Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters have been entertaining crowds with slam dunks and spinning basketballs since their first road game in 1927. Since then, they've played for 144 million fans in 122 countries.
This weekend in St. Louis, the team will show off their skills at the Scottrade Center. SLM caught up with Harlem Globetrotter Scooter Christensen, who currently holds the Guinness World Record for spinning a basketball on his nose for the longest period of time (7.7 seconds).
How long have you been playing basketball?
I’ve been playing ever since I was five years old, but I’ve been with the Harlem Globetrotters for 12 years now.
What motivated you to join the Harlem Globetrotters?
I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I was a practice player for the Phoenix Suns NBA team, and I didn’t know that the Globetrotters, at that time, were based out of Phoenix, Arizona. They came to our pickup game on the weekend and saw me play.
What is the best part of your job?
Making people smile. It doesn’t matter where we go—we’re always the home team. Smiling and laughter are a universal language. We might not be able to speak the language in all of the countries we visit, but we can get a message across to our fans about having a good time.
Do you tour a lot internationally?
Yeah, our U.S. tour starts the day after Christmas and goes through April. Usually when the U.S. tour is done, we do the Europe tour, the South America tour, the China tour. I’m home about five percent of the year.
Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters
What are some of your most memorable moments with the team?
We’re known as the “Ambassadors of Goodwill,” so what people see on the court is only a small percentage of what we do. We have so many things that we do off the court, like our C.H.E.E.R. program, which teaches kids about the morals and values that we live by. We have an anti-bullying program. We have a Smile Patrol program, which is one of my favorites because we get to visit kids who are in the hospital.
I was in Vegas, my hometown, and I went to the hospital to visit a kid. I just did my normal thing—I showed him a trick or two, gave him an autograph, took a picture with him, and he had the biggest smile on his face. When I came out of the room, the family and the doctor were in tears. I asked, “Did I do something wrong?” They said, “You have no idea—he hasn’t smiled in about two months. And you come in, spin a ball, and he smiles.” That’s what I do it for, that right there. I think I will always remember that.
I saw that you have a Guinness World Record?
Yes, I started off with two, but I still hold one. I have one for spinning a basketball on my nose for the longest duration.
How does that even happen?
In my first year, I saw a guy in his 10th year who used to do it. I was so amazed every time he did it, that I thought I have got to learn to do that. I spent hours in the gym just practicing that. I perfected it to the point where I can spin it on my nose, roll it to my head, stop it on my head, and then start dancing with the ball on my head. It’s pretty cool. The Guinness World Record guy came out, so I had the opportunity to break the record.
What kind of relationship do you have with your teammates?
They’re definitely my family away from my real family. We’re just a band of brothers. It’s so funny because I’m an only child, but I kind of know what it’s like to have a brother now. We’re together so often on the bus, on the court, in the locker room, at practice. It’s definitely a family atmosphere and that definitely shows out there on the court. People see that, and they can definitely relate to that.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I encourage everybody to come out. If you’ve never seen a Globetrotter game, I promise it’s going to be so much fun. You don’t have to be a basketball lover. We do things that no other team does. We do a good job of mixing basketball and entertainment. It’s for all ages and nothing but family fun. All we’re doing is just spreading joy.
The Harlem Globetrotters will be playing on Friday, January 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, January 8 at 3 p.m. at the Scottrade Center. Find tickets here.
