The Harlem Globetrotters have been delighting fans for almost a century. The basketball team is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.
The Harlem Globetrotters spend a lot of time on the basketball court spreading positive messages to kids like students at Endeavour Charter School in Brooklyn.
Of course, they also play an entertaining brand of hoops, something they have been doing for nine decades.
"We just want to continue to build on that, and create, continue to be more innovative, continue to bring more people to the game of basketball," said Moose Weekes of the Harlem Globetrotters.
The Globies are in town December 27 through January 3 for 11 for games at Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center and four other venues.
They began in the 1920s as a barnstorming squad of African-American players, at a time when pro teams were white only. Chicago was the initial base, but they later adopted Harlem as their home.
Their antics developed as a way to entertain crowds while they were blowing out opponents. Legends like Marques Haynes and future NBA great Wilt Chamberlain were Globetrotters, just to name a few.
"Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon, Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton," said Cheese Chisolm of the Harlem Globetrotters. "One of the first African-American to play in the NBA was a Globetrotter."
The next generation of Globetrotters hope to keep the tradition going as worldwide ambassadors of goodwill. That means occasionally meeting up with world leaders like Pope Francis.
On a different level, they can even teach a middle-aged reporter a trick shot.
That's the impact the Globies can have on you, on and off the court.
"I want to be that person that kids can look up to, come to for advice, but at the same time, know the right things to do in school and out of a school," said Hawk Thomas of the Harlem Globetrotters.
To find out more about all of the Harlem Globetrotters' games in the New York area, head to harlemglobetrotters.com/nyc.