Harlem Globetrotters bring joy to Beijing kids

China ties

Boasting a history of 86 years, the Harlem Globetrotters pitched in big in the promotion of basketball culture across the world. They have played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 118 countries.

Students stretch following instructions from Harlem Globetrotter players in Beijing, April 25, 2012. [Yan Weijue/chinadaily.com.cn]

"Way back to the 1950s, when basketball was nowhere but the US, the Globetrotters started a world tour and introduced basketball everywhere," Franklin said. "Now look at basketball, it is big everywhere."

Harlem Globetrotters landed in the territory of China for the first time in 1991, when Yao Ming, one of the sport's greatest players of all time, watched them play as a fan at the age of 10. After sporadic visits in the next 18 years, they decided to include China as part of their annual world tour. Starting in 2009, the team has done three large China tours in a row. A fourth one in July has been inked on the agenda.

If that is not enough to get you on your feet, let me just add that they are looking for a first-ever Chinese player on the team, in spite of some stringent requirements.

"We are in a process of the beginning the search. (But) there are a lot of great fundamental talent in China," Munn said. "So there is no reason we can't give an opportunity to someone here in China."

But just imagine how good a player has to be to even get noticed by the Globetrotters, whose players, including NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson, are all specialists in the sport. What is more, being good is not enough to get the nod.

"To be a Harlem Globetrotter, you have to be a tremendous basketball player, first and foremost. Then you have to be an entertainer as well as a good person. And so those three criteria are what we require of all our players. If they meet that, they can have a long career at Harlem Globetrotters," he said.

China's Sun Mingming, currently playing for the CBA champions Beijing Ducks, almost became a Harlem Globetrotter in 2007. At 7'8", he was drafted by the team then, but the signing did not come through due to personal reasons.