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Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Harlem Globetrotters offering first ever tryouts
The Harlem Globetrotters are gearing up for a historic milestone-and they want you to be part of they approach their 100th anniversary in 2026, the legendary team has announced its first-ever open tryouts. Athletes from all backgrounds are invited to showcase their talents and join the celebration. The Globetrotters aim to build a dynamic roster for the Centennial season, blending elite athletic skills with their signature showmanship. President Keith Dawkins called this a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."We are creating one of the most unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for talented high-level athletes and entertainers," Dawkins said. He emphasized that the Globetrotters are offering fair pay, sales royalties, content opportunities, and community impact programs. Tryouts are set for early fall, with dates and locations coming soon. About 30 athletes will be invited to this next step. The final team will be revealed in November after a detailed selection process. The Globetrotters are widening their search for talent. They've attended top showcase events like the Portsmouth Invitational and the NBA Pre-Draft Camp. They've also added former SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore as a talent recruitment consultant. The team's HBCU legacy remains current Globetrotters proudly represent HBCUs: Randy 'Crash' McClure: An Albany State University alum, McClure scored over 1,000 career points. He's a two-time NBPA HBCU Top 50 selectee and joined the Globetrotters in 2021 after playing Moss: The Grambling State University guard was drafted by the Globetrotters in 2022. Moss made waves at the nationally televised HBCU All-Star Sharpless: A former CIAA Player of the Year from Elizabeth City State University, Sharpless is known for his exciting, high-flying style. These players showcase the rich talent flowing from HBCUs. They continue the Globetrotters' tradition of celebrating Black excellence on and off the court. Over the past year, the Globetrotters performed in 50 international markets and 46 cities across North America. They set 18 new Guinness World Records-one of their best seasons to date. This is more than a tryout-it's a chance to be part of something historic. Athletes interested in joining the Globetrotters' Centennial season can apply now through the official tryout portal. The Globetrotters are ready to discover their next generation of stars. Will you be one of them? The post Harlem Globetrotters offering first ever tryouts appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Business Wire
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
The Harlem Globetrotters to Host First Ever Open Player Tryout
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leaders in breaking barriers and making history, the world-famous, Harlem Globetrotters™ today formally announced they will be hosting their first-ever open tryouts to help select athletes for the organization's Centennial season in 2026. In addition to recruitment efforts of elite talent being made through relationships with the global college and professional basketball community, the Globetrotters have created a portal where anyone can apply for a tryout spot. That portal, found HERE is open today for sign-up. HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS TO HOST FIRST EVER OPEN PLAYER TRYOUT IN ADVANCE OF 2026 CENTENNIAL SEASON Share Official Harlem Globetrotters tryouts will take place in the early fall with the final team being assembled and announced in November. Exact dates and location will be announced later this summer. The Globetrotters have taken significant steps in the past few months to recruit and raise awareness around the basketball community, with representatives taking part in talent showcases like the Portsmouth Invitational and the NBA Pre-Draft Camp as well as adding former SIACC Commissioner Gregory Moore as a talent recruitment consultant. The organization's goal is to expand, and elevate, the talent in its ranks and to act as competitive offering for men and women hoopers around the globe for both 2026 and beyond. The Globetrotters continue to add a high-quality level of athlete, which has been reflected in recent years in the signing of former LSU captain Alexis Morris and this past year with the addition of 6-5 rookie forward Asanti 'Cash' Price (Columbia, SC), who signed a contract with the NBA G League's Texas Legends, the affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. Price was one of six rookies signed to the Globetrotters this past November and had the option to return to the club when his G League time ended, which he did. 'We are creating one of the most unique, once in a lifetime opportunities for talented high-level athletes and entertainers, the ability to be part of the Centennial of the most iconic global sports and entertainment property. We wanted to make sure we were not limiting ourselves in our talent search,' said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. 