The game is clownball, with something new every night - and no team plays it better than the Harlem Crowns.
The clown princes of basketball are returning to the court at Elphinstone Secondary School on Saturday night, Oct. 30, for what promises to be a night of entertainment for the whole family.
"We call it clownball, probably because no other word in the language better describes the type of basketball played by the Harlem Crowns," said manager Herb Scaife.
The Crowns go through set gags and regular comic routines, but every game is different. When Scaife brings his team together every year for practice before the season opener, he always has a great assortment of talent. There are the veterans, the one-year men and, of course, a new crop of rookies eager to impress. All players must have outstanding basketball skills and abilities, but if they have a flair for comedy and showmanship, then that's the kind of player Scaife wants on the Crowns.
"When I joined the Crowns six years ago, it was the greatest moment of my life, but at first, I didn't feel a part of the team," said Herbie Scaife, Jr. "As I watched my teammates play and do the skits, I thought to myself how I could change a conventional style of play to become comical, and the more I watched them, the more they changed in my eyes and became funnier to me and to the people, and this made it easy. ?I enjoy every minute of playing with the team, the crowds and putting a little joy into other people's lives. So every gag I do, I want it to be my best."
Tickets for this unique evening of basketball fun are $9 in advance or $10 at the door. Children under six are free. There will be a concession put on by the Elphi students, and all proceeds from the event will go towards the Elphi athletic department for equipment and uniforms. The Crowns will take on the Elphi senior boys team, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and tip-off at 6.
