The Harlem Globetrotters, whose rookie class includes three 7-footers, the shortest Globetrotter ever and its first woman player since 1993, will bring its 2012 World Tour to Grand Forks' Alerus Center at 7 p.m. April 14, the basketball exhibition group said Thursday.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday starting at $17. They will be available at www.HarlemGlobeTrotters.com , www.Ticketmaster.com , the Alerus Center box office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Information on group and scout tickets can also be found at the Globe Trotter's website.
The Globetrotters last stop in Grand Forks was April 9, also at the Alerus Center. April 14 also is the date of another big show coming to Grand Forks, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
The Globetrotters rookies include Paul "Tiny" Sturgess, the world's tallest pro basketball player at 7-foot-8, Jonte "Too Tall" Hall, the shortest Globetrotter ever at 5-foot-2, and Fatima "TNT" Maddox of Temple University, the team's first female player since 1993 and ninth female in team history, a news release said.
The new Globetrotters also feature the top three finishers from the 2011 College Slam Dunk Contest, including the reigning champ Jacob "Hops" Tucker. At 5-foot-10, Tucker has a 50-inch vertical leap, and his YouTube videos have received more than four million views. Tucker joins slam dunk runner-up John "Jet" Williams of UNC-Asheville and semifinalist Darnell "Spider" Wilks of the University of Cincinnati.
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The 2012 rookie class has a total of three seven-footers including 7-foot-4 Jermaine "Stretch" Middleton, the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony "Biggie" McClain.
At 7-foot-8, Sturgess becomes the tallest Globetrotter ever after a career at Mountain State University (W.Va.).
Current Globetrotters stars Special K Daley, Big Easy Lofton, Flight Time Lang, Dizzy Grant, Scooter Christensen, and many others will team up with the rookies for nearly 270 games on the North American portion of the World Tour. The team will play in more than 230 cities. Player rosters in each city will vary and are subject to change.
