Fans of all ages were ecstatic and ready to enjoy the Original Harlem Globetrotters live in action Feb. 1 at the Convocation Center. As the Harlem Globetrotters made Eastern Michigan University one of the stops during their 2019 Fan Powered World Tour, fans made this a night to remember.
After the brief introduction of who the Harlem Globetrotters are, their mascot Globie came out with energy and plenty of interaction with a few fans and welcomed them to the show.
If you’ve never attended a Harlem Globetrotters game, it's full of theatrics, comedy, athletic skills and pure fun. By scanning the crowd, you could instantly tell that this event was for the entire family. From the music selection to randomly selecting fans of all ages from the crowd to mix it up, you could tell that these players were professionals at keeping everyone engaged.
The Harlem Globetrotters are known for their infamous magic circle, which may have been seen on television commercials. This showcase features basketball tricks, continuous hype to keep the crowd involved and pumped, and the audience cheered on each player.
Local youth choir Viva Voce of Ann Arbor made an appearance singing the national anthem and received an abundance of applause from the crowd and high fives from the players. As the youth choir made their way to their seats with their parents, the game had officially started.
Harlem Globetrotters went up against a team named the Washington Generals. By the end of the night, of course, the Harlem Globetrotters had defeated them 80-50 points.
During the entire game, there were plenty of giveaways and family interactions. There was even a time when the Harlem Globetrotters allowed the audience to come on the court to participate in singing and the YMCA chant. Children from every direction rushed to the court to dance and sing along.
After the 15-minute intermission, the world’s famous “Flying Globies” made their debut. A set of acrobatic athletes comprised a trampoline dunk team. In each stunt, fans faces lit up in the awe of the players making each shot after doing a captivating flip or spin, leaps and twirls before making an epic shot in the basket.
The Harlem Globetrotters are known for their epic live performances and skills, but also they have been known in the Guinness World Record for setting titles and breaking previous ones. This past year, the Harlem Globetrotters set five new Guinness World Records in one day, bringing their total to 21.
As the Harlem Globetrotters continue their 2019 Fan Powered World Tour, the next stop locally will be Saturday, March 2 at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. starting at 2 p.m., and tickets start off at $18 each.
