Hoops Green joined the Harlem Globetrotters in 2017 becoming only the 15th woman to ever don the red, white and blue uniform in the team’s 93-year history.
The now 5-foot-9 guard first started pursuing basketball at age 4. She was introduced to the sport by her older brother who has served as one of her greatest mentors. “I always looked up to my big brother, who was always playing basketball. Growing up I always wanted to follow his lead,” she said. “He’s now my biggest fan, supporter, and best friend.”
Green had a stellar career at Lexington Catholic High School (Ky.) where she helped the team to a 160-14 record over four years. She led team to two state championships, was ranked among the best players in the country, earning All-State and All-Region honors.
She went on to attend the University of Texas -El Paso where she ranks no. 11 on the school’s list for all-time wins, with 79, and totaled 650 career points for UTEP.
Hoops has played professionally overseas in the Czech Republic and Spain. She also took her talents to Mexico in 2014 –all while managing to earn her graduate degree in Sports Management at Southern New Hampshire University in 2015.
Prior to joining the team, Hoops spent some time coaching and mentoring youngsters and says becoming a Globetrotter is something inspirational to her. “I have always wanted to have a positive impact and be able to make someone smile. Basketball gives me the opportunity to reach out and inspire the youth. Especially being a female player, it allows young girls to believe in themselves.”
In her free time, Hoops enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering at soup kitchens in her community and helps serve food on Thanksgiving at her local homeless shelter. She also enjoys dancing and expressing her creativity through drawing.
Up In Your Business is a Radio Show by FlagandBanner.com
EPISODE 123
[INTRODUCTION]
[00:00:08] JM: Welcome to Up in Your Business with Kerry McCoy, a production of flagandbanner.com. Through storytelling and conversational interviews, this weekly radio show offers listeners firsthand insight into starting and running a business, the ups and downs of risk-taking and the commonalities of success people. Connect with Kerry through her candid, often funny and informative weekly blog where you’ll read and comment on life as wife, mother, daughter and entrepreneur.
Now, it’s time for Kerry McCoy to get all up in your business.
[INTERVIEW]
[00:00:41] KM: Like Jayson, I’m Kerry McCoy and it’s time for me to get up in your business. Before we start, I want to introduce my cohost that you just heard from, Jayson Malik, from Arise Studios in Conway, Arkansas. In an effort to accommodate today’s the guest, this show has been prerecorded at an earlier day. Thus, we will not be broadcasting live on flabandbanner.com’s Facebook page.
If for some reason you miss any part of this show, want to hear it again, or share it, there’s a way, and Jayson will tell you how.
[00:01:15] JM: Listen to all UIYB past and present interviews by going to flagandbanner.com and clicking on Radio Show. Also by joining our e-mail list, or liking us on Facebook, you’ll get a reminder notification that day of the show with a sneak peak of that day’s guest. Back to you, Kerry.
[00:01:33] KM: This show, Up In Your Business with me, Kerry McCoy, began as a platform for me, a small business owner and a guest to pay forward our experiential knowledge in a conversational way. Originally, my team and I thought it would speak to entrepreneurs and want to be entrepreneurs, but it seems to have a wider audience appeal, because after all, who isn’t inspired by everyday people’s American-made stories? To see people in their totality is humanizing. We all thirst connect and make sense of an overcomplicated world, and on this show we have the luxury of time to go deeper than a mere sound bite or headline. As always, we learn something.
It’s no secret that successful people work hard, but other common traits found in many of my guests are the heart of a teacher, belief in a higher power and creativity, because a successful life or business in and of itself is creative.
My guest today, number 6, Hoops Green, is only the 15th women to dom the Harlem Globetrotters red, white and blue uniform. Green is 5’9” guard who’s been playing basketball with her older brother since she was four-years-old. In high school, she led her team to two state championship and was ranked among the best athletes in the world.
Before joining the Globetrotters in 2017, she plays professionally overseas. Listen today and get the inside scoop on life as a professional basketball player and Harlem Globetrotter, then pick up the kids and go watch some play this Saturday, January the 19th at 2 PM in Verizon Arena. Showing off her style of play that has been described as a combination of athleticism, theater and comedy. It is a pleasure to welcome to the table an athlete who has been breaking glass ceilings, number 6, it’s Hoops Green of the Harlem Globetrottters
[00:03:32] HG: Hey!
