By Mark Schiele
It will be a fun-filled homecoming for Darnell “Speedy” Artis when his Harlem Globetrotters basketball team plays a pair of games at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell on Aug. 18 at noon and 5 p.m.
Artis, who played at La Salle College High School and in college at Gwynedd Mercy University, will be donning uniform No. 43 when the Globetrotters hit MCCC as part of their summer tour.
The team announced the MCCC date with a special performance during the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s Travel Rally. The MCCC gym is just four miles of so from where Artis played the final game of his college career at Gwynedd Mercy.
“It’s a special feeling to be back,” Artis said during a visit to his alma mater in February when the team played at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. “I played my last game in this building when we won the championship (in 2016).” He also took home MVP honors of that championship game.
It’s been a long road back to Montgomery County for Artis, a 5-foot, 9-inch guard who joined the Globetrotters after playing professionally in Brazil for the America Esporte Club in 2017.
Artis earned his nickname on the Globetrotters roster for his rapid style of play and dexterity on the court. On the court, he’s known for his dribbling skills and spot-on accuracy when shooting from the team’s signature 4-point line. Yes, that’s right. 4-point line. Hey, it is all about entertainment, after all.
Artis was a four-year starter and scored more than 1,300 career points and had 400 assists at Gwynedd Mercy. He earned rookie of the year honors his 2012-2013 season, First Team All-Conference from 2014 to 2016 and led his team to a Colonial States Athletic Championship title in 2016. Nearly everyone knows about the Globetrotters. Wilt Chamberlain once played for them. It’s a show of shows on hardwood.
Fans will see dunks, fancy dribbling skills, wild shooting displays and, of course, fun and games. The biggest question has always been what’s in the bucket – is it confetti or water – when tossed at someone sitting court-side. At each Globetrotters game, there will be more than 20 opportunities before, during and after each event where fans will get a chance to directly interact with the team’s stars – that’s a 30-percent increase over any previous Globetrotters game.
Prior to every performance, fans can secure a ticket to Magic Pass, the Globetrotters’ exclusive pregame event. Magic Pass gives fans unprecedented access to the stars of the team, an opportunity to learn tricks, shoot hoops and take pictures on the court. After each game, fans can participate in a free autograph session.
Tickets start at $30 and are available at harlemglobetrotters.com and www.ticketweb.com. For more information, visit harlemglobetrotters.com.
