The Harlem Globetrotters have a double date with Selkirk Stadium

FOR a century, the Harlem Globetrotters have delighted basketball fans around the world with unbelievable trick shots, jaw-dropping dunks and gravity defiant dexterity.

Now the Ballarat region is in for a major treat as the international superstars get set to put on a show at Selkirk Stadium on both Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July as part of their 100-year anniversary tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Selkirk Stadium manager Chris Thornton said Ballarat is the only location in Australia where the Globetrotters have locked in not just one, but two dates as part of the big milestone tour.

Thornton will be working while the performances take place but said he is keen to sneak in when he can to catch bits of the on-court action.

Each family-friendly game will aim to deliver “thrilling athleticism, laugh-out-loud fun, and history you can feel” played out against rival team Washington Generals.

Founded in Chicago, Illinois by Abe Saperstein in 1926, the Globetrotters have spent 10 decades introducing the world to the excitement of basketball, and Thornton is anticipating full houses at Selkirk Stadium which holds a capacity crowd of up to 3,200 people.

“I’d be surprised if both dates don’t sell out,” he said.

“It’s a fantastic family show. They’re talented basketballers and the spectacle they put on second to none.

“The last time they in were here in Ballarat was 2022 and that was a sell-out. It’s fantastic.”

Thornton said basketball is a sport that is increasingly gaining traction in Ballarat.

“It is very strong. Weve got 6000 participating players and close to 650 domestic teams with the Ballarat Basketball Association – both junior and senior teams – and eight clubs within our association.

“We’re experiencing growth of about three to four percent season-on-season. Basketball in Ballarat is absolutely thriving.”