By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Harold Fortner, of Los Angeles, had never seen the Harlem Globetrotters. A friend’s son had never heard of them.
The two, and more than an estimated 2,700 other people, visited Missouri Southern State University’s Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on Wednesday to see the high-flying jumps and slam dunks of the legendary athletes.
“I likened them to the Blue Angels,” Fortner said. “They’re not military, but they show the best of everything.”
The Globetrotters have been touring since 1926, playing games and performing stunts. They have played more than 20,000 games all over the world.
Some of those games were against real opponents — including a game in 1948 played by some local players.
Called the Tamko Roofers, the team beat the Globetrotters by one point that year. Several of those players were honored at halftime with commemorative jerseys and gifts from the players.
Between dancing, gags, line dancing, running through the stands and spinning basketballs on fingers, the players amazed the crowd with feats of dribbling, shooting and dunking.
“They are crazy,” said Tamerik Branham, an aspiring, 11-year-old basketball player. “I can’t do any of that stuff yet.”
Lisa Branham, Tamerik’s mother, said they missed the Globetrotters’ performance last year, and made it a point to go this year.
“They are amazing,” Branham said. “Watching them just pass the ball is amazing.”
Jacob and Shawna Murphy, of Joplin, got courtside seats for the game. The couple had different ideas of what the show would be.
“I expected a game,” Shawna said. “He expected a lot of stunts. We were both right.”
Jennifer Gent, of Anderson, came with her two sons and mother. Gent ended up being an unwitting participant in the show, when her purse was “stolen” by the athletes.
“I didn’t know it was my purse until I saw it out there,” Gent said. “My mom had set that up.”
Spencer Layne, 11, of Joplin, won a shooting contest as part of a promotion for the event. He got to meet several of the Globetrotters, and even got some autographs on a T-shirt.
“They were pretty nice,” Layne said. “They showed me how they spun the ball around on their fingers.”
Sports
March 26, 2008
Globetrotters 'show best of everything'
-
-
Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
- Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
-
- Pittsburg State Sports
-
- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
-
-
Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
-