[00:03:33] KM: Thank you so much for coming on the show.
[00:03:37] HG: Thank you for having me.
[00:03:39] KM: What should I call you? Ms. Green?
[00:03:43] HG: You can call me Hoops.
[00:03:44] KM: Or Hoops. Is it against the rules to tell your real name?
[00:03:49] HG: I don’t think so. My name is Briana.
[00:03:52] KM: Oh, it is!
[00:03:52] HG: And his name is Hoops.
[00:03:55] KM: That’s not as –
[00:03:56] HG: That’s not as basketball related.
[00:03:58] KM: Yeah! So they got to make it more entertainment like. So Briana is now Ms. Hoops Green. Who picked that name out?
[00:04:06] HG: Globetrotters did. We had to kind of earn our nickname.
[00:04:10] KM: How do you earn a nickname?
[00:04:11] HG: I guess it’s an earning or just based off like your basketball experience or maybe a personality good for me. As you read, I was one of the most
[inaudible 00:04:22] players on the team and had a pretty good or successful career and being known for my dribbling as well as my jump shot with the name Hoops. You have to have the entire package.
[00:04:35] KM: I like it. As a young girl playing yard ball with your brother in Kentucky, how did you go from that to being an international basketball star?
[00:04:49] HG: So I play now at every level. I played in college and as well as professionally overseas in Europe. What happened was it was just random. It just randomly happened one day. I have my third knee surgery and I wasn’t clear to play, the doctor or anything, but I knew that I could still dribble at least, and I was just bored. So I just recorded myself dribbling and I posted it on video or on Facebook, and the video went viral and everybody was tagging the Globetrotters and how I should try up for the team. A recruited invited me to try out and I made the team.
[00:05:24] KM: Three knee surgeries.
[00:05:26] HG: Yes ma’am.
[00:05:28] KM: How do you ever get over something like that to play for the Globetrotters? I would think that would kind of ruin your career.
[00:05:35] HG: Yeah, you would think. It’s definitely hard and two of them were ACLs. It was a pretty big knee surgery. Honestly, I definitely questioned myself whether I wanted to continue to play basketball or not by my second one. Then when I had the third then I was just like, “Wow!”
So the way this happened was I didn’t want to end my career in those terms. I wanted it to be on my terms and I just knew that I wasn’t done yet.
[00:06:04] KM: Did you get the injury on the court playing basketball?
[00:06:08] HG: Yeah, they’re both on the court.
[00:06:09] KM: Did you fall like on your knee or tear it or how do you get an ACL injury?
[00:06:15] HG: The first one I was in the air. I jumped and the girl undercut met and I landed awkward and I tore my ACL the first time. Second one, another girl stepped on my foot. So my body went one way, but my knee stayed there and that tore my other knee.
[00:06:32] KM: So it’s two different legs. So you must have been in a cost or in a knee brace when you went viral playing basketball. Is that right?
[00:06:41] HG: Yeah, I definitely had to wear a nice knee brace and sleeves.
[00:06:47] KM: So everybody was like, “Look at what great shot she’s making while she’s in a cast. She’s still out playing basketball. This girl has got a lot of heart. Somebody – The Harlem Globetrotters needs to come and interview her.” Is that kind of what happened?
[00:07:01] HG: Kind of, yeah. I mean, I just posted the video and everybody was tagging the Globetrotters and how I should try out. So that’s kind of what happened.
[00:07:08] KM: What was in the video that made it so interesting that it wanted to be shared and tagged so much?
[00:07:15] HG: I don’t know, because I know I’ve done way more extravagant things. I guess there’s just the fact that I never posted any of my videos on Facebook and maybe they hadn’t seen that before. I don’t know what was so special about it, but everybody seemed to enjoy it.
[00:07:32] KM: That’s good. So if you were to now go and look at it, would you look at it under your name Briana or would you look at it under Hoops Green?
[00:07:39] HG: Probably Briana, because I wasn’t even with the team yet.
[00:07:43] KM: What are your parents like?
[00:07:46] HG: What are my parents like?
