The Globetrotters are coming
Harlem Globetrotters world tour coming to Sydney Wednesday
When Buckets Blakes joined the Harlem Globetrotters 15 years ago, one of his first games was in Cape Breton.
“It was a little chilly there the last time I was on the island,” laughed Buckets, a sixfoot-two guard. “We had a warm welcome from the fans and everybody was excited to see us – it was fun.”
Buckets will return to Cape Breton this week when the famous Harlem Globetrotters take their world-renowned basketball tour to Sydney on Wednesday. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Centre 200.
The Harlem Globetrotters offer many different experiences for fans, said Buckets.
“They can expect wholesome family entertainment with our comedic style of basketball with lots of dunks,” he said. “Fans are going to see shots taken from on the court, close to the bench and maybe even from the seat next to them, not to mention some amazing tricks with the ball.”
Buckets, who received the nickname for being one of the most accurate shooters, was born and raised in Phoenix, Ariz.
In March 2016, he made the highest shot in team history. Hovering nearly 300 feet above Georgia’s Stone Mountain, he
connected with an epic shot to a basketball hoop below.
Over his career, Buckets also broke the Guinness World Record for the most basketball under-handed half-court shots in one minute, scoring six times, one more than the previous record.
Buckets said the Harlem
Globetrotters are usually the first introduction to the game of basketball for most people around the world.
“There are a lot of NBA players from foreign countries, Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Yao Ming (China), who first saw the game thanks to the Globetrotters,” he said. “The
Globetrotters are ambassadors of goodwill, using basketball as a tool to bring cultures and countries together.”
Buckets said the hustle and bustle of playing a lot of games can be draining, but seeing the smiles on fans faces gives him the drive to continue.
“You can play 20 or 30
games in a row and then that 31st game you wonder where you’re going to get the energy from, then you see that one kid, boy or girl, or even an elderly couple, who haven’t seen the Globetrotters in 50 years, and that’s your energy,” he said.
The Harlem Globetrotters kicked off their 2017 world tour on Dec. 26. They will play in over 250 North American markets as well as 30 countries worldwide.
After Wednesday’s performance, the Harlem Globetrotters will continue their tour on Thursday in Moncton, Friday in Charlottetown and Saturday in Halifax.
Ticket prices for the Sydney game range as low as $20 to as high as $281 for bench seats. Tickets are available at the Centre 200 box office or online at tickets.capebreton.ca.