The Harlem Globetrotters were in Ottawa to challenge the Global Select for the coveted “World Championship” title. The Globetrotters introduced a new format whereby the fans get to determine the rules of play to make things more interesting, and hopefully level the odds for the opposing team. Despite the Global Select’s valiant effort, they were unable to claim the prize, with a final score of 108 to 95.

For anyone that has seen the Harlem Globetrotters work the court with exceptional ball control and teamwork, it seems hard to imagine that they do not control the game’s pace but, contrary to popular belief, the Globetrotters do not win every game they play; throughout their history, they have lost a total of 6 games, the last one going back to 1971.

An evening spent in the company of the Harlem Globetrotters is one where entertainment will feature prominently. The evening’s entertainment started with “Globie” who opened the show while big brother “Big G” provided the half-time entertainment.

As part of the Globetrotters new show: “You Write The Rules”, the game’s pace and point system is modified by the audience, to provide more entertainment value. This does not take away from any of the fine form on the court; from Wayne and Scooter’s amazing dribbling skills to TNT’s ball handling on the court.

Fatima Maddox, aka “TNT” joined the elite team in the fall of 2011, becoming the first woman to don the red, white, and blue since 1993, and just the ninth female player in team history. The first woman to ever play for a men’s professional basketball team was Globetrotter – Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard, who signed in 1985.

April 11th, 2013. The Harlem Globetrotters perform at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario

The audience attending this evening was a combination of young and old; they came to see one of the best basketball teams around and they were not disappointed. While the parents got to see a great show; the younger members of the audience had the opportunity to get up close and interact with some of the best basketball players around. As ambassadors of Goodwill, the Harlem Globetrotters got to share their message and leave a mark on everyone that attended. In the end, everyone came out as winners.