McALESTER — Globe-trotting, from McAlester to Japan

By SHANNAH PALMER

Junior Reporter

MCALESTER — On Feb. 6, I had the pleasure of meeting two of the Harlem Globetrotters. Handles, who is 6’ 1,” wasn’t very tall compared to Stretch, who is 7’ 2”.

They told me many things such as how they get their nicknames. They said that each person gets named by a personal quality. Goose actually got his nickname in baseball saying his wingspan was like a goose. Scooter received his nickname before joining the team.

I asked them where their favorite location to visit and Stretch told me that he enjoyed Japan. Handles told me that he enjoys smaller cities because they seem to enjoy them better.

They had told me one of the funniest moments on the team was in Mexico when one of the players broke the glass on one of the rims and they had to play on half of the court.

When asked why he wanted to be a Globetrotter, Handles told me that he saw the Globetrotters on an episode of Scooby Doo. He said he saw Curly Neal and knew then that he wanted to be a Globetrotter. He also told me that they started in Chicago, Illinois, in the year 1927.

He told me that they have a game every day and that they practice for two hours every day saying, “If you’re not the best, it’s time to go.”

Their show was very good. It included participation from the audience and very funny jokes. At one point, one of the Globetrotters climbed on top of the goal and sat, blocking the other team’s shots. They performed very well and I believe the audience loved it.

Shannah Palmer, 13, submitted the winning essay in her age group to the McAlester News-Capital to earn the privilege of interviewing the Original Harlem Globetrotters during the team’s appearance Monday in McAlester.

Living the dream

By NATHANIEL BROWN

Junior Reporter

MCALESTER — On Monday, the Harlem Globetrotters came to McAlester to play some basketball. Before the game, I had the honor to interview center “Stretch” Middleton and guard “Handles” Franklin. “Handles” was definitely the one who answered the most questions.

I got to ask them several questions during the interview. One was, “What is your favorite part of being a Harlem Globetrotter?” Handles responded, “I love being a role model to the children … putting a smile on their face is why I love to do this.” Another question was, “Why did you become a Globetrotter?” Handles responded: “It was my dream since I saw the Globetrotters on Scooby-Doo when I was 6 years old. … At first, I wasn’t recognized, but I kept on trying. I’m living proof to never give up on your dreams.”

I then asked, “Have you ever had a stunt go wrong?” They both responded, “All the time. You never know which way the ball is going to bounce.”

Then, I asked them, “What is your favorite trick to do on the court?” Stretch said, “When I throw the ball behind my back, catch it, then pass it.” He then proceeded to demonstrate, which was very funny. Handles responded, “Just dribbling the ball is my favorite thing to do.” I asked Stretch, who is 7’4”, how he learned to dunk. He said, “Just take the ball and jump when you’re my size.” That drew a big laugh from everyone.

I then asked, “How do you guys get your nicknames?” Handles said, “Everyone got their nickname a different way. Some had them from the team giving them the nickname, others had it from childhood.”

After that, I asked, “How do you guys prepare for a game?” Handles said, “Just practice. We practice two hours before every game and we have a game every day January through May. We have 205 games out of 365 days of the year, so we are usually prepared for the games.”

For the last question, I asked Handles who his role model was growing up. He said, “Curly Neal was my role model. He was a Globetrotter awhile ago. When I saw him on Scooby-Doo, I immediately went in my room to pretend I was him. He’s still in the organization today, and I’m proud to say he’s my mentor and friend now. I’m living the dream.”

After this opportunity provided by the McAlester News-Capital, I would have to say that I am living my dream too, reporting for a newspaper. Hopefully, this will help my chances of being a sports reporter someday. I want to say thank you to “Stretch” Middleton and “Handles” Franklin and all the Harlem Globetrotters for letting us interview them and to the McAlester News-Capital for providing this opportunity. Hope to see you courtside really soon.



Nathaniel Brown, 15, of McAlester, submitted the winning essay in his age group to the McAlester News-Capital to earn the privilege of interviewing the Original Harlem Globetrotters during the team’s appearance Monday in McAlester.