When do Harlem Globetrotters come to Glasgow?

Some pre-interview research into the basketball entertainer suggested the 5’10” star was keen on the game of golf – ideal then that he and his team-mates are heading to Scotland, the home of golf, for a show at the SSC Hydro in Glasgow on April 25.

Maybe there would be a chance to take to the fairways on some of the country’s famous courses for a man billed as a golf fan in his online biographies?

“I took a golf class once. But if you put me out on a course, I’d probably dig a hole out there,” he admitted. “I’m better on the court. I wouldn’t be under par that’s for sure.”

Scotland though is a country he’s looking forward to visiting to take in the scenery, if not the greens and fairways.

“I havent been to Scotland before and the press event for the show is actually my first time in the UK so I’m enjoying myself,” he added.

“I’ve seen some of the Scottish scenery and I’m hoping to get a chance to have a walk round, see some of the museums in Glasgow and do some different things. I love the history side of things and I love that part of the UK.”

The Globetrotters are an historic basketball team, famed for their long success over rivals the Washington Generals. It’s not exactly the most competitive of basketball encounters with the focus on fun rather than serious basketball, but the likes of Turbo, Animal and Too Tall Hall all train as basketballers in the first instance

“I train like a basketball player. Not as a performer. I have a trainer I work with in my off-time to do ball work, skill-work and ball handling, shooting and passing. I lift weights and do cardio so I keep my strength up and keep my stamina going so definitely. To be a Globetrotter you have to be a basketball player first, and then the second thing is just being a good person, a good character and be able to interact and not be afraid and show a different side to yourself.

“You get to see many different things at a Harlem Globetrotters game. You get ferocious dunks, we are the only game to have a four-point line 30-feet away from the basket. It’s something for everyone - there’s stuff for kids, there’s comedy, there’s basketball, there’s stuff for grown ups.”

That said, there’s also a big basketball element to it too. The NBA held its All-Star weekend last month which included the popular dunk competition – not dissimilar to the tricks you’ll see at the Hydro show.

He added: “The dunk competition was good and [Hamidou] Diallo probably had the best dunk of the night and was a worthy winner for OKC, but my highlight was the three-point competition. I thought Steph Curry was going to come back and beat Joe Harris, it was close right to the end.”

As one of the shorter members of the Harlem team, it’s ball-handling which is Turbo’s forte, though often the taller members of the team give the others a hand up.

“Dunking is not my thing. One of my tricks is I can dribble up to four-basketballs at one time. That would help in a game given the chance. Since I’m short - I’m 5’10” so I don’t get much chance to play against people taller than me so I worked on other aspects and one thing that helped me throughout the course of my career was my ball handling and being the best with a ball that I can be.

“I can get my team-mates involved, I can get a shot off, it helps me as a professional athlete and I’m grateful to the Harlem Globetrotters for giving me the opportunity to be one.”

The Harlem Globetrotters are in Glasgow at the SSC Hydro on April 25 at 7.30pm.

Ticket Hotline:0844 249 2222 or BookingsDirect.com

TICKETS: £45, £28.50, £22, £17.50.