(LEX 18) — You don't have to be a fan of basketball to know who the Harlem Globetrotters are.
The iconic team has been entertaining people around the world since 1926.
In that time, roughly 750 people have dawned the red, white and blue on the basketball court, each of them with their own unique story of how they became a Globetrotter.
“My brother actually played for the Globetrotters many, many years ago," Chandler "Bulldog" Mack said.
"That right there put it on a whole different level for me because I was close to one of the players and the organization.”
Cherelle George, who goes by "Torch", had dreams of playing professional basketball before the Globetrotters came along.
Doing what she wanted to do now, just in a different way than she expected.
Traveling the world and inspiring people and doing what I love every single day has always been the goal," Torch said.
“I tell people all the time my first Globetrotter game was when I was hired. I had to sit in the stands and watch the game and then the next day I had to perform. I remember sitting in the stands thinking ‘wow I’m going to do this tomorrow.’”
To be a Globetrotter takes as much showmanship as it does skill, entertainers at their core trying to lift their fans up while they fly through the air.
Now, the team is taking that entertainment and uplifting off the court and on the road, visiting different cities to connect with people trying to make an impact for the better.
It's all a part of the show Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward.
For the first time in 40 years, the Globetrotters are back on TV screens, showing viewers who they are beyond basketball as well as engaging with communities across the country.
"To be able to go into these communities and put a spotlight on these places that are non-profit organizations and to show the world that people are actually doing great things," Bulldog said.
“We’re used to being seen only when we tour. With this TV show fans get to see who we are off the court in our communities which is awesome for us," Torch said.
Season two of Play it Forward debuts Saturday, October 7 on LEX 18.
The Globetrotters are also prepping for their world tour, you can find out more about tickets by clicking here.