[00:07:47] KM: Yeah, are they a big football, basketball fans?
[00:07:51] HG: I mean, they enjoy watching basketball because me and my brother have always played. My dad, he got a scholarship, a wrestling scholarship. He’s a good wrestler and he’s a wrestling coach. He also is really good at karate. He still does it now and he used to trained us when we were growing up. My mom, like I said, she likes watching us and my little brothers and sisters play sports. They didn’t play basketball, but they enjoy watching.
[00:08:22] KM: They sound like they’re very athletic. How tall were you in middle school?
[00:08:27] HG: How tall was in in middle school?
[00:08:28] KM: You’re 5-foot 9 now, which isn’t real tall for a basketball player. Were you 5-feet 9 in the 7th grade also?
[00:08:36] HG: No. I don’t know how tall I was. Maybe like 5’5’’.
[00:08:40] KM: It seems like a lot of people, tall people, end up having their big grow spurts when they’re in junior high, or middle school I should say.
[00:08:48] HG: Probably. I mean, I’m not sure though for a woman, but I think I’m just average.
[00:08:56] KM: Do your parents come to many of your games? You said about your brother, “I always looked up to my big brother who was always playing basketball. Growing up, I always wanted to follow his lead. He’s now my biggest fan supporter and best friend.”
[00:09:08] HG: Mm-hmm.
[00:09:09] KM: Does your family still come to your games?
[00:09:12] HG: Yes. I mean, if I happen to play near where they are or in that town, they’ll definitely come to me. But I travel all over. So they can’t make every game.
[00:09:25] KM: Yeah. I can imagine. What’s your brother doing now? Is he playing basketball?
[00:09:28] HG: They still play. I mean, he plays for fun. He has a nice job, but yeah, he still does it for fun.
[00:09:35] KM: I bet he’s very proud of you.
[00:09:38] HG: Yeah.
[00:09:38] KM: Okay. This is a great place to take a break. When we come back, we’ll continue our conversation with Hoops Green, number 6 of the Harlem Globetrotters. We’ll look behind the curtain of what it’s like to be a Globetrotter. Learn about playing basketball abroad and how it feels to be a women in a predominantly male sport. Last, we’ll get her tips on how other young enthusiasts who may want a career in sports should pattern their life. We’ll be back in a minute.
[BREAK]
[00:10:04] KM: Boost morale and patriotism with a new flag or flagpole from Arkansas’ flagandbanner.com. We have poles, hardware, accessories, maintenance support, installation and custom flags. We have flags of all kind; for the sports enthusiast, the world traveler, or history buff, we have them all. Bring in your old flag and get $5 off a new one. Consult the experts at Arkansas’ flagandbanner.com. Come shop at our historic location at 800 West 9th Street in Little Rock, or visit us online at flagandbanner.com.
[00:10:37] JM: You’re listening to Up In Your Business with Kerry McCoy, a production of flagandbanner.com. Over 40 years ago with only $400, Kerry McCoy founded Arkansas Flag and Banner. During the last four decades, the business has grown and changed, starting with door-to-door sales, then telemarketing, to mail order and catalog sales, and now a third of their sales come through the internet. This past year, Flag and Banner added another internet feature, live chatting.
Over time, Kerry’s business and leadership knowledge grew. As early as 2004, she began sharing this knowledge in her weekly blog. In 2009, she founded the nonprofit Friends of Dreamland Ballroom, and in 2014, Brave Magazine. Today, she has branched out unto the radio with this very production, podcast and live stream on Facebook.
Each week on this show, you'll hear candid conversations between her and her guests about real-world experiences on a variety of businesses and topics that we hope you'll find interesting and inspiring. If you like to ask Kerry a question, or share your story, send her an e-mail to questions@upinyourbusiness.org. That's questions@upinyourbusiness.org or send her a message on flagandbanner.com’s Facebook page.
Back to you, Kerry.
[INTERVIEW CONTINUED]
[00:11:58] KM: You’re listening to Up in Your Business with me, Kerry McCoy, and I’m speaking today with the glass ceiling breaker, Hoops Green, number 6 of the Harlem Globetrotters and the 15th women to ever dom their red, white and blue uniform who will be playing at Verizon Arena this Saturday, January 19th at 2 PM. Pack up the kids and bring them. They would love to watch this show.
