Jude and I took the boys to see the Harlem Globetrotters Friday evening and I really wanted to write about it while it was still fresh in my mind.
We had great seats (thanks to Jude), on the 6th row on the sideline at Bridgestone Arena. Before the game, we had dinner with friends (parent's of J.P.'s Children's House/USN buddies) at Chago's Cantina. The arena was packed with parents and children, all excited to see the Globetrotters.
Now, I don't have a recollection of seeing the Harlem Globetrotters as a child. I was, of course, well aware of how they were - Meadowlark Lemon, Curley Neal, etc. - such is the appeal of their worldwide brand. I also knew, even as a child, that at some point Wilt Chamberlain had played for them. But I had never seen them in person.
Suffice to say, the Globetrotters did not disappoint. There was along introduction of the players and several gags before the game started. I was worried J.P. might be getting bored, because he didn't quite understand the game was part of a larger "show." I don't think he realized, at first, that the players would clown around so much. As that concept sunk in, it was special to watch J.P. and Joe (who were sitting between Jude and me) laugh uproariously at the Globetrotters' antics. Several times, Jude and I exchanged glances over the tops of the boys' heads, laughing ourselves at their amusement over the antics of Ant, Bull, Thunder, Stretch, etc.
The funniest and sweetest thing to me, though, is that J.P. bought into the story hook, line and sinker. He absolutely had no idea that the Globetrotters were destined to win. In a storyline that was akin to a professional wrestling match, the World All-Star Team's coach found a "game changing rule book" at halftime and proceeded to use it have Globetrotters ejected throughout the second half. J.P. got angrier and angrier every time the referee made a Globetrotter leave the court. Then, he got worried, when he realized the Globetrotters would have to forfeit the game if they didn't have enough players to finish.
J.P.'s demeanor changed from pensive to mortified when Ant (the modern day Meadowlark Lemon) was injured and limped to the locker room. The Globetrotters were down to five players. The last straw for him was when the World All-Star Team's coach, playing the role of "heel" to the hilt, changed the scoreboard. A Globetrotter - Firefly, I think - got caught trying to change the scoreboard back, as a result of which he was ejected. The Globetrotters had four players left and it appeared a forfeit was imminent. J.P.'s hands were on his head and he was on the verge of tears. Priceless.
Suddenly, Ant came limping out to the court from the locker room, to the roar of an adoring crowd. He grabbed the microphone at mid-court, told the crowd the game would continue, then snatched the "game changing rule book" from the World All-Star Team's coach. "This isn't a rule book!" he shouted. "It's your diary!" And with that, the Globetrotters who had been ejected took off their sweats and rejoined the game. The Globetrotters won in the last seconds and the winning streak continues.
What a night! Rights of passage like these are treasures, to be sure. J.P. was particularly delighted when I told him that the Instagram photo of him watching the game (above) had been "liked" by Stretch within minutes of my taking it (of course, Stretch was on the floor signing autographs when he somehow managed to "like" the photo. That's just part of the magic of the Harlem Globetrotter experience. Through midday Saturday, J.P. had me check repeatedly and report back to him on which Globetrotters "liked" his photo (several did, actually).
Magic, pure magic.
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