By Sherrie Norris
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are bouncing their way back to Boone for one big performance on Wednesday, March 30, as part of their Spread Game Tour.
The action will happen locally at 7 p.m. at the Holmes Convocation Center on the campus of Appalachian State University. The show promises great family fun “with ball spinning that defies gravity, innovative dunks and new on-court characters guaranteed to energize the action and bring the laughs.”
The entertainers/comedians/ball handlers have teamed up with award-winning experts from Broadway and renowned comedians to create an experience like no other with this new tour.
“Top it off with the Globetrotters’ signature ankle-breaking moves and rim-rattling dunks, and your family is sure to have an unforgettable night!”
After sitting it out for over a year due to the pandemic, the team’s Spread Game Tour first tipped off in July 2021, and will include stops in 150 locales before it ends later this year.
The 2022 tour is all about honoring the late and great Curly Neal, which helped bring the Globetrotters to a new height during his career.
“All of the NBA is playing like the Harlem Globetrotters, showcasing moves we’ve been defining for decades,” stated Jeff Munn, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Harlem Globetrotters. “The Spread Game Tour is a chance to satisfy our fans’ undeniable thirst for exceptional basketball, while continuing as trailblazers in an ever-changing culture. We believe our fans will be excited to be there with us as we unveil a completely transformed sports spectacular.”
“As part of the Globetrotters’ growing legacy, Spread Game mission will ripple beyond the basketball court. In a tribute to the rich cultural history that weaves through the Globetrotters’ story, players will actively support social justice initiatives and community programs within the cities they visit. Children seeing them in action will find themselves sharing space with real-life superheroes, whose honor and conviction match their skills both on and off the court. Emphasizing social involvement, wellness of mind, body, and spirit, and the power of laughter, the Globetrotters will give a new generation of fans the gift of smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts.”
In addition, the tour will emphasize the player’s world-renowned basketball skills, while also introducing exciting, never-before-seen characters guaranteed to energize the action and entertainment of every game. Led by former Globetrotter star “High Rise” Barry Hardy as Vice President of Player Personnel and Tour Development, the talented roster includes Torch George, Thunder Law, Bulldog Mack, Hot Shot Swanson, Jet Rivers, Wham Middleton, and Big Easy Lofton.
As most of us know, The Harlem Globetrotters have always been global ambassadors of goodwill.
“The team is even more committed to bringing their voice to social justice conversations while inviting communities all over the U.S. to come together and recognize the power of our commonalities and celebrate our differences. Devoted to being more vocal around activism, the team will dedicate time throughout the tour to recognize local heroes of social justice and lend their efforts to the call for change.”
Ticket prices range from $18-60 and are available now. (See more information below.)
For more than just a night on the bleachers, there are other options available and include the following ticket upgrades:
Globetrotter Premium Experiences
The Spread Game Tour will feature all-new premium experiences that are guaranteed to take your night to a whole new level. In addition to admission, pre-paid add-on ticketed options include the famous Magic Pass Pre-Show event, and new experiences, such as the Celebrity Court Pass, and One-On-One Meet & Greets.
Celebrity Court Pass: The best game access for the biggest basketball fans! Your Court Pass gets you down on the floor for an up close and personal view of the pregame shoot-around!
Player Meet and Greet: Before you see them on the court, this is your chance to meet them in person! A limited number of fans will have the opportunity to interact 1:1 with some of your favorite Harlem Globetrotters stars. Get autographs, learn from players and take photos. Meet and Greets take place prior to game time.
Please check-in at courtside at the announcer’s table immediately after doors open. Check-in will be open until 45 minutes prior to game time. Late arrivals are not permitted and will not be refunded. Children under 10 cannot participate unaccompanied.
(Each person must purchase the Meet & Greet add-on to be allowed entry into the Meet & Greet. This is an optional upgrade.)
History of the Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are worldwide icons, synonymous with family entertainment and great basketball skills. The Globetrotters represent 90-plus years of breaking down barriers, acts of goodwill and a commitment to fans that goes beyond the game.
Abe Saperstein founded the team in 1926, and they played their first road game in Hinckley, Illinois, on Jan. 7, 1927. Since then, the Globetrotters have entertained more than 148 million fans in 123 countries and territories worldwide, introducing many to the sport of basketball. The team are pioneers in popularizing the slam dunk, the fast break, the forward and point guard positions, and the figure-eight weave. In 2010, the Globetrotters also introduced the first-ever 4-point shot, a shot located 30 feet from the basket – almost 7 feet beyond the NBA’s three-point arc.