Before the break we talked about what it’s like growing up watching your brother play basketball and how you wanted to play, about how you overcame three ACL surgeries, which I think is just remarkable. How you put a picture of yourself on Facebook, a video of yourself on Facebook playing basketball in your knee brace and that the Harlem Globetrotters saw it and asked you to come in for a tryout.
But before we talk about what it’s like to be a Globetrotter, let’s talk about how you got those ACL injuries. You were playing in high school for Lexington Catholic High School and you took the team to 160 to 14 record over four years. That’s pretty awesome.
[00:13:12] HG: Well, thank you.
[00:13:14] KM: Tell us about that, what it was like to be such a role model and a leader in your high school.
[00:13:20] HG: Well, I would say that I should have less losses honestly, but –
[00:13:27] KM: 14. You only had 14.
[00:13:29] HG: I’m not satisfied with it.
[00:13:31] KM: Boy! That is just like a competitor.
[00:13:34] HG: Yeah, but my high school career was really special. I give credit to my coach, because we had a great – Like my first two years, my freshman/sophomore year, our program was really special, really unique. We had seven players who went to play D1 basketball and get college scholarships and we had a really great coach. He knew how to get the best out of us. High school is just really fun.
[00:14:03] KM: You had two state championships. You were ranked one of the best players in the country and you were of course all state in all region honors. What happened to all of the girls you play with? Did they all go with you to El Paso, Texas?
[00:14:15] HG: No. We went our separate ways. I think – Where did we go? Notre Dame, Kentucky, Evansville, Akron, Virginia Tech. I don’t know. We all went our separate ways. But that was definitely one of my favorite teams to ever play with.
[00:14:32] KM: And that was your high school team. Then you go to El Paso where you ranked number 11th on the school’s list of all time wins with 79. You had 650 career points while you were there.
[00:14:46] HG: Mm-hmm.
[00:14:47] KM: Did you think you were going to go to the WNBA?
[00:14:49] HG: I didn’t, honestly, because the way my season worked in college, I’ve really only played two years, because I tore both my ACL. I tore my ACL in my freshman year. So I missed all my freshman year. A lot of my sophomore year. Came back my junior year, tore my other ACL. So I missed all my junior year and didn’t even play in my senior year really. So I didn’t think that I was going to be able to go to the WNBA, but I knew that – Honestly, the WNBA was never something I wanted to pursue. I always wanted to play professionally in Europe and I knew that I wasn’t going to let my knees stop me from making that happen.
[00:15:35] KM: Professionally in Europe. Why did you want to do that? A lot of people think that they don’t want to do that.
[00:15:41] HG: Do you think?
[00:15:42] KM: Actually, sometimes you fear about people that want to get into the NBA or WNBA and end up playing other places, and I always felt like, and I guess an error that maybe it was because they didn’t get into the NBA or the WNBA, but maybe it’s by choice.
[00:16:02] HG: I mean, maybe the NBA. But the WNBA, a lot of the players go play professionally in Europe, because the WNBA has a shorter season and also the WNBA doesn’t typically pay as much as they pay in Europe. So I don’t know.
[00:16:19] KM: I didn’t know that. I didn’t realize that. But you played in the Czech Republic, Spain, Mexico.
[00:16:25] HG: Yes ma’am.
[00:16:26] KM: While you were doing that, I think you got a degree in sports medicine?
[00:16:30] HG: Yes ma’am. That’s correct.
[00:16:31] KM: So when you do quit playing with Harlem Globetrotters, you’re going to go to sports management. I guess that means like a coach?
[00:16:39] HG: I think so one day. I’m not exactly sure. I know that sports is what I’m passionate about and I want to be my own boss. So I figured that’d be a good choice for me.
[00:16:48] KM: So you do love sports. It wasn’t just a career. It was about the passion for the sport?
[00:16:54] HG: Yeah. I like basketball.
[00:16:56] KM: So why did you decide to quit since you were doing exactly what you wanted to do. You’re playing overseas. Why did you decide to quit?
