The Glendale Star
18
February 24, 2022
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The Harlem Globetrotters soar to Arizona
BY JOSHUA WEISBLY Glendale Star Staff Writer
Harlem Globetrotters guard Saul “Flip” White Jr. feels fortunate. This March, he and the rest of his team will bring their high-flying antics to four spots in Arizona as the team continues its Spread Game Tour. “To see the smiles on the kids’ faces and also the parents’ faces, that’s always been, and still to this day, my favorite part,” White said. The Globetrotters’ stops are 7 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at Tucson Arena; 7 p.m. Friday, March 4, at Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at Gila River Arena. The appearances will bring fans new experiences from a dunk contest and funny characters during the four-quarter game. Fans can meet the Globetrotters afterward.
Fans can upgrade their tickets to have fun opportunities and experiences with the Harlem Globetrotters when they make multiple appearances in Arizona. (Photos courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters)
White comes from a family where basketball was always a part of life. He was introduced to the game at the age of 4, and one of his fondest basketball memories was his father holding him up to the hoop to
dunk the basketball. White’s grandparents took him to Globetrotters games. “I love entertaining people and putting smiles on their faces,” White said in his bio. “Being a Globetrotter means everything to me.”
White is known on the court for his acrobatics and athleticism. Before becoming a Globetrotter, White played basketball at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois, where he averaged 11 rebounds and 18 points per game. After college, White played in the International Basketball League before becoming a Globetrotter. “It was a surreal moment at first,” White said. “When I got to training camp and saw everybody in a training camp, I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I’m really here.’” Potential Globetrotters should remember there’s a difference between the team and the NBA. “It’s different,” White said. “It helped me with basketball, but I had to learn the entertainment side and the tricks side once I became a Globetrotter.” During his decade with the Globetrotters, White’s role has evolved. “I’m 10 years in. I’m more of a team player. Now, I’m straight utility,” said White, a former “American Ninja WarSEE GLOBETROTTERS PAGE 19
Coyotes’ Liam O’Brien sees ‘something special’ BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Glendale Star Executive Editor
Liam O’Brien is an enforcer on the Arizona Coyotes, ready for fights and racking up 94 penalty infraction minutes. He just laughs when asked about it. “I think I’m a very competitive person,” the 27-year-old center said. “I just love to compete. I just love the feeling of playing. It’s a blast, and there’s adrenaline to it. It’s fun — between the guys in the room, the friends you make, peo-
ple you get to meet, cities you get to travel to and the big game moments.” A Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, native, O’Brien has a dream of playing hockey since he was 3 years old — and didn’t give it up. There wasn’t an NHL dream in his hometown, so instead he admired the players of the Halifax Mooseheads, a Canadian major junior ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “I would go to those games with my old man,” he said. “I looked up to a lot of the junior players, espe-
cially from my area.” In the NHL for eight years, O’Brien had stints with the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche before signing with the Coyotes on July 28, 2021. “My mom is super proud,” he said. “They were able to make it to the game there in New York City. It’s nice that they can come out and watch me live out my dream. For them, that’s all they could have SEE O’BRIEN PAGE 19
Arizona Coyotes center Liam O’Brien enjoys traveling with his fiancée Adéla Zahrajova’. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
