The Harlem Globetrotters, a basketball team known for its comedic and athletic talents, is playing games this month in Maine and will tip off at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland as part of its 89th season of touring in the Generals Revenge Tour.
The Globetrotters will then play back-to-back nights on March 30-31 at the Augusta Civic Center and the Bangor Cross Insurance Center, respectively. Both games are at 7 p.m.
The Globetrotters compete in as many as 300 games throughout their season and have established an international reputation for providing an entertaining outlook on the game, frequently using trick shots and showing remarkable displays of coordination from passing, juggling and balancing balls, all while interacting with the audience.
One of their players, Anthony Blake, has shown an unlimited shooting range and has even earned the nickname “Buckets” as a result. Perhaps another reason why he garnered that nickname is the fact that he set a Guinness World Record for most underhanded half-court shots made in a minute with six. He also set the Guinness World Record for longest backwards basketball shot of 82 feet, 2 inches.
Blake attended the University of Wyoming where he was team captain and most valuable player his junior and senior seasons.
Blake received scholarship offers in football, track and field, and basketball, but he went with the latter because he said he simply enjoyed playing the game more than anything else. He played with the National Basketball Developmental League, and he also went overseas to play professional basketball in Europe.
It was a good experience and an even better opportunity to see the world, he said. During his time overseas, he received a call from the Globetrotters for a chance to try out.
“One of their scouts gave me a call when I was playing in Europe,” he said. “They offered me a tryout. Once I did the tryout, they offered me a 10-day contract.”
The opportunity to try out for the Globetrotters, according to Blake, was more grueling than a typical basketball tryout. Since the Globetrotters implemented the entertainment aspect of their game, Blake was forced to learn the tricks quickly.
“I always envisioned myself playing professional basketball,” he said.
The Globetrotters have a long history of success since their opening. NBA greats such as Wilt Chamberlain and Connie Hawkins once played for the team at points during their professional careers. Before Blake came on to the Globetrotters, he learned more about the history of the team and how they broke racial and gender barriers in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Globetrotters will honor a member of the military before each game as part of their Harlem Globetrotters Hometown Hero initiative. The member must live in the touring city where the Globetrotters are playing. Nominations for a member of the military can be filled out at harlemglobetrotters.com.