We’ve all heard that sports are entertainment, but the case was never truer than when the Harlem Wizards came to town on September 26.On that night in the Upper School gym, the Harlem Wizards basketball team, originally founded in 1962 (and very similar to the Harlem Globetrotters, founded in 1926), put on a high-flying and hilarious show. They competed against Benjamin’s  faculty and alumni all-stars, but  the Harlem Wizards are as much a comedy troupe as they are a basketball team. They have made a name for themselves by delighting fans of all ages with their basketball skills, on-court antics, and family-friendly crowd interaction. In actuality, they are all very good athletes and many members of the team are former college or pro basketball players.

Most of all, the Wizards are a charitable organization and, according to the squad’s website, have raised “millions of dollars for charitable organizations, schools, and foundations across the world.” The players for the Harlem Wizards who took on our Benjamin faculty and alumni were King Arthur, Tojo, Air Jamaica, DP, Rocket and Zero Gravity. The roster for TBS included  Brandon Arnette (alumnus), Kathy Bailey, Nicholas Crisafi, Patrick Cullinane, Daniel Gross ’09, Benjamin Harper, Quinard Jackson ’08, Christopher Nordland, Ryan Smith, David Wenger ‘06, and Jake Work.

The first quarter was all fun and games. There was dunk after dunk after dunk. Players like Air Jamaica and DP had some monster slams that delighted the crowd. King arthur showed off his ball-handling skills by dribble all over the court,  going through  his legs and even through other people’s legs. . Other highlights included DP attempting to make  a granny-style half-court shot, King Arthur chasing upper school computer science teacher Cullinane (whom the Wizards jokingly referred to as Justin Bieber) around the court with a baseball bat, and a half-time show that tested students from the audience (and the on-duty police officer) in their ability to catch a basketball.

Of course, the name of the game that night was entertainment, and even though the Wizards won 77-69  (despite the fact that the TBS team was generously given five and 10 pointer per basket in the third quarter), everyone had a great time. The Wizards even invited all of the children in attendance onto the court after the game for a dance party and an autograph-signing session.

After the game King arthur said “ It was fun, six years ago it was my rookie season and I played here. This place brought back so many memories. It was fun chasing the other team with the bat and dancing with the random women in the stands.” Air Jamaica added, “The teachers had some talent, at the end, the game got close. It was a lot of fun and I’ll never forget that dunk for the sponsors.”

Prior to the game, the Benjamin Parents’ Association (BPA), headed by TBS parent Mr. Vince Marotta, treated the entire Benjamin community to a delicious dinner outside the upper school  tennis courts. Parents, students, faculty, and staff savored the sliders, hot dogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, soda, and the array of desserts that were on hand. In addition, there was music, a booth where attendees could get their hair spray painted orange and blue, and mini footballs and frisbees handed out to students. Available in the gym were souvenirs such as  Harlem Wizards basketballs, t-shirts, jerseys, hats, and shooting sleeves.

Although the Wizards ended up with the “W,” everyone in attendance felt like a winner after experiencing the hospitality, fun, and fellowship of the Benjamin Parents’ Association and TBS community.