Harlem Globetrotters dribble into town
Buckets Blakes has no problem recalling the first time he pulled on the red, white and blue uniform of the Harlem Globetrotters.
“I was extremely nervous because my first game was at Madison Square Garden,” said Blakes, who had only practised with the team twice. “We had two games in one day. Once the ball went up all the butterflies went away and I was ready to go.”
Flash forward a decade and Blakes still gets excited about suiting up for games in the hallowed sports venue where names like Monroe, Frazier, Lucas and Ewing hang from the rafters and is glowing again thanks to the bright light of Jeremy Lin.
“It’s a cakewalk now, but still every time I go back there, I still go ‘Oh man, I remember here’s where I started. Here’s where my first jump shot for the team was,’” said Blakes. “It sure brings back a lot of memories.”
A decade into his tenure with the fabled Globetrotters, the 6-foot-2 sharpshooting guard has amassed a lot memories and travel miles.
“It’s amazing, it’s the best job in the whole world,” said Blakes.
“You get to meet new people, see new places, experience different cultures. It’s quite the job.”
On the road about seven months out of the year, the Phoenix native says the Globetrotters mission off the court is equally important to the entertainment they have provided on the court for 86 straight seasons.
“The Globetrotters are known as ambassadors of goodwill,” said Blakes, who played pro ball in Finland before joining the legendary squad. “w emake it our point to do community outreach. Whether it is donating money or getting out into the community.”
Recently, Blakes stopped into Strathcona Elementary School in Vancouver and delivered pure Globetrotter goodwill.
“Our whole goal is to get as many smiles out of kids as possible,” said Blakes about his team’s off-court mandate.
The team has a handful of programs it takes into the schools of the communities they visit. The CHEER program focuses on co-operation, healthy mind and body, effort, enthusiasm and responsibility. The SPIN program simply states “some playtime is necessary.”
Raised in a family of 10 kids, Blakes is quick to agree that teamwork comes naturally to him.
“All the time it was a team effort,” laughed Blakes. “Whether you were bringing in the groceries or doing anything.”
When he isn’t on the road Blakes returns to Phoenix, where he says he, of course, cheers for the Suns and a certain Mvp-winning guard.
“[Steve] Nash would make a good Globetrotter,” said Blakes about Victoria’s favourite son. “He’s got the characteristics of a Globetrotter. They look for great basketball players, great athletes and great people. He fits the bill.”