Ant Atkinson has been featured as the WITN "Player of the Week."

Ant Atkinson has quickly established himself as a fan favorite in his first few years with the Globetrotters. “The camaraderie with the guys is one thing that really stands out,” Ant says. “We have great chemistry.”

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A First Team All-American at Barton College, Ant will long be remembered for leading one of the greatest comebacks in the history of college basketball, scoring 10 points in the last 39 seconds (including a layup at the buzzer) of the Bulldogs’ heart-stopping 77-75 win over top-ranked Winona State in the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship game.
 
The rally became a YouTube sensation and gained even more notoriety as a runner-up in the Best Finish category at the 2007 ESPY Awards.  The performance also is ranked second on the list of Best Storybook Endings (including all divisions, genders and sports) in the last 25 years by NCAA Champion Magazine.
 
Just over three months after that game, Ant was back in the spotlight, as the top pick in the Harlem Globetrotters’ inaugural player draft.
 
Since then, Ant has traveled the world (he had never been outside the U.S. before becoming a Globetrotter), appeared on popular TV shows like “The Bachelorette,” has joined other elite world athletes and celebrities at “ESPN The Weekend” at Walt Disney World, and has rubbed elbows with other stars of sports and entertainment.
 
Born in Wilson, N.C., Ant is a fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Carolina Panthers, and his hobbies include playing the drums and video games.  Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics is his favorite basketball player because, “He’s smooth, and his jump shot is so pure.”
 
When Ant finished college, he knew he would continue his basketball career, “but the fact that it’s with the Harlem Globetrotters makes it that much better,” he explains.  “This is the most fun a person can have playing basketball, and bringing smiles and entertainment to kids and families is unbelievable.”