Sarasota Observer goes one-on-one with Globetrotters

During the Harlem Globetrotters’ trip to Sarasota this week, the Sarasota Observer had the opportunity to go one-on-one with two players, Handles and Hops.

Handles, a five-year veteran of the team, says he has loved every minute of his time with the Globetrotters.

“I always knew I wanted to be on the Globetrotters,” he says. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine. When I was 6, I saw them on ‘Scooby Doo,’ and the next day, I started playing.”

His teammate Hops earned his name for his enormous, 50-inch vertical jump. Although he stands at 5-foot-10, he is one of the Globetrotters’ most impressive dunkers.

FAST FACTS
• The team plays more than 250 games in the U.S. each year. Players are on the road for nine months of the year.
• The average height of the current team is 6-foot-5.
• The tallest player is 7-foot-8; his name is Tiny.
• The shortest player is 5-foot-2; his name is Too Tall.

Handles bio
Height: 6-foot-1
Birthdate: Oct. 5, 1972
Wingspan: 6 feet
Vertical jump: “Probably 2 inches,” he says. “I’m a ball-handler; I don’t really jump.”
Shoe size: 11 1/2
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
Position: Guard
Breakfast of Champions: Eggs, turkey bacon, fruit and toast

Hops bio
Height: 5-foot-10
Birthdate: July 3, 1988
Wingspan: 6 feet
Vertical jump: 50 inches
Shoe size: 10
Hometown: Carlyle, Ill.
Position: Guard
Breakfast of Champions: Eggs, pineapples and strawberries