The slapstick game was more athletics than tricks, but the team is still the hardwood equivalent of the World Wrestling Federation.
“I like their slam dunks and how funny they are,” said 10-year-old Zach Ladner. He saw the Globetrotters the past year with his dad.
Aided by slapstick humor, thanks to Paul “Showtime” Gaffney, the show’s leader, a Globetrotters game consists of 20 minutes of premeditated basketball during which the Globetrotters beat the dickens out of their opponents, and 20 minutes of comedy, during which the Globetrotters interrupt play to line dance, drag a mother from the audience and kiss her, and disrobe a little kid after he made a basket.
The popularity of the Globetrotters was proven by the kids who swarmed toward them after the game for autographs and handshakes.
In their 75 years, the Globetrotters have been immortalized in ink for Scooby Doo cartoons, broken the Guinness World Record for a slam dunk with 12 feet, balled in more than 115 countries and played almost 21,000 games. Even Wilt Chamberlain played with the team in 1958.
At Sunday’s game, nearly half the audience consisted of kids. Joe Adkins, Oklahoma State University basketball alumnus, was also in the audience.
Heath Huffman’s mom, Susie, brought several of her son’s friends to the game for his 11th birthday party.
“I thought it would be more fun for all my friends,” he said.
Halfway through the game, Susie Huffman had her purse snatched by “Showtime” Gaffney and was forced to stand at halfcourt and give him a kiss before she could get it back.
“It was funny,” Heath Huffman said. “She said she was embarrassed.”
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