Scooter Christensen helps a child learn how to spin a basketball. / Courtesy of Harlem Globetrotters
By Valerie Kalfrin
The Tampa Tribune, Feb. 25, 2016
The whistling strains of “Sweet Georgia Brown” and the happy-go-lucky rhythm of basketballs bound into the Amalie Arena for one night next week as the Harlem Globetrotters bounce into town to celebrate the team’s 90th anniversary.
Ostensibly, they’re taking on the World All-Stars, assuming the Washington Generals’ position as perpetual foils for the team’s comedic pranks and world-record-worthy athleticism. But that’s merely a blip in their game: They’re also paying tribute to two Globetrotters legends — renowned dribbler Marques Haynes and George “Meadowlark” Lemon, the “Clown Prince” of 24 seasons, both of whom died in 2015.
All while exposing fans of all ages to their infectious energy and artistry so seamless, they make it look simple.
“No one really remembers the score of the game by the end,” guard Shane “Scooter” Christensen (#16) said on Reddit earlier this month. “They do remember laughing and smiling and having a good time, and that’s what we are all about!”
“It’s such an honor to be part of such a great tradition. We don’t take that obligation lightly,” Chris “Handles” Franklin (#14) said in a phone interview. He’s a “showman” on the roster along with Anthony “Ant” Atkinson and Kris “Hi-Lite” Bruton. “When you see smiles on their faces. … It’s amazing. You know what kind of difference that you’re making.”
A Harrison, Pennsylvania, native, Franklin said he wanted to don the blue jersey with the red-and-white shorts since he was 6 years old and saw the Globetrotters in animated form — including Lemon and Fred “Curly” Neal — solving mysteries with Scooby-Doo. He loved how the team not only had fun, but “they were all characters and had their own identities.”
“I was mesmerized! I picked up a ball and never put it back down,” said Franklin, who earned his nickname as a youth for how he could handle a basketball.
Franklin soaked up whatever information he could about the Globetrotters — “I studied them like a college course” — and even sent them a video to audition. That didn’t work out, but the team tracked him down after he’d earned a master’s degree in social work from Pennsylvania’s Lock Haven University, netted a perfect score at a dribbling competition and showed off his skills in a Nike video. He joined the Globetrotters in 2007.
“If you’re good, they’ll find you,” he said. “I tell kids all the time, if you put the right time in, whether it’s your schoolwork or your profession, the more you practice, the better you get.”
Franklin practices about two hours a day. He set a Guinness World Record in November by making the farthest kneeling basketball shot backward at 60 feet and 7.5 inches. His teammates set six other records last year, including the longest basketball shot blindfolded (69 feet and 6 inches) and the longest duration of spinning a basketball on the nose (7.7 seconds).
The team plays about 350 games a year around the world between goodwill appearances such as visiting schools and hospitals. For their 90th year, the Globetrotters have made YouTube videos, such as one with Franklin, Tay “Firefly” Fisher (#3), Brawley “Cheese” Chisholm (#11), and William “Bull” Bullard (#33) joining the percussion-group Stomp on a New York City street court for a rhythmic routine.
They’ve also vowed to visit as many families and causes in need of a smile as part of their “Great Assist” campaign.
Being good role models like the Globetrotters before them fills them with pride, Franklin said. That spirit lives through legends like Neal, now on an advisory board; “Sweet” Lou Dunbar, their coach; and Lemon.
“Meadowlark was special,” Franklin said. “He gave me amazing advice. … He always talked about keeping your faith and also the importance of giving back.”