The citizens of Bakersfield had the chance to once more marvel in the basketball feats of the Harlem Globetrotters on Feb. 12 at Rabobank Arena. Never ceasing to awe and humor the crowd, fans were delighted with the antics of the teams mascot Globie, dressing up as various celebrities and teasing the Washington Generals sporadically. Numerous mini games and skits were employed during the game and at one point, frustrated with the Globetrotters’ domination over scoring, the Generals’ coach employed a hypnotizing device over Dizzy Grant, which the Globetrotters could only break with a major play.

Fans were included in the show, with Grant fancying a female fan at one point and asking for a kiss, only to be turned down because she was married. Grant, in return, kissed the woman’s husband, sending the spectators into a roar of laughter.

During the game, the Generals were helpless against the Globetrotters’ mastery of the red, white and blue sphere, standing dumbfounded as players such as Airport Greenup and Grant twisted, twirled and glided the ball around obstacles to score amid the applause of the fans.

Slam dunks and trick passes were a staple of the Globetrotter offense, and they made it look easy. But in reality, the Globetrotters practice daily and as Hot Shot Branch said, “We play every day, sometimes twice a day, plus practice, plus travel.”

Formed in Chicago in 1926 to accommodate black basketball players who at the time were unable to compete professionally, the Globetrotters compete as an exhibition team, touring Europe, the United States and various U.S. military outposts around the world.

The game ended with the Globetrotters winning 85-73. Every fan was allowed an autograph afterward, with the team taking positions around the court to accommodate the fans.