In 1940, the Globetrotters won their first World Basketball Championship, defeating the Chicago Bruins. In 1948 and 1949, the Globetrotters stunned the world by twice defeating the World Champion Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA. The Globetrotters were socially influential and quickly became recognized as the world’s best basketball team, showing that African-Americans could excel on a professional level.
The victories over the Lakers accelerated the integration of the NBA, as Globetrotter Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton became the first African-American player to sign an NBA contract when he joined the famed New York Knicks in 1950. The Globetrotters also embarked on their first-ever international tour in 1950, played before their largest crowd ever – 75,000 – at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in 1951 and finished the decade with their first-ever trip to the Soviet Union in 1959.
The legendary Wilt Chamberlain was part of that historic Soviet Union tour, as the Hall of Famer played a full season with the Globetrotters in 1958-59. After starting his NBA career, he still played parts of several other seasons with the Globetrotters, joining the team when he could between NBA seasons. Chamberlain said that some of the most pleasant days of his life were playing for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Following their 1951 trip to Berlin, the Globetrotters picked up the moniker Ambassadors of Goodwill from a letter written by the U.S. State Department to Abe Saperstein, which named the team “ambassadors of extraordinary goodwill.” Since then, the Globetrotters have earned the accolades of many world leaders, including special acknowledgment from Presidents Eisenhower and Ford for their ability to serve mankind around the world.
The Globetrotters continued to enjoy immense popularity in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The Harlem Globetrotters cartoon show on CBS earned some of the highest ratings in the history of Saturday morning television, and the team also had their own live action Saturday morning variety show, The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine, while appearing numerous times on the popular and long-running ABC’s Wide World of Sports. In 1985, Olympic Gold Medalist Lynette Woodard joined the Globetrotters, becoming the first female to ever play on a men’s pro basketball team and helping to blaze a path for the WNBA.
Former Globetrotters player Mannie Jackson purchased the team in 1993, becoming the first African-American to own a major international sports and entertainment organization. He tripled the team’s revenue in three years and quadrupled its size in five. The team was also active in philanthropic efforts, with charitable contributions totaling more than $11 million under Jackson’s guidance.
Globetrotter Michael “Wild Thing” Wilson set a world record in 2000 by dunking on a 12-foot hoop at Final Four Weekend… a record that stands to this day, and one of 21 world records currently held by Globetrotters players.
The team cemented their standing as one of the world’s most influential basketball teams in 2002, receiving the sport’s highest honor with induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Overall, there have been 13 people with ties to the Harlem Globetrotters inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
On Oct.1, 2013, the Globetrotters were purchased by Herschend Family Entertainment, the largest family-owned themed attractions company in the U.S., marking an expansion for the company into new media, audiences and markets.
Today, the Globetrotters continue to bring their entertainment to millions of fans around the world with more than 400 live events each year. Each Globetrotters game features some of the best athletes on the planet, unmatched fan interaction, incredible ball handling wizardly, rim-rattling dunks and side splitting comedy.
In all, close to 750 men and women have played for the world famous team, a team which has entertained popes, kings, queens, and presidents around the globe.
Off the court, the organization continues to evolve the company beyond its vibrant live event business by increasing alliances with global partners, developing a full line of licensed products, executing a multi-media strategy to gain worldwide saliency and continuing the brand’s legacy of deep social involvement in local communities.
Bringing History to Life in Boone
The only local appearance of The Harlem Globetrotters will be at The Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, located at 111 Rivers Street. Doors open at 6 p.m., or as indicated for pre-show activities with pre-paid/additional tickets.
In order to ensure the safety and security of all patrons attending events in The Holmes Center, the “clear bag policy” will be strictly enforced.
Allowed are:
- Bags that are clear plastic and do not exceed 12″x6″x12″
- Small Clutch purses (with or without straps) that are no larger than 4.5″x6.5″
- Diaper bag (If accompanied by a child)
Bags that are not approved include:
- Backpacks
- Binocular cases
- Camera cases
- Tinted or printed pattern plastic bags
- Fanny packs
- Oversized tote bags and mesh bags
- Purses exceeding 4.5″x6.5″
To help in speeding up the screening and entry process, The Holmes Center asks that all patrons abide by the aforementioned, and secure all other bags at home or in your vehicle before coming to the venue.
For details and tickets information, visit: https://theholmescenter.appstate.edu/events or call (temporary box office through The Schaffer Center):
828-262-4046; 800-841-2787.
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