With names like Big Easy, Bull, Flight Time, Moose, Scooter and Stretch, there can be no doubting who was ''in da house'' (at the Edgar Centre) last night.
The Harlem Globetrotters left a crowd of more than 2000 people dazzled and flabbergasted with their high-energy exhibition of basketball trickery and theatrics.
At times, it was difficult to keep track of where the ball was on court.
Since the 1920s, the team has played more than 20,000 exhibition games in 120 countries to their signature song, Sweet Georgia Brown.
At the end of last night's match, there were raw hands, aching limbs and hoarse voices - and that was just the audience after their high level of participation.
Not only were there opportunities for children to do tricks with the Globetrotters, there were also prizes such as autographed basketballs for those who could take them from Stretch Middleton, the team's tallest player in the game at 2.26m (7ft 4in).
He is so tall, he can slam-dunk a basketball through a hoop while barely leaving the floor.
The trick which drew the greatest ''Ooh, ahh'' from the crowd was by Handles Franklin.
Kneeling at the halfway mark, he threw the basketball over his shoulder and sank the ball, touching nothing but net.
The team heads to Nelson today as it continues to woo crowds on its New Zealand tour.john.lewis@odt.co.nz
