Photos: The legendary Harlem Globetrotters brought their high-flying bball wizardry to San Jose

by Adam Pardee January 22, 2019 1813 Views

Check out the all the jaw-dropping hoops insanity as the iconic squad took the court at the SAP Center

A Harlem Flying Globie corkscrews in the air off of a trampoline during a break in the game. Photo by Adam Pardee.

What happens when you take a top-notch bball squad, blend it with the circus, mix it with a comedy troupe and then trot it back out onto the basketball court? It’s the Harlem Globetrotters! Duh.

Hawk steams past a few Generals players for a windmill slam-dunk. Photos/Animation by Adam Pardee.

The iconic, nearly century-old hoops troupe (founded in 1926 — wow!) rolled into the SAP Center this past weekend for a series of games (they typically play upwards of 450 annually) showcasing all their very vertical, always acrobatic, through-the-legs & behind-the-back basketball brilliance.

As always, the antagonistic Washington Generals tried their best to take down the scarcely beaten Globetrotters (their winning percentage after about 27,000 games is .987), but ultimately—by which we mean, unsurprisingly—lost.

The Globetrotters not only play an eventful game of hoops, but also put on an endlessly entertaining show for their young (and young-at-heart) fans. From inviting children onto the court to sing the Village People’s “YMCA”, or pulling a fan out of the crowd for a “celebrity” shot, the Globetrotters try get the crowd involved as much as possible. Of course…all antics aside, their team can play some serious ball.

Six Fifty photographer Adam Pardee set up below the basket to capture the above the rim action. Take a look…..

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Clockwise from Top: Ant takes a quick selfie with fans in the crowd in the middle of a play. TNT shows off her moves during a pre-game warmup. Moose finds the nearest child and lifts him up while “Hakuna Matata” plays in the background. All the Globetrotters, including Ant, dance and warm-up before the game begins. Photos by Adam Pardee.

A Harlem Flying Globie disguised as a popcorn vendor rushes the court for a huge windmill slam-dunk off of a trampoline. Photo/Animation by Adam Pardee.

Clockwise from Top: Hawk takes the inside for a giant slam-dunk from outside the key. Dizzy enlists a small fan from the audience in helping him find Moose hiding nearby. Moose takes a timeout in the middle of the game to eat and share popcorn with the audience, but is passed the ball and spills on the court. Crush celebrates after making a huge slam-dunk on the Generals. Photos by Adam Pardee.

Three of the Harlem Flying Globies perform a triple slam-dunk off a set of trampolines. Photo/Animation by Adam Pardee.

Hawk slams down the first points of the game versus the Generals at SAP. Photo by Adam Pardee.

And….just because….screen grab from Scooby-Doo! Meets the Harlem Globetrotters (via Youtube)

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