Globetrotter fans react to late show at Oracle Arena

For all the records the Golden State Warriors have, and are poised to, set over the past two seasons they will likely never approach the approximate 22,000-330 record that the Harlem Globetrotters currently boast.

On Saturday, the Globetrotters took over the hardwood at Oracle Arena with their one of a kind show.

SFBay took in the reactions from some members of the crowd.

There with his wife and three children, Mike Perish was pleased with their family night out:

“It was good, a great show, lots of fun.”

The Globetrotters, who are celebrating 90 years of entertainment, incorporate the elite skills and talents of NBA-caliber basketball players with the world-class showmanship of the Ringling Bros. Circus. It is the top notch choreography, though, that has allowed the show to stand the test of time.

And the best part was perhaps most evident in a Globetrotter slow-motion replay.

In an attempt to sway a referee’s decision on possession, the entire 10-man contingent of players reversed their steps in a mimicked rewind. Then, after resetting and employing the use of a beach ball in the place of their famous red, white and blue basketball, the players and referees played a step-for-step reenactment of the previous play at quarter-speed.

The act drew a raucous cheer from the Bay Area crowd. Along with the Perish family who enjoyed it thoroughly, one of the cheers came from eight-year-old Amir, who was introduced to the show two years ago by his father:

“It was good. I liked it a lot. It was so amazing.”

Amir and his brother Mekai, six, along with their father and grandfather, enjoyed the show in its entirety, but were brought to laughter as the elder child recalled the talented act.

No doubt an ode to the modern age of basketball, the rewind-replay portion of the show captured the undivided attention of not just the young fans in attendance but the old as well.

The show did stick with some of the old standbys, however.

The stalwart act of one player chasing another with a bucket of water took Chris Ramos back to his days as a young fan:

“I always seen it on TV and I was dying to see it live.”

Now a father, Chris was in the audience with his nine-year-old daughter Kialeah. It was the presence of his child, and seeing her with an autographed ball, that enlightened Ramos to a side of the Globetrotters that perhaps lacks just recognition – their service to the fans:

“I love that they sign balls, and I bet they will be down there (on the court) signing balls until everyone is gone. It’s great that they do that.”

For a show that has carried on for 90 years, the Globetrotters seem to only gain fans. That likely has to do with their willingness to adapt the show for a younger crowd while staying true to that which earned the elder ones.

And though they boast “the world’s best record for a sports team” perhaps the Harlem Globetrotters greatest victory is their continued service to their throngs of fans.

The Globetrotters return to Oakland for two shows on Saturday January 23rd, while also making stops in Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Modesto, Fresno and San Jose over the next week.