The Harlem Globetrotters started as an alternative to the NBA that excluded Black players. The team has played and performed for a century, adding layers of comedy and dancing to impressive basketball skills.
Showman “Hammer” Harrison 100-year tour graphic. (Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters)
While the team kept some tricks and comedy from the past century, it has also incorporated audience participation to keep up with new generations.
The Globetrotters are scheduled to play their special brand of basketball on Monday, Feb. 16, at Dickies Arena. The players acknowledge that audiences have changed. However, their philosophy of using basketball to build community still resonates with crowds.
Mascot “Globie” interacting with fans during the game. (Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters)
“I think the 100 years of Harlem Globetrotters is a testament to the love that we feel performing and playing basketball is being shared by not only the people across the country, but across the world as well,” Aidan Cottrell, the team’s mascot known as “Globie,” said. He will not be in attendance at Dickies Arena as he is on a separate leg of the tour.
Cottrell, a TCU alum and former SuperFrog, joined the organization in December 2023. He said that the basketball acrobatics and tricks set the Globetrotters apart from other teams.
“For the pregame, there’s always going to be trick shots from anywhere on the court or sometimes even in the stands,” Cottrell said. “During the game, you will see our designated dunkers catching some 40-inch verticals and slamming basketballs left and right.”
Lucius “Too Tall” Winston. (Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters)
Each player has a different story about being a part of the team.
Globetrotters guard Lucius “Too Tall” Winston holds eight Guinness World Records, including most basketball layups in three minutes, set in 2024.
Rookie Zanai “Biz-Z” Jones joined the Globetrotters in November 2025 after playing for Villanova University and Southern Methodist University.
Transitioning from competitive basketball to the Globetrotters allowed her to find a renewed love for the game by unlocking different aspects she’s never experienced before, she said.
The Harlem Globetrotters aim to do good all around the world through their Goodwill Ambassador Initiative.
Rookie Zanai “Biz-Z” Jones. (Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters)
Health and wellness, education and community empowerment are driving forces for the messages the team plans to send to every community they meet with.
“My job is just to make them happy,” Winston said.
The team manages the players’ busy schedules by dividing time into games, travel and meetings with fans. Both Winston and Jones plan to attend Dickies on their leg of the tour.
“We get up close, personal and real interactions with all types of people, and I love that,” Jones said. “That’s why traveling is so important. The Globetrotting experience is just widening the boundaries of the world for me.”