Students at Hamilton’s Fraser High School got a taste of the skills of the Harlem Globetrotters when players visited the school last week.
Alex “Moose” Weekes and Kaylin “Sunshine” West spent some time with students, showcasing some tricks and sharing their journey before the Globetrotters’ wider 100 Year Tour around New Zealand in July.
Fraser High School assistant principal Joseph Tini said the Globetrotters approached the school to facilitate the visit.
“We’ve got a bit of a history with basketball here,” Tini told the Waikato Herald.
“Our boys have been doing well and we’ve had a number of current NBL players come through the school. Last year we had five or six.”
He said even some of the staff had been part of that pathway.
“One of our teachers was playing for the Franklin Bulls over the past couple of seasons.”
Talking to the Waikato Herald at the event at Fraser High, West said New Zealand stood out from the 27 countries she travelled to with the team.
“You guys are very kind and welcoming, easy to talk to.”
Her path to the Globetrotters was not typical.
She spent five years playing Division I college basketball in the United States, including at Coastal Carolina University and Georgetown University.
She then moved into a coaching role.
“My head coach got fired, so our whole staff got let go. I had to figure out what I wanted to do next and I got the itch to play again.”
A chance meeting with a recruiter for the Harlem Globetrotters led to a tryout in Atlanta.
“Now I’m in my third year,” she said.
“A hundred years ago, women were not part of this. Now I am one of six.
“It’s about continuing to pave the way for other girls.”
The secret to landing a world-famous Harlem Globetrotters half-court trick shot was simple, West said.
“If you want to shoot perfectly, you keep shooting until you get it right.
“It’s the same thing. Just a really long regular shot.
“You do it over and over until it becomes muscle memory.”
For Weekes, the team’s global reach reflected a deeper purpose beyond entertainment.
“Our mission is to be innovators of the game of basketball.
“We’ve played in more than 123 countries and territories, and you can see how much the game keeps growing every few years.”
He said the rise of international talent showed the wider impact of that growth.
“Some of the best players in the league [NBA] now are international. It shows what we’ve been doing isn’t just working, it’s helping create a culture shift,” Weekes said.
Weekes said basketball’s universal nature allowed the team to connect across cultures.
“We can go anywhere in the world and connect with people. Even if you don’t speak the language, you know the sound of the ball bouncing. A smile doesn’t need translation.
“It’s special. We feel honoured that we’re still connecting in such a big way and having an impact.”
Weekes said playing in smaller venues amplified the atmosphere.
“It’s more intimate. The energy feels like the roof is about to come off once we hit the court.
“You can feel the anticipation, the buzz in the city. It doesn’t matter if we’re tired or jet-lagged, we put that aside. When we step out there, it’s party time and everyone’s invited.”
Weekes said pushing boundaries remained central to the team’s identity.
“My favourite trick shot took me three years before I felt confident enough to perform it in front of fans every night,” he said.
In the end, the three years of practice paid off, as he even holds a Guinness World Record for this trick: the longest shot off the back of the hand.
“I’m not left-handed. The ball sits on top of my hand and I have to create that balance before I release it,” Weekes said.
“I don’t even think about the distance now. I just know I was the first to do it. That’s what we love, challenging each other and keeping our edge.”
“We give people time to forget what’s going on in their lives,” West added.
“If you’ve had a bad day, you come to the show and just enjoy it.
“How can we bring people together? How can we make an impact?
“You might be a teenager and come on court. You might be 80 and still get involved. It’s for everybody.
“You’ll see dunks, tricks, everything. But you’ll leave with a memory.”
Tini said he was excited about West and Weekes’ visit to Fraser High and was looking forward to their return with the wider Harlem Globetrotters team in a couple of months.
The Globetrotters will bring a mix of basketball, comedy and crowd interaction to four cities, including Hamilton.
“Celebrating 100 years of the Harlem Globetrotters is a huge moment for our organisation, and we’re thrilled to be returning to New Zealand as part of this milestone year,” Harlem Globetrotters president Keith Dawkins said.
“Our large, loyal global fan base has been key to our success throughout the years, and we are committed to continuing to evolve our product and deepen our relationship with fans in the region.”
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. Before he joined the Hamilton-based team, he worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.