High-flying dunks, 4-point shots, ankle-breaking crossovers and highlight-reel plays are the norm when the Harlem Globetrotters take the court.
The 91-year-old franchise visits Angels of the Winds Arena at 7 p.m. Dec. 28 as a part of its 2018 Amazing Feats of Basketball World Tour.
“Our tour name always indicates to people what people are gonna see,” Globetrotter Tay “Firefly” Fisher said, “and I’m excited to bring that to Everett when we get there.”
Fisher, a native of Kingston, New York, joined the Globetrotters in 2009 after playing at Siena College in New York. He helped lead Siena to the NCAA tournament in 2008, where the 13th-seeded Saints upset fourth-seeded Vanderbilt in the first round. Fisher scored 19 points and went 6-for-6 on 3-point shots.
His love of basketball came from his father. The two watched New York Knicks games together while the younger Fisher was a kid.
Fisher’s father was in the car with his son when he received the call that the Globetrotters had drafted him. Fisher never experienced the team as a kid, but his dad was a huge fan growing up.
“When I got off the phone, my father was like, ‘Who was that?’ and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s the Harlem Globetrotters,’” Fisher said. “He just stopped the car and was like, ‘Are you serious? Do you know who you were just talking to? Do you know the opportunity?’”
It’s an opportunity the younger Fisher has relished.
“He taught me everything. He introduced me to everything,” Fisher said of his father. “As a little kid, especially as a young boy, you grow up to love everything your father loves, and I’m happy I was able to follow that path and play on a team that he grew up watching.”
Fisher also takes pride in representing his country while traveling with the team.
“I’m able to represent the USA,” Fisher said. “We wear the red, white and blue every single day.”
Fisher and his teammates have been preparing for their current world tour by going after Guinness World Records.
The team broke the record for half-court shots made by a team in an hour, shattering the previous record of 200 with 348 made shots. Corey “Thunder” Law’s made basket on a hoop 50-feet, 1-inch off the ground set the record for the highest upward vertical shot.
“When (fans) come to the game, they’re gonna see all those long shots we’ve been taking,” Fisher said. “Especially in warm-ups, and even in the game.”
The Globetrotters were founded in 1926 and combine a mixture of basketball and comedy to provide fun for all ages.
Tickets prices for the game range from $15-$105. Fans also can buy a “Magic Pass” for $22, which allows pregame access to meet the Globetrotters on the court, get autographs from players, shoot around, learn tricks and take photos. Fans purchasing the pass must also buy a ticket for the game and bring soft, rubber-soled shoes to wear on the court.
Everett is the second of three stops the team will make in Washington. The Globetrotters play at ShoWare Center in Kent with games at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 26, and at KeyArena in Seattle, with games at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 29.
“(It’s) a family bonding experience that you can’t get anywhere,” Fisher said. “Anyone can go to the movies, anyone can go to dinner, but the Harlem Globetrotters only come once a year, and that’s a different experience.”
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