'While the tryout will be open, and we welcome athletes from all walks of life to join us, this is a serious competition that will combine high-level athleticism, opportunities for fair compensation, player revenue opportunities via sales royalties, content opportunities via our distribution partners, community impact through our CSR efforts, and a rare opportunity to take advantage of all the creative assets we have built to literally expand one's career beyond the game. The right athletes will have that special element of 'showpersonship' that the Globetrotters have been known for. It should make for a fun and exciting way to uncover our next group of stars.' This past year Globetrotter athletes again set a new bar for excellence on and off the court, bringing their talents to 50 markets around the world and an additional 46 cities in North America. Athletes set 18 new Guinness World Records, the second-most in one season in their history. The Globetrotters anticipate bringing in approximately 30 athletes to the tryout. It will be the first step of a months-long process in selecting the athletes for the Centennial team. The Globetrotters legacy has seen athletes ranging from Wilt Chamberlain to Connie Hawkins to Oliver Miller to Lynette Woodward throughout its history, and the goal is to make sure that talent and legacy go hand in hand into this next stage of growth. ABOUT THE WORLD-FAMOUS HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS™ / HERSCHEND ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS The Harlem Globetrotters™ are THE originators of basketball style; captured by their dynamic athleticism, unique skill and historical influence on the modern game of basketball. Since 1926, the Globetrotters, proud members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, have used their legendary global tour to showcase their iconic brand of basketball to tens of millions in over 124 countries and territories across six continents. They have expanded the brand by coming back to network television for the first time in 40 years with their Emmy nominated NBC series 'Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward' which also airs on Telemundo as 'Harlem Globetrotters: Ganando Con La Comunidad.' Content partners include Hidden Pictures, Atmosphere TV, and Hearts Media Production Group; consumer partnerships include, Sprayground, Undercrwn, Macys, Hybrid; and additional partnerships include our official tour partner Jersey Mikes, official ball partner, Spalding, Viral Nation, Hoopculture, and Citi. Coined by the U.S. State Department in 1951 as Ambassadors of Goodwill, the team leverages their moniker to drive its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts around their strategic pillars of Health & Wellness, Education, and Community Empowerment. These efforts have yielded partnership with the likes of Microsoft, U.S. State Department Sports Diplomacy, The National Archives, 'Great Assist' in partnership with Jersey Mike's Subs, Campus Multimedia Court of Creativity, and Comic Relief Red Nose Day. The Harlem Globetrotters™ is a subsidiary of Herschend, the largest family-owned themed attractions company.
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NIL is giving college basketball players the power. Should the NBA draft wait?
NIL is giving college basketball players the power. Should the NBA draft wait? Show Caption Hide Caption Dwyane Wade shares thoughts on Dallas Mavericks getting first pick NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade shares his thoughts on the NBA and whether or not the Mavericks getting the first pick in the draft is a "coincidence." Sports Seriously CHICAGO − Yaxel Lendeborg rubbed his hands together seated inside Wintrust Arena, a wave of excitement and anxiety coursing through him as he laid out the options again before his first official NBA audition was set to begin. The former UAB star is an intriguing figure among the group of players taking part in this week's 2025 NBA Draft Combine. He's facing the sort of decision prospects invited to this annual league event never did in the past. Lendeborg is a potential late first-round draft pick, according to draft experts, who could also slide into the second round – when contracts are not guaranteed – depending on how his pre-draft workouts go. The 6-foot-10 big man also committed to Michigan in April as one of the country's most coveted transfers amidst an explosion of money being paid to college football and basketball players through name, image and likeness compensation and the anticipated implementation of revenue sharing by the NCAA for the 2025-26 season. The 22-year-old has until the NCAA's May 28 withdrawal date to pull out of the draft and retain his college eligibility. And sounds torn about it right now. More torn than any of the other college hopefuls around him this week. 2025 NBA DRAFT: Why Cooper Flagg was 'surprised' when Mavericks got No. 1 pick 'The NBA is ultimately the goal for a lot of guys. It's just college is so tempting because of the money,' Lendeborg told USA TODAY Sports. 'I'm 50-50 between the NBA and Michigan, and I just hope that a team can let me know early so I don't mess anything up.' How NIL changed the 2025 NBA draft The dynamics and financial implications of the traditional NBA draft decision tree have changed because of the money players can now make at the college level. There were only 106 early entrants in the 2025 NBA draft, which is the lowest figure in a decade and down from 353 in 2021. There were also more players from the Portsmouth Invitational, a pre-draft event for college seniors, invited to the NBA Draft Combine (18) than recent years. The trends are in direct correlation to the rapid increase in NIL money being doled out by college basketball programs. For one season, the starter for a power conference team in college will often make more than an NBA player on the first year of a rookie deal. For many, it might be the most money they ever make in one season playing basketball. The attempts to thread that needle, of maximizing money made in college and in the NBA, has infused chaos into the college ranks through the transfer portal and constant roster churn. It played out this week in Chicago as numerous college coaching staffs were on hand to both support their participating players at the NBA draft combine, and quietly hope the feedback convinces them to come back to college for another season. 