The Harlem Globetrotters basketball team is in the news for all the right reasons. The basketball trick shot artists recently attempted to break nearly two dozen Guinness World Records. Though the hardwood superstars did not break all of those records, they succeeded in surpassing 18 of them.
A Record-Breaking 48 Hours
The Harlem Globetrotters attempted to break 22 Guinness World Records in a mere 48 hours to honor former basketball star Frederick Neal. Neal, also known by his nickname of Curly, passed away in 2020. The basketball star played 22 seasons while wearing his famous number 22 jersey. However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic prevented the Globetrotters from honoring Curly’s death in the prior two years.
The Globetrotters’ Julian McClurkin, also known as “Zeus”, made the following statement in honor of Curly Neal: “Due to the pandemic, we didn’t get a chance to give Curly the send-off that he deserved, [and] what better way to honor him than to attempt 22 records in his name. I hope he is looking down and smiling, like he always is.”
Details of the Records
Rock Middleton, nicknamed “Wham”, set one of the records. He bounced a basketball in a single minute more than any other baller. Slow motion footage from the attempt reveals he successfully bounced a basketball 762 times in merely 60 seconds. Wham broke the record for most bounces of the ball between his legs in 60 seconds, setting the new record at 360.
Wham also holds the record for the fastest time between dribbles from one baseline to the next with a time of 3.529 seconds. The baller is also the world record holder for the farthest made hook shot at slightly more than 74 feet. In fact, Wham even has the record for most made underhanded half-court shots in a single minute, with seven.
Wham’s teammate, Pawel Kidon who goes by the name of “Dazzle”, set the record for consecutive catches of a spinning ball. Dazzle, the first-ever Globetrotter to hail from Poland set the record at 26. Additional records broken by the Globetrotters during the multi-day event include the most alley-oop dunks in a single minute, the farthest ball bounce shot off a wall, the most consecutive alley-oop dunks and the farthest alley-oop dunk behind the back.
The records don’t stop there. The Globetrotters also set records for the farthest made windmill shot, the farthest made shot attempted from under the legs, the most layups in a single minute and the most blindfolded slam dunks in a minute. The trickster ballers also set the world record for the most three-point shots made in a single minute.
A Crowd-Pleasing Event
Donte Harrison, nicknamed “Hammer”, sank the longest shot off of a wall, making a basket from an astonishing 34 feet and 3.7 inches. This feat occurred amid dead silence in the Lake Point Champions Center. The onlookers erupted into a frenzy after the ball bounced off of the wall and directly into the net.
Hammer Harrison said the following after making the record-breaking shot: “I remember being a kid and always opening up the Guinness World Records books and [I] thought, that was something, that was like unattainable, but to be here with the Globetrotters and break a couple of records myself, it is an honor to be inside that book!”
Corey “The Dribbler” set the record for bouncing four basketballs a whopping 326 times in half a minute. The Guinness World Records’ public representative shared a video of the accomplishment on its Instagram page. The post received 110+ comments and more than 30,000 likes in less than 24 hours.
Two Nights of Fun Come to a Close
Though the Globetrotters did not reach their goal of breaking 22 Guinness World Records to honor Curly Neal, their accomplishments were not in vain. The team’s record-breaking efforts are a meaningful tribute to Neal.
One of the Globetrotters, Corey Law, who goes by the nickname of “Thunder” stated, “When you think of the Harlem Globetrotters, the first name that comes to mind is Curly Neal. He is one of the legends, he is one of my favorites of all time.”
Each of the 18 broken records was verified. Andy Glass and Chrissy Fernandez, two official adjudicators, were on-site to verify the achievements so they can be put into the record books. Dazzle’s record-setting catches of a spinning ball inspired his teammates to roar with cheers. Dazzle was so thrilled with his accomplishment that he reached out to his loved ones in Poland to spread the news.
Wham’s breaking of the record for most consecutive basketball bounces in a single minute is also a notable accomplishment. Wham failed to set the record in each of the prior two years. It took a review of the video footage for the adjudicators presiding over the event to confirm that the record was broken at 762 bounces.
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Wham commented on his new record, stating, “No matter what you want to do you have to put in the hours, the minutes, the seconds. And never give up on your dreams. It is not what you do in front of people, it is what you do when no one is looking.”
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