By Kalena Reynolds | Arts & Life Editor
American icons, the Harlem Globetrotters, are heading to Waco Feb. 14 for their 100-year tour. While the Globetrotters have been a monumental part of pop culture for multiple generations, the group is learning to adapt while keeping the historical elements that make them so widely enjoyed.
Zoltan Berencsi, senior producer for the Globetrotters, said the Globetrotters first gained notoriety after beating the Minneapolis Lakers in 1948 and 1949.
“George Mikan was on the team, and they were known as the best, and the Globetrotters ended up beating them twice,” Berencsi said.
While Berensci noted the group brought joy during times of trouble, like during the Cold War, he said they really took off in the 60s and 70s.
“They were just absolute superstardom,” Berencsi said. “You started seeing them on television shows. They had a show called ‘The Popcorn Machine.’ They were on ‘Wide World of Sports,’ ‘Scooby Doo,’ ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ You name it.”
While the Globetrotters had achieved enormous success, they had also faced extreme discrimination as they traveled to the deep South and encountered Jim Crow laws.
“They just kept their heads up, entertained the fans, and they just set a mark of ambassadors of goodwill and just by spreading joy and peace all over,” Berencsi said.
Aundre Branch, a Baylor Athletics Hall-of-Famer and former Harlem Globetrotter, said many people don’t realize the struggles that the group originally endured.
“I’m glad that I’m part of that history,” Branch said. “Now they’re 100 years [old], and the history hasn’t really been told.
As for the creation process for their shows, Berencsi said much of the routine is created organically.
“We’ll take a lot of things that are popular, and we’ll put spins on them … but a lot of it happens when the guys are just in the gym and fooling around,” Berensci said.
While the group has not only withstood the test of time but also captured the hearts of multiple generations, the Globetrotters have focused on modernizing the show to relate to new generations.
“We also have a great mix of the old school stuff,” Berencsi said. “The water and confetti bucket that everybody loves, it’s still funny to this day … We do a very good job of blending the two so there’s something for everybody on that.”
As the team continues to innovate for their 100-year tour, they will have a Golden Basketball by Spalding, as well as a 100-year souvenir ticket available for purchase.
“What we did is we developed this golden basketball, and throughout the show we’ll have these things called golden ball moments,” Berencsi said. “A sound effect goes off, there’s some video and we basically reflect on different innovations.”
The Globetrotters will bring their 100-year tour to the Baylor community at 1 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Paul & Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Tickets are available at www.baylorbears.com/tickets.