'A case of food poisoning – nothing serious – would be good for the University Michigan right now,' Wolverines assistant coach Mike Boynton joked on Tuesday before explaining they always knew there was a chance Lendeborg would go to the NBA. It's yet another ripple effect of the power shift within college sports. 'We've got the best of both worlds,' said St. John's star R.J. Luis, who entered the NBA draft and the NCAA's transfer portal this offseason. 'We're basically like semi-pros. We got like one-year contracts basically (in college). It's just about trying to find the best opportunity at the right moment.' 'Good for the basketball ecosystem' The NBA doesn't seem to mind this, either. Five league executives told USA TODAY Sports at the draft combine that the implementation of name, image and likeness at the college level has produced minimal disruptions for the league or its draft process. Some view it as a positive development despite the issues NIL created for college basketball teams. As one NBA general manager put it, 'The guys will come into the draft eventually.' 'You're still getting the top-end guys, but you're not going to get sophomores and juniors,' said an NBA front office executive who runs his team's college scouting operation. 'You're going to see a gap in the draft the next couple years, especially in the second round. But most guys choosing to go back (to college) would struggle to stay (in the NBA) anyways. Now these guys can build brands in college. In the long run, it might be better.' 'It's good for the basketball ecosystem,' added another NBA team executive. But there will still be players like Lendeborg placed in a precarious spot, hoping the measurements, scrimmage performances and meetings with NBA officials at the combine and a flurry of workouts the next two weeks provide more clarity. The Pennsauken, New Jersey native only played 11 varsity basketball games in high school and had to go the junior college route before arriving at UAB. There is no precedent for what he's going through because a fringe first-round pick five years ago wouldn't also be mulling NIL deals worth millions of dollars. He doesn't want to stay in school just because of the money. But he also doesn't want to go to the NBA and not have a chance to be a rotation player quickly. He only needs one team to promise him he will get one to stay in the draft. He just needs to know before May 28. 'If it doesn't happen by then," Lendeborg said, "then the decision is going to be really hard to make.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Two Wildcats Will Represent Kentucky at 2025 NBA Draft Combine
The Kentucky Wildcats will have at least two players participating in the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, as guards Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have officially been invited to the showcase, set for May 11–18 in Chicago. The pair headline Kentucky's representation in what is widely considered the most important pre-draft evaluation event for NBA hopefuls. Contrasting Journeys to the Same Stage Though teammates under first-year head coach Mark Pope, Oweh and Brea took very different roads to reach this point. Advertisement Oweh, a dynamic transfer from Oklahoma, evolved into one of Kentucky's most reliable scoring options this past season. He raised his profile significantly, increasing his scoring average to 16.2 points per game and emerging as a consistent offensive threat. Perhaps most notable was his ability to deliver in high-pressure moments including a 28-point performance against his former team and a 27-point showing capped by a game-winner in the SEC Tournament. His only single-digit scoring outings came in Kentucky's few defeats, underscoring his value to the team. While Oweh's combine invite boosts his draft stock, his future remains undecided. With college eligibility remaining, there is speculation that he may return to Lexington, potentially becoming the focal point of next season's squad. Brea, by contrast, enters the combine with no ambiguity. After completing his eligibility, the former Dayton standout is fully committed to the professional ranks. Regarded as one of the most lethal three-point shooters in college basketball, Brea brought perimeter efficiency and veteran poise to Kentucky's backcourt. His ability to space the floor and contribute on both ends was instrumental in helping Kentucky return to the NCAA Tournament's second weekend, a feat the program hadn't achieved since 2019. Who Missed the Cut Notably absent from the combine list are Amari Williams, Andrew Carr, Lamont Butler, and Jaland Lowe, a transfer point guard who has committed to Kentucky while also exploring the NBA Draft process. Lowe, along with others, could still receive an invitation through the NBA G League Elite Camp if they perform well enough. Advertisement Among those not invited but likely heading to the pros are Jaxson Robinson, who continues to rehab from a wrist injury, and Andrew Carr, who recently competed at the Portsmouth Invitational but failed to stand out. As the combine approaches, all eyes will be on Brea and Oweh. Whether it marks the next step in their professional journeys or, in Oweh's case, a pivotal decision point between the NBA and a return to college, their presence in Chicago is a reflection of Kentucky's evolving identity under Pope one grounded in development, opportunity, and high-stakes potential.
Indianapolis Star
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Dawg Talk Podcast: Incoming transfers, lineup projections and more
On the latest Dawg Talk podcast Butler Insider Akeem Glaspie and assistant sports editor Aaron Ferguson breakdown all of Butler's incoming transfers, Patrick McCaffery at the Portsmouth Invitational, lineups projections and more.
