Yesterday my friend Tommy and I went to a Harlem Globetrotters game at Allstate Arena. The 10-year-old in me was ecstatic, and the grown-up me was pretty excited, too.

When I was a kid, the Globetrotters were magical, maybe even mythical. Their games were only seen on ABC’s Wide World of Sports; and when they were on, I was glued to the television. I loved the antics of Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal and the rest. Of course, the Globetrotters were legitimately great basketball players. This combination made the entertainment unbeatable.

Photo by Tommy Else.

They were also pretty much unbeatable in games. The Globetrotters only lost a few of their estimated 26,000 games played. Fortunately, yesterday’s game was not one of those rare losses. As unique as that would be, I wouldn’t want to actually see them lose.

The team mixed comedy routines and real basketball-playing. The mascot, Big G, entertained all. They did the usual bits like spinning the ball on their fingertips, dribbling multiple balls, hiding the ball from the opponent and the speedy passing drill. Lest people think they are strictly comedy, the Globetrotters hit several half-court shots, which they called four-point shots, along with a few long-range hook shots. The Trotters are excellent basketball players.

The Generals (longtime opponents of the Globetrotters) can play, too. Although they go along with the comedy, they also play solid ball. They even held their own in an in-game dunking contest between the teams. It wouldn’t be fun if the Globetrotters squashed them every game.

Yesterday, the Generals led by two with one minute left in the game. Would this be the rare loss by the Trotters? The next minute was a flurry of action as each team scored multiple times. In the end, though, the Globetrotters prevailed as we all hoped (and figured) they would.

There were a few serious moments too. Prior to the game, the Globetrotters paid poetic homage to a few African American sports legends. At halftime there was a video tribute to the legendary Curly Neal, who passed away last year.

After the game, fans were invited courtside to get autographs from the players. Hundreds of youngsters had the iconic red, white and blue ball to have signed by their basketball heroes.

Reflecting on the experience as I drove home, I felt like I had witnessed something historic. During my youth, the Globetrotters were a piece of Americana. If the 10-year-old me had a bucket list, this would have definitely been on it. It took me a while to finally see the Trotters live, but maybe I appreciated it even more now.

— John Wroblewski, online writer