, both teams wiped the score clean and declared whichever team could score five points first wins the game. The score remained close this time to create some suspense, but the Globetrotters ultimately won.
