Handles Franklin

(HARLEM, N.Y., October 8, 2008) – The World Famous Harlem Globetrotters capped off their 2008 training camp with a return to the neighborhood that inspired their name, as for the second straight year, the team showcased their spectacular brand of fun, family entertainment for thousands of smiling Harlem school children.  Presented in cooperation with the NYC Police Athletic League (PAL), the Globetrotters debuted the exciting new show for their upcoming 2009 World Tour at the 369th PAL Armory.

Thousands of Harlem youngsters watched in amazement at the ball handling wizardry of the Magicians of Basketball™, and laughed hysterically at the antics of Special K Daley, Scooter Christensen, Big Easy Lofton and many other Globetrotter stars, along with the team’s loveable mascot, Globie.  The Globetrotters defeated their arch-rivals, the Washington Generals, in a spirited 92-88 contest.

Although this is the second straight year the Globetrotters have performed in Harlem, it is only the fourth time in history that the team has played in the Manhattan neighborhood.  The first was in 1968, the second in 1987. 

The Globetrotters now embark on three-week tours of the Mediterranean and Mexico, including shows in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 120th country in which the Globetrotters will have played.

Sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, the Harlem Globetrotters have played in 119 countries on six continents, entertaining over 128 million fans and crossing barriers between cultures, societies and people from all walks of life.  The Globetrotters are one of only six teams to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  The Globetrotters' 2009 World Tour schedule is coming soon.