[00:17:06] HG: I wouldn’t say I quit. I just did a different route. Playing with the Globetrotters was a different opportunity for me and like once in a lifetime opportunity. You can say that they played for the Harlem Globetrotters being a woman. So I still do what I love. I’m still playing basketball, it’s just I’m adding this entertainment part to it.
[00:17:25] KM: But you got this opportunity to play for them. How did you apply for that? How did you get the opportunity? How did you tryout?
[00:17:33] HG: I just went for the tryout and just do what I’ve been doing my entire life, play basketball, and I made the team.
[00:17:41] KM: Yeah. The Harlem Globetrotters as a fascinating organization. Getting ready for this interview, I read about them and I was just shocked at how long they’ve been around, over 90 years. This is another great place to take a break. When we come back, we’ll continue our conversation with Hoops Green, number 6 of the Harlem Globetrotters and find out what it is like to trot all over the globe. Yes they do. Having played 450 games worldwide last year, and what it’s like to live, play and travel with the team, to be a woman working in a career and a sport that is predominantly man. Lastly, we’ll have Hoops give us some pearls of wisdom for those wanting to pursue a professional sports career. We’ll be back after the break.
[BREAK]
[00:18:28] KM: Boost morale and patriotism with a new flag or flagpole from Arkansas’ flagandbanner.com. We have poles, hardware, accessories, maintenance support, installation and custom flags. We have flags of all kind; for the sports enthusiast, the world traveler, or history buff, we have them all. Bring in your old flag and get $5 off a new one. Consult the experts at Arkansas’ flagandbanner.com. Come shop at our historic location at 800 West 9th Street in Little Rock, or visit us online at flagandbanner.com.
[00:19:00] JM: Flag and Banner is proud to underwrite Up In your Business with Kerry McCoy, where listeners are offered firsthand insight into the humanity and commonalities of successful people shared in a conversational interview with Kerry.
Along with this radio show, flagandbanner.com publishes a free bi-annual magazine called Brave. First published in October 2014, Brave Magazine harnesses the power of storytelling and human empowerment. The Department of Arkansas Heritage recognize Brave magazine’s documentation of American life and micro-fishes all editions for the Arkansas State Archives. Subscribe to this free periodical by going to flagandbanner.com and selecting Magazine.
Back to you, Kerry.
[INTERVIEW CONTINUED]
[00:19:47] KM: You’re listening to Up in Your Business with me, Kerry McCoy, and I’m speaking today with a glass ceiling breaker, number 6, Hoops Green of the Harlem Globetrotters and only the 15th woman to everdom their red, white and blue uniform. She will be playing along with her other team members at Verizon Arena this Saturday, January the 19th at 2 PM. Bring your kids and come on down. It’s a great performance. If you’ve never seen the Harlem Globetrotters, it is so entertaining.
Before the break, we talked about growing up loving basketball. We talked about breaking your ACL. We talked about the team you played for that you loved in high school and your coach and then playing in Czech Republic, Spain and Mexico globally in a European. I didn’t realize, and you just now told me that the European female players get paid more than the American. I thought that that was interesting.
[00:20:47] HG: Yeah. I mean, it just depends on the player, but yes, it varies by city or country as well.
[00:20:55] KM: I thought that was really interesting. Then you got this opportunity to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. In the first part of the interview, you told the listeners and you might tell them again how you hurt your ACL twice. But I guess you’re playing over in Europe or Mexico. I’m not sure what your country you’re in when you tore your ACL again. Is that right?
[00:21:21] HG: I tore both my ACLs in college.
[00:21:23] KM: But then you said the third one is when –
[00:21:26] HG: The third one I didn’t tear my ACL, I just went back and got a scope done on my previous ACL.
[00:21:34] KM: That’s the one you were in a brace and you put a photo up of you on Facebook.
[00:21:40] HG: Yes ma’am.
[00:21:41] KM: And it got shared. It went viral.
[00:21:43] HG: Mm-hmm.
[00:21:44] KM: Harlem Globetrotters saw it.
[00:21:46] HG: Correct, and invited me to tryout and I made the team.
[00:21:49] KM: So when you go to try out for the Harlem Globetrotters, where do you do it, Atlanta?
[00:21:54] HG: Yeah. I had my trial. It was based in Atlanta.
[00:21:56] KM: Where were you living at the time? Were you back home in Kentucky?
[00:22:00] HG: I was in Kentucky or Florida. I can’t remember.
[00:22:03] KM: Because your family is in Kentucky.
[00:22:05] HG: Yeah.
[00:22:06] KM: So you go to Atlanta. I guess you’re nervous.
[00:22:11] HG: Yes, pretty nervous. I was excited. So it was a lot of adrenalin.
[00:22:15] KM: How do you get prepared for your tryout? You’ve had this knee scope procedure done. How do you get prepared to go in for this life-changing opportunity?
[00:22:28] HG: I was just mainly concerned about my knees. I’ve been playing basketball, so it was nothing new to me. It’s nothing different. So I was just trying to get my knee prepared mentally and physically. Get it stronger and just get comfortable running and jumping on it.
[00:22:44] KM: But you did the physical therapy before you went, and I didn’t think about that. But going to try out for the Globetrotters is probably like getting ready for all the other games. What do you do before game to get yourself mentally ready?
[00:22:58] HG: Like in college I would call my older brother and I would talk to him before every game, but with the Globetrotters, we play every single day, and it’s different now. Entertainment
[inaudible 00:23:08].
[00:23:09] KM: I went on the Globetrotter’s website. Saturday, when you’re playing at the Verizon Arena, there are six other Globetrotter games going on.
[00:23:18] HG: Six?
[00:23:18] KM: Six. Two in California, two in Atlanta or Georgia and two in Kentucky.
[00:23:24] HG: That’s probably because there’s the double header.
[00:23:26] KM: Oh, okay.
[00:23:27] HG: Yeah.
[00:23:28] KM: I was surprised. Your game is one of seven. There’s going to be Saturday in Verizon Arena. I didn’t know there were so many Globetrotters.
[00:23:38] HG: Well, there’s about three teams. So the three teams is about 10, 11 players.
[00:23:45] KM: So that would make sense. Double header in Florida – I mean, double header in Georgia, double header in California, double header in Kentucky. That makes four teams, because you got one here.
[00:23:57] HG: Okay, yeah. We have a red, white and blue unit. So we cover more bases. Then sometimes we have a team that breaks off, which creates another unit. But we’ll go back to the 7 3 units.
[00:24:11] KM: So do you always travel with the same group of people?
[00:24:14] HG: Yup. Physically.
[00:24:17] KM: Pardon me?
[00:24:18] HG: Physically.
[00:24:20] KM: Is it like a family of people that travel together?
[00:24:22] HG: Are we like a family?
[00:24:24] KM: Yeah. Do you all feel like a family that travels together?
[00:24:26] HG: Yeah, definitely. We’re around each other all the time, like almost 24/7. I can say that those guys are brothers and we treat each other like a family. It’s a lot of fun.
[00:24:39] KM: You’re the only girl on the team I guess.
[00:24:41] HG: Well, we have only one girl per unit. So you’ll never see more than one girl at a time.
[00:24:46] KM: So every one of those teams has one girl?
[00:24:48] HG: Yes ma’am.
[00:24:49] KM: Well, I saw where the very first girl was in 1985, Lynette Woodard. She was an Olympic gold medalist. ’85 to 2018, that’s – What’s that? That’s like 30 years. There’s only been 15 of you all. Over 30 years. Yet you’re saying there’s three right now. there’s more girls now. I’m the 15th, but there’s other girls that came behind me.
[00:25:09] HG: There’s more girls now. I’m the 15th, but there’re other girls that came behind me.
[00:25:13] KM: So they started really stepping up their game hiring women I guess on the last few years, because 15 women when you were hired. You were the 15th and it started in 1985. They must have had a long stretch or something where they didn’t hire women.
[00:25:27] HG: Yeah. I think it was like 9 years or something where they didn’t have any.
[00:25:31] KM: So you go down there and you tryout and how long do you have to wait till you find – And you did good I suppose. You did a good job on your exhibition. So you go home. Everybody tells you great. You go home. How long do you have to wait?
[00:25:46] HG: Well, after I was don with the tryout, one of the recruiters came up to me and meet me and he was like, “You definitely have a spot on this team.” So I kind of knew, but it wasn’t until – I mean, he basically told me then, but then I signed the contract later.
[00:26:01] KM: So you didn’t have to sit around and worry about waiting a longtime. That’s nice.
[00:26:05] HG: Yeah. I was pretty confident that I was going to go get it.
[00:26:09] KM: You see all these young men who try out for football that go to do the tryouts and then they have to sit around and wait for the phone call and how nerve-wrecking it is.
[00:26:21] HG: Yeah. I could definitely imagine.
[00:26:25] KM: So as a woman, could you have a family? Could you have young children? Could you be a Harlem Globetrotter and play any other professional basketball game and do that?
[00:26:38] HG: Chancey, one of the girls on the team just had a baby about last – Maybe not even a year ago. She just had a baby and she made it back to the team. She didn’t missed a beat and she’s making it work.
[00:26:54] KM: Does the baby come on the road with you, or does she have a husband at home, or a mother, or a support staff? How does she make it work?
[00:27:04] HG: I know she’s married. I’m sure she has a good support system to make it work. I don’t know her personal life, but I know she’s married and I know she makes it work.
[00:27:16] KM: You know, it’s even hard for men who play professionally to keep a relationship going. I mean, I can just imagine how hard it would be for a woman. Not because of any physical limitation. It’s just because emotionally I would think having a baby and then going off to play basketball, emotionally, speaking for me with my children, would be kind of hard to do. But I guess it’s just – I don’t know. You do it.
[00:27:52] HG: Yeah, I don’t have kids. So I don’t know.
[00:27:54] KM: So you think you can do it. So if you’re speaking to other young women out there that are in the sports and want to play sports officially, come on, do it. You can do it. You can keep all the balls in the air. You can make it all happen.
[00:28:08] HG: Yeah. I mean, I’m doing it. Women are breaking barriers every day. So if it’s something you’re passionate about, then why not.
[00:28:15] KM: That’s right. Describe a day at the Globetrotters. I see where you all travel all the time. So describe what it’s like to be a Globetrotter and what your day is like.
[00:28:29] HG: For me I would wake, probably go get breakfast. May go lift weights and then we’ll head to the gym about 3:30. We’ll practice for about an hour and a half. Then we’ll be ready for the game. Go play the game. Sign autographs after the game. Take shower. Get something to head. Head back. Head to the next city.
[00:28:51] KM: Oh, I love that life. That’s so wonderful.
[00:28:57] HG: Does it?
[00:28:58] KM: It does. I mean, you get up and you exercise and then you go out and play a game, and then you eat, and rest, and head off to see another city. I think that sounds wonderful.
[00:29:12] HG: You should try out.
[00:29:13] KM: Oh, yeah, There you go. They’ll have to get a senior leg for me. What about the competitors? I went on and read about the – It’s not a franchise. It’s called – Pardon me?
[00:29:30] HG: The Washington Generals.
[00:29:31] KM: Yeah. It talks about competitors, and it says 20% to 30% of the game that you actually play is real.
[00:29:43] HG: Yes. I mean, I feel like it’s more than that. But we’re playing basketball. We’re basketball players first and then you add the entertainment part to it.
[00:29:50] KM: You really are playing basketball and that sometimes you have gotten beat.
[00:29:55] HG: I haven’t gotten beat. The last time we got beat was in 1971. So I wasn’t even thought of at the time.
[00:30:02] KM: So that was the Generals I think that beat you.
[00:30:05] HG: Yeah.
[00:30:05] KM: And that’s still the opposing team that you still play?
[00:30:09] HG: Yes ma’am.
[00:30:10] KM: Are they told before they go out on the floor, “Don’t beat the Globetrotters.”
[00:30:15] HG: I don’t see that happening. I think they try to win, but it’s the matter that we’re adding all these tricks and extraness to it that it makes it difficult to beat us.
[00:30:24] KM: Prior to the formation of the NBA, the Globetrotters actually competed in tournaments, and on the Wikipedia page it said that during the World Professional Basketball Tournament in the 1940s, the Globetrotters won.
[00:30:40] HG: Yes. We used to play against professional teams, like in the NBA, and we won. We beat them.
