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GLOBETROTTERS LIVE
By John Benson
Even though Harlem Globetrotter Zeus McClurkin grew up in Columbus, he was often looking north.
“I went to a couple of Cavs games,” said McClurkin, calling from a publicity stop in the Rock Hall City. “I always wanted Cleveland to have a good team. It didn’t turn out that way when I was a kid but now we’ve got something to cheer for.”
At the time, McClurkin said he was hoping to follow in the professional basketball footsteps of LeBron James, who he saw play in the 2003 McDonald’s All-American game at Quicken Loans Arena.
However, McClurkin’s route to becoming a pro was starkly different from the NBA great. Out of high school, he played a couple of years of college ball at a Division II program. He later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University where he made the team as a walk-on.
“My senior year I ended up starting,” McClurkin said. “I actually got on ‘SportsCenter,’ That springboarded me into my professional career. I went on to play overseas in Paraguay and then a friend of mine told me about the Washington Generals, who famously lose to the Harlem Globetrotters.”
In 2010, McClurkin said he spent the season playing as hard as possible for the Generals. While the team didn’t defeat the mighty Globetrotters, he said it wasn’t from lack of trying. Even though the scoreboard was never in his favor, the 6-foot-8-inch forward did end up winning in a way.
“That was my introduction to the Harlem Globetrotters,” McClurkin said. “When I saw who they were on the court, what they represented, it was a perfect marriage of who I am as a basketball player.
“My whole career everybody has told me I was too nice and I smiled too much. There’s no place for that on a basketball court. It turns out the Harlem Globetrotters pay you to smile and dunk. And that’s exactly what I do today.”
When the Harlem Globetrotters return to Youngstown for two shows on Saturday at Covelli Centre, you better believe McClurkin will be showing off his crazy trick shots. Just how crazy? Well, earlier this year the talented shooter hit a crazy basketball shot as he ziplined through the Mall of America.
Also, we are talking about the Harlem Globetrotters, which currently have 15 current Guinness World Records. In fact, McClurkin holds two: Most Basketball Slam Dunks in One Minute with 16 and Most Bounced Basketball 3-Pointers in One Minute with five. It turns out the latter, while it may seem simple, is quite the challenge.
“It’s really difficult,” McClurkin said. “I attempted it last year and couldn’t get it. This year I tried it again and after one attempt I got the record. I was pretty satisfied.”
Fans attending this year’s Harlem Globetrotters performance can expect to see plenty of long-distance shooting.
“With the success of the deep shot in the NBA and all of these other leagues, people are shooting from further and further back,” McClurkin said. “Now we have a 4-point line, which is 30 feet beyond the basket and about six feet behind the NBA 3-point line.
“You’re going to see some high-flying slam dunks, crowd participation and comedy. We’re just out there trying to make sure everybody has a good time.”