There’s no slowing down this Globetrotter

January 24, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

Whether it’s peanut butter and jelly or Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, there are some pairings we take for granted. Such was the case between the Harlem Globetrotters and their second-to-one rivals the Washington Generals, which earlier this year ended its relationship with the world-famous basketball outfit.

“I don’t miss them,” said veteran Globetrotter Moose Weekes. “Quite frankly, I don’t know if they miss us. I think that’s probably why they stopped playing. We’re just looking to make whoever our next opponent is to be like the Generals.”

The winning streak of all winning streaks, the Harlem Globetrotters haven’t lost in more than 3,560 straight games. Then again, when a team’s basketball prowess consists of incredible ball handling wizardry, rim-rattling dunks and trick shots galore, a 2-3 defense will do little to stop or slow down the ball from going through the hoop.

For Weekes, basketball has been his life for decades. Growing up in Georgia, the forward remembers as a kid building a basketball goal with friends by nailing a wooden board to a tree with a plastic crate minus its bottom acting as the hoop.

While that scene seems straight out of Hollywood, Weekes’ journey to the Globetrotters was equally amazing. After playing college basketball for Middle Tennessee State University, the 2005 graduate was settling into a career when fate had other ideas.

“I was working as a personal trainer in North Carolina,” said the 6-foot-8 Weekes. “You know, I was getting into the routine of working a regular job. Then I played a charity game against some former Globetrotters. I was named MVP. That’s when they said, ‘Hey, you should be with us.’ I got in contact with Globetrotter legend Sweet Lou Dunbar, got an opportunity and stuck with it.”

This year marks the Globetrotters’ 90th year celebration with Weekes joined by Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard, Cheese Chisholm, TNT Maddox and Sweet J Ekworomadu. The tour comes to Youngstown on Wednesday for a show at Covelli Centre.

Weekes said fans should expect a great show that includes the four-point shot and also throwback uniforms that, well, are apparently a sight to see.

“I don’t know how they did it back then but we’re talking little,” Weekes laughed. “I just have some longer socks in my closet these days. I was wondering how to make it work because my tights are longer than my shorts. There’s a lot of leg showing, but it’s not as bad for the shorter players.”

When it comes to Weekes’ game, he’s known for a couple of things. There are his thunderous windmill slams, as well as his penchant for hanging upside down on the rim.

“Sometimes that just helps the fans see me from a better angle,” Weekes said. “I don’t want to limit the fans. And the way they get loose is with the Moose.”

The other thing about the Moose that’s unforgettable is his hair, which is like a lion’s mane. This brings up the question: What does Weekes think will happen first, a haircut or the Globetrotters losing a game?

“I’d say it would probably be me cutting my hair,” Weekes said. “We’re trying to keep this thing going.”