Harlem Globetrotter’s 90th Anniversary Tour: Review
This year the Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating their 90th anniversary with a global tour. Last week, my family was lucky enough to see their game at Western Connecticut University in Danbury. Growing up just outside of NYC, I was familiar with the Globetrotters but my kids are still learning about basketball so they Harlem Globetrotters weren’t. I was a little concerned they would sit for the duration of the game, but I was pleasantly surprised that was no problem. The antics of the team and the crowd involvement was more than enough to keep my 4 and 6 year old entertained.
We arrived a bit early and were happy with the size of the arena. It wasn’t too big, so there didn’t really seem to be any bad seats. They had their mascot “Globbie” and some dancers entertaining the crowd. My kids were super impressed with the dancers; honestly, I had to convince my 4 year old not to try and recreate some of the break dancing tricks he saw the next day. (“You know honey, 4 year olds need their neck muscles to be a little stronger before they try popping up into a handless headstand.” Yes, really. ::sigh::)
When the game began there was a brief warmup and this is when the magic started for my kids. The team’s warmup was really a showcase of tricks and skills with humor weaved in. I think my husband may want to be a Globe Trotter when he grows up, as his mouth was agape every time they dunked! He was pretty much catching flies the whole game.
The game itself was somewhat traditional in play but with lots of interruptions for crowd interaction, referee heckling and of course tricks. One of the team members was mic’d the whole game and added lots of commentary and jokes which made it more interesting for the crowd. It made it more fun and less technical than watching any regular basketball game. Of course the ref’s were pretty lax and didn’t even call fouls for things like hanging upside down on the rim, but in true sports fashion they were often the butt of the joke.
Overall my kids (and husband, heck, myself) really enjoyed the game. I was worried that my kids would be too small, but they loved the whole thing. There were lots of families there with small children and the game was certainly entertaining for both kids and parents. We even had some teenagers, presumably on a date, sitting next to us- cutest thing ever! Poor kid had a hard time vying for attention from his lady as she was more interested in the game!
What’s more amazing is that this year celebrates the Globetrotter’s 90th anniversary tour! It’s an international tour and there are still dates scheduled not too far in NJ and PA. ( Tour schedule here.) The franchise has certainly grown in those years. There are even Globetrotters camps available for any budding stars, an app for Globetrotters fun and more. Be sure to check their webpage for more info. Harlem Globetrotters
25% off Harlem Globetrotters 90th Anniversary World Tour – The world famous Harlem Globetrotters will bring their unrivaled family show to an arena near you during their 90th Anniversary World Tour. You won’t want your family to miss it – use promo code FAMFUN to save 25% off your tickets. Buy here
Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets to the game in exchange for our review. As always, all opinions are honest and our own.
