MANILA, Philippines – “We’re gonna be another Thrilla in Manila!” whooped an excited Sweet Lou Dunbar.His excitement was well-put. He was a former player and now coach of legendary basketball troupe, the Harlem Globetrotters. Founded in 1926, the Globetrotters are a generations-loved team, famous for their endearing and comedic athleticism. Solar Entertainment and Max Entertainment partnered to bring this world-famous act back to our shores, and in their Dusit Hotel presscon, the team’s 2009 incarnation showcased the personalities carrying the Globetrotter torch of zany talent and disarming humor. The awesomely tall Globetrotters bounced into the room and settled onto their couches, to the tune of “Sweet Georgia Brown.” A few looked jet-lagged, but the whole team had an aura of energy. They introduced themselves: Airport Greenup, Bull Bullard, General Grant, Slick Willie Shaw, Skyscraper Alleyne, Hi-Rise Brown, Flight Time Lang, Handles Franklin, Sweet Pea Shine, and Big Easy Lofton. Handles took it a step farther. “Kamo-esta-kay-yo. Ako-say-Handles Franklin,” he beamed, awkwardly but impressively. We cheered and laughed. Handles raised his finger, not yet finished. “Ma-hal-na-min-po-kay-yo!” With that he took a bow to applause. Asked what people can expect, Showman Big Easy said with a straight face, “We jump higher, run faster, and look better.” Lou chuckled, “I wouldn’t say that we look better.” I asked Flight Time, a reality show junkie, if it were possible to have a show like “Search for the Next Globetrotter.” His eyes widened with intrigue. “Who knows?” he said. I asked if we’d see something like Globetrotter Football, where they spoof American football on court. Would there be Globetrotter Hockey or Golf? “We’ll definitely do routines like that. If we see something we like in your country, we could put that in. What would you like to see?” Maybe Globetrotter patintero or kick-the-can? “What was that last one?” one of them asked. “Oh, kick-the-can? Alright, I’m-a do that for you!” Someone asked why they joined the Trotters instead of the NBA. Big Easy said, “We want to be ambassadors of goodwill and leave a legacy. A Globetrotters show is a long-lasting experience. A game lasts forever (in fans’ memories).” He shrugged. “You can’t even remember what happened to last night’s [LA]Lakers’ game.” The questioner quipped: “Oh, and the Lakers lost.” Afro Hi-Rise seemed to take offense at this. He leaned forward and hollered, “Hey, hey, Hey.” They downplayed Hi-Rise’s reaction. “He’s Kobe’s cousin,” he chuckled. Hi-Rise sulked in his seat. Handles added, “I’ve wanted to be a Globetrotter since I was 6. When I first saw the [1970s] cartoon, I wanted to be the guy with the magic afro!” The team then pointed and laughed at Lou, who inspired that character. “That’s Sweet Lou!” How tough was it to make the Globetrotters? Lou said, “We’re the best at what we do. We look for your basketball skills. If you have a video of yourself, we will look at it thoroughly!” Then he singled out the lady who asked that question. “We’re not looking for someone your height right now.” How did they get their nicknames? “The top operation office, base them on our personalities.” Lou ribbed into Airport. “He got that name ’cause he was stuck in one for four hours,” Coach Lou cackled. Airport shook his head with a smile as the team laughed it up. Some of their names can be really obvious. Slick said he got his “’Cause I’m slick with the basketball.” Seven-foot-three Skyscraper doesn’t need an explanation. Rappers A fan requested that General Grant, Slick Willie Shaw and Hi-Rise freestyle rap like they did over a radio appearance. The players laughed it off, but were coerced by the audience. Gamely, they broke into freestyle, Hi-Rise and Slick beat-boxing and General rapping about their upcoming show. I wish I could have broken out of my amazement to get the lyrics. In the end, General announced, “My album’s coming out April 2010!” Finally, someone asked if the Trotters could do some tricks, despite the guys teasing that you had to see their show to see them. The questioner walked right into that one: Slick and Handles pulled him into participating. They got everyone laughing as they bounced a ball off their heads and off their guest participant. Audience participation is a huge part of the Globetrotter experience, it seems, even off-court. After the presscon, I asked Handles if they get inspiration for their moves from pop culture. “Yeah,” he said. “We learned our routines from the old Globetrotters, but we also put in moves from TV and movies.” Antics Their May 24 show featured head-bopping ala “A Night at the Roxbury,” spy antics like “Mission: Impossible,” and Hi-Rise’s amazing “Spider-Man” dunk where he dunked the ball, planted his feet on the board and hung upside-down like the eponymous hero. The Trotters went around the lunch buffet, chatting: “This iced tea is cold.” "I wanna go out for a Krispy Kreme.” I asked what kind of music got them pumped for a show.
Handles: “Classical. [Pause] That’s a joke.” Skyscraper: “Techno.” General: “I listen to my own album.”
Seriously, he’s got an album coming. And it’ll feature Skyscraper, who’s also a rapper. Right across in the next function room was a Dole function. There was a drum band playing, and General started strutting to it with a funny samba beat. Skyscraper held out his arm like a limbo stick, and General strutted right under it, delighting spectators. Eventually, hotel staff, company bigshots and their kids were approaching them for autographs. The Trotters obliged graciously, even joking around. Bull got asked by Airport as he signed merchandise: “Why didn’t you put in the [bull] horns [in your signature]?” Bull shrugged: “They fell off.” Spooked Skyscraper got a lot of attention because of his height, and one kid, despite being pushed into meeting him, was spooked by his size. “Come on, Max! Aw, Max, my feelings are hurt!” Skyscraper called, as the kid hid behind his dad. Like audience participation, getting kids to play around with them is part of the Globetrotter appeal. It’s what made them a family-loved act, and while they can be cocky, these guys loved kids. Deep inside the jerseys and talent, the guys are fun-loving clowns. Sarcastic, cocky, and funny, they don’t need a ball to throw antics; having people around them is enough to set off the quirkiness. Before ending the day, I get a lesson from Handles. “See, when you’re just casual, you shake,” Handles said. “But we’re cool, so this is how you do it.” And at that, I got a secret Globetrotter handshake. Talented, crazy, athletic, and they make lasting impressions. These guys don’t just spin basketballs on their fingertips—they spin the world. | 