[00:30:48] KM: In 1948, they beat the Los Angeles Lakers.
[00:30:51] HG: Mm-hmm.
[00:30:52] KM: And it got everybody upset.
[00:30:57] HG: It got everybody upset. They thought it was a fluke, and then they played them again and they beat them by a bigger margin.
[00:31:04] KM: Didn’t read that part. How about the egos and the attitudes? I mean, you’re living together, all of you together in this pretty sequestered environment. What about the egos and the attitudes? Do they get in the way much?
[00:31:20] HG: I think so. I mean, there are different various personalities on the team, but like I said, we’re all a family and we care about each other, we love each other and we’re really close. So we don’t really let egos get in the way. We’re just there to have fun and entertain.
[00:31:39] KM: Speaking of egos, I also in researching didn’t know this, but the Globetrotters were founded in Chicago.
[00:31:49] HG: Yes ma’am. Yup.
[00:31:53] KM: A lot of people what?
[00:31:55] HG: Think we’re based in Harlem, because our name, but we are actually founded in Chicago.
[00:32:01] KM: Yeah, and they were called the – I think they were called the Savoy Five.
[00:32:09] HG: Yeah. That was a while ago.
[00:32:11] KM: Yes. It was in the early 1920s. They were on the south side of Chicago. They were called the Savoy Five, and the reason they picked that name, which I thought was really interesting, was because before the Savoy Ballroom, which was an African-American ballroom, before every dance, they would have the Savoy Five come out and play half court in the ballroom, and it was the number one attraction.
[00:32:36] HG: Yes, ma’am. That’s correct. So the Globetrotters would go around, but it was all based in Chicago. They got the name Harlem, because the Harlem Renaissance, and they called them the Globetrotters, because they were more appealing and extraness thinking that like the Globetrotters were traveling the world, but really the team had never left Chicago.
[00:32:57] KM: Oh! They never did go to New York?
[00:32:59] HG: Nope. It wasn’t till later.
[00:33:01] KM: Oh! So they didn’t get their name Harlem Globetrotters, because they broke up. It didn’t take very long. Speaking of egos, it’s time we got on the subject. It didn’t take very long for them to get in a fight with each other, have ego problems, break up the Savoy Five. I thought they moved to New York at that time and became the Harlem Globetrotters. But I guess not.
[00:33:24] HG: Nope. Nope. The team didn’t go to Harlem until I think it was like 1968 or something.
[00:33:32] KM: Are they in Harlem now? Are they in Atlanta now with the corporate office?
[00:33:37] HG: We’re still in Atlanta.
[00:33:38] KM: And a lot of people, and I thought this, thought it was a franchise, but actually it’s an entertainment exhibition team.
[00:33:48] KM: Herschend family entertainment. For anybody listening, it’s kind of the story of America. Because the Harlem Globetrotters and the red, white and blue outfits, it’s just a very Americana. Everybody who’ve seen the Harlem Globetrotters talk about it
[inaudible 00:34:06] survived the ages. It is a great read if anybody wants to go read about their history on the Wikipedia page, or on Harlem Globetrotter’s page.
So we’ve talked about what it’s like to be a Harlem Globetrotter. It just sounds absolutely wonderful, and the work it takes and the dedication it takes, and you really do have to love the sport. If you were going to give advice to some young person who is passionate about sports, how would you tell them? What’s the most important thing they should do? You overcame three ACL surgeries. So what would you tell them?
[00:34:49] HG: I’d tell them first that they should definitely focus on getting their education while they’re pursuing sports, because no one can ever take your education away from you and you may come through an injury or just adversity in general in life. You’re always going to go through sometimes adversity that will challenge you and make you question why you’re doing it. But if you love it, if you’re passionate about it, if it’s something you definitely want to pursue, then you’ll make it work and you’ll push through.
[00:35:16] KM: That’s great advice. You also give back to your community.
[00:35:19] HG: Mm-hmm.
[00:35:20] KM: Are you a volunteer at soup kitchens?
[00:35:22] HG: Yeah. So every Tuesday and Thursday I used to go to the Homeless Shelter with me and my dad and we would just give out — pass out food and clean up and hang out there, talk to the people that would come through