By Marc Fortier
Staff Writer

MANCHESTER — Moo Moo Evans’ first exposure to the Harlem Globetrotters came while watching Scooby-Doo cartoons as a kid.

“That was my first time ever seeing them,” he said of the team’s mid-’70s guest appearances on the animated show. “I didn’t think they were real people.”

When he found out that they were an actual basketball team, and not just figments of some illustrator’s imagination, he asked his dad to take him to a game.

“It was a great thing he introduced me to,” Evans said.

Today, Evans, 27, plays for the world-famous Globetrotters, entertaining fans across the world, just as stars like Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon and Sweet Lou Dunbar once did.

Evans — and the rest of the Globetrotters — will bring their fun, fast-paced version of basketball to the Verizon Wireless Arena for games on Saturday and Sunday.

It has been five years since Evans — who got his nickname because of all the milk he drank as a kid — first joined the Globetrotters. He got his start when Keiron Shine, a friend from Memphis who was on the team, urged him try out. A call came two weeks later, on a Tuesday, asking him to fly out to Phoenix the following day.

“By the next Monday, I was a world-famous Harlem Globetrotter.”

Evans, a 6-foot-3 guard, played college ball at Troy University in Alabama, so he already knew his share of fancy moves. But when he joined the Globetrotters, he was taught some of the trick moves they use to entertain crowds.

“You go to a veteran, and they show you some basic moves, things that will get you through,” he said. “After that, it’s all about being creative.”

Evans’s signature move involves spinning the ball on his right finger, transferring it to his left, and then bringing it behind his back, where he transfers it back from his left to his right hand.

“It takes some time to hone your skills,” he said. “It’s all about hard work, loving what you’re doing. We want to make sure when fans come that they’re not just continuing to see the same thing.”

The Globetrotters have been entertaining audiences for 84 years, using their unique blend of athleticism, theater and comedy. They’ve played more than 25,000 games in 120 countries and territories, entertaining everyone from presidents to popes.

What Evans enjoys most about being a Globetrotter are “the smiles we put on people’s faces,” whether by  performing tricks or goofing around with the fans in the seats.

“Most people have never been to a game where they’re pulling people onto the floor, throwing them wristbands,” he said.

As is generally the case, the Globetrotters will be playing against the Washington Generals this weekend. But don’t expect the game to be too competitive — after all, the Globetrotters haven’t lost to the Generals since 1971.

Most of all, Evans said, those attending the games in Manchester can expect to be entertained.

“It’s a family fun event,” he said. “Come out and enjoy all the hook shots, dunks, fancy dribbling and a whole bunch of fun. You may not remember the score of the game, but you will remember the experience you had.”

IF YOU GO
What: The Harlem Globettrotters.
When: Saturday, March 20, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 21, at 2 p.m.
Where: Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester.
Tickets: Starting at $24, can be purchased at the box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.harlemglobetrotters.com.