NBA veteran to challenge Harlem

MANILA, Philippines - Legendary New York playground hero Sam Worthen will coach the Washington Generals in three games against the Harlem Globetrotters and fans expect a riotous treat on May 24-25 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Worthen, 51, played for the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz in the NBA before embarking on a coaching career marked by championships with Miami and New Haven in the USBL. He signed a contract with the Generals last year.

As an All-American senior point guard, Worthen averaged 16.9 points for Marquette University under coach Hank Raymonds in 1979-80 and was picked in the second round by the Bulls in the 1980 NBA draft. Others chosen in the draft that year included future PBA imports Wes Matthews, Don Collins, David Lawrence and DeWayne Scales.

The 6-5 Worthen played as an import in Taiwan, Denmark, Poland, Israel, Italy, Japan and Brazil. In 2003, he returned to Marquette to finish his degree 23 years after leaving the campus to play in the NBA. Worthen’s coaching resume lists stints in the CBA, IBL, NCAA, Puerto Rico and the NBDL.

With the Generals, Worthen plays the villainous coach. Some of his antics include sneaking in a “remote-controlled” ball that the Globetrotters aren’t able to handle, putting in a hard plastic lid on the Harlem goal so they can’t score and manipulating the scoreboard to add to the Generals’ points. In some games, he would lose a bet with the Trotters and walk off the court wearing a pink tutu and a tiara while carrying a shiny magic wand as his penance.

Writer L. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated said the Generals insist they play to win but the team hasn’t beaten the Globies since 1971. Harlem’s win streak over Washington is now close to 13,000 games and their head-to-head record as of last March, was 23,136-345 in the Trotters favor, of course.

The Globetrotters and Generals face off in close to 400 games in over 50 countries every year. This month, they’re scheduled to play three games in Manila, two in Singapore and one in Kuala Lumpur in a brief Asian tour preparatory to a 15-game series in China in July. At the same time, another Harlem team is playing 32 games in 37 days in eight countries in Europe.

“We’re very excited to come back to Manila,” said Trotters executive vice president Jeff Munn. “Our records show the last Trotters team to visit came in 1991. Fans will see a different show in each of our three games. This is basketball entertainment at its best. We’ll feature the traditional Globetrotter tricks like throwing the bucket of confetti, the halfcourt hook shot, the dribbling wizardry, the Sweet Georgia Brown magic circle and a lot more. You won’t know what to expect every game.”

While the Trotters play their fun game, the Generals will try to spoil the party.

“We won’t take the Generals lightly because we know they’re out to disrupt our game,” said Trotter Buckets Blakes who was recently in town to promote the tour. “They’re competitive guys who want to show they can play the game, too.”

Worthen’s lineup is made up of 6-3 Tyler White of Tusculum, 6-8 Mychal Hodgson of Salem International, 6-1 Brent Cowles of Livingstone, 6-4 Brandon Partridge of Johnson & Wales, 5-5 Demetrius Graham of Clarion, 6-4 Ryan Lancaster of Holy Family, 6-5 Ben Augustine of Misericordia and 6-4 Clifton Malone of New York.

The first game will be played at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, at the Big Dome. The second game is set at 7 p.m. also on Sunday, May 24. The third game is scheduled at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 25.

PBA ticketholders are entitled to a 10 percent discount. Sun Cellular subscribers will also get a 10 percent discount by presenting a special text message on their phones. The price range for tickets for the 3 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday games is from P105 for general admission to P1,575 for patron while the range for the 7 p.m. Sunday game is from P210 to P2,100.

The Globetrotters will be available for autographs and pictures with fans during their mall tour on Sat., May 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the SM North EDSA, Trinoma, Gateway, Robinson’s Galleria, SM Megamall, Podium, Shangrila Mall, SM Mall of Asia and SM Manila.

Max Entertainment and Solar are teaming up to stage the Harlem tour in Manila.

“Max and its parent company Total Sports Asia continue to work with major events and global rights holders to bring the best sports and entertainment shows in the world to Asia,” said Max CEO Marcus Luer. “This comes through TV programs, events and marketing partnerships with the world’s biggest sports and entertainment brands like Manchester United, US Open Tennis, NBA and Formula I. We have more coming to the Philippines this year.”

Solar chief operating officer Peter Chanliong said the Globetrotters tour is a can’t-miss proposition. “The Trotters are a very interactive team so just because you’re sitting in your seat doesn’t meant you won’t be part of the show,” said Chanliong. “Solar has been bringing the best of basketball to viewers in the Philippines through coverage of the NBA and PBA and we now continue with the live version of the Harlem Globetrotters.”