The Harlem Globetrotters visited the Convocation Center Thursday, delighting families with equal parts variety and athleticism in a family-friendly show that honored their time-tested legacy. 

The Globetrotters took to the court to begin the show, followed by their all-time-greatest rivals, the Washington Generals. 

What would be the first of many different bits of banter ensued between the captain of the Generals and his Globetrotter contemporary, Hammer.

Hammer asked Siri who the greatest basketball team in the world was. Unsurprisingly, Siri answered with “The Harlem Globetrotters.” 

As the actual ‘game’ of basketball began, the Globetrotters wasted no time in showing why their teamwork and athletic ability is, and always has been, the focal point of the show.

They peppered their opponents with flurries of passes throughout the game, usually finishing off their chances in style with acrobatic slam dunks.

The segments with actual basketball being played would intermittently slow down and move into amusing asides, where the Globetrotters involved the crowd with their various antics. 

These ranged from amusing to downright bizarre efforts, including a Globetrotter at one particular point in the show using the phrase, “Stop trying to teach my son how to twerk,” as well as a child from the crowd being held up into the air by a Globetrotter while the theme from “The Lion King” played. 

The show lacked a coherent storyline for the majority of its roughly 2-hour runtime, usually circling back to slapstick comedy routines.

This included a short bit where both a Generals player and referee were given wedgies after a rather questionable decision was called against the Globetrotters. 

This kind of skit was common, highlighting that the Globetrotters are, without a doubt, meant to primarily cater to a younger audience.

Unfortunately, as a result of this, a majority of the humor in the show can toe the line between amusing and juvenile, missing the mark with adults but almost certainly hitting with it’s primary demographic. 

Despite this, the Globetrotters should pride themselves on providing a show with a large amount of variety. Bouncing around from showcasing athletic skills and technique to displaying their comedy chops, it’s hard not to respect the craft of the performers.

The Globetrotters put on a crowd-pleasing show and almost certainly left their audience satisfied by its conclusion, even participating in free autograph sessions afterward. 

It cannot be denied that there is nothing quite like the Globetrotters’ off-the-wall antics, and it remains a show that has not lost what makes it unique.