Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Harlem Globetrotters take over The Burrow

Special K scares teammate Fire Fly into believing his is about to get drenched with a bucket of water. Photo by Melissa Landolfa.
Special K scares teammate Fire Fly into believing his is about to get drenched with a bucket of water. Photo by Melissa Landolfa.

This past Monday, Special K hit the court with thousands of cheering fans at The Burrow waiting to catch a basketball game.

No, the Owls were not playing, and there wasn’t any cereal either, but the Harlem Globetrotters’ very own Kevin “Special K” Daley did lead his team to yet another World Championship over arch rival Global Select.

Families, children, and basketball fans who showed up at The Burrow Monday had the pleasure of watching more than just a basketball game.

The Harlem Globetrotters are a basketball exhibition team famous for combining athletic skill with comedy, crowd interaction, and theater. At the end of the day, though, their specialty is still basketball, and they proved so by winning yet another World Championship title.

Harlem Globetrotter "Jet" throws down a windmill dunk. Photo by Melissa Landolfa.
Harlem Globetrotter “Jet” throws down a windmill dunk. Photo by Melissa Landolfa.
The close score — the Globetrotters won 104 to 101 — doesn’t tell the whole story, as Special K, B-Nice, Spider, Flight Time, and the rest of the squad used trickery, skill, and superior athleticism to defeat their foe.

The most impressive trick in the Globetrotters’ arsenal was the use of instant replay to overturn a costly turnover. The absence of an HD monitor at The Burrow didn’t stop the Globetrotters from rewinding an entire play and then replaying it in slow motion.

Instead, the Globetrotters physically rewound and replayed the entire play in front of the crowd. Much to Global Select’s dismay, the referee reversed his call.

It wasn’t just the antics that made this game exceptional. As part of the “You Write the Rules” 2013 tour, fans had the opportunity to vote online to add a rule of their choice. Their voice was heard and a four-point shot was added to the game. The near-half court shot — about 35 feet from the basket on each half of the court and 12 feet longer than an NBA 3-point attempt, according to ESPN — appeared to be too far for anyone to consider shooting it, but several Globetrotters not only made that shot, but made it appear effortless.

Just before the fourth quarter, the Globetrotters splashed several elderly people with an entire bucket of water. Fortunately, several Globetrotters players rushed over with towels — which they used to clean off the floor and hand railings rather than the audience members.

The Globetrotters pause the basketball game to perform a synchronized hip-hop dance. Photo by Melissa Landolfa.
The Globetrotters pause the basketball game to perform a synchronized hip-hop dance. Photo by Melissa Landolfa.
Shockingly — this is Boca Raton, after all — the wet senior citizens were laughing too hard to be mad.

At the end of the game, the Globetrotters found a way to pull out a victory. Trailing 101-100, the Globetrotter “Jet” slammed home consecutive spread eagle dunks over a Global Select player.

The emphatic dunks were so embarrassing that even Jet’s own teammates were laughing at him from the bench.

The Harlem Globetrotters are playing Global Select in a rematch game this Friday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at The Burrow. Tickets can be purchased at www.fausports.com/tickets/fau-tickets.html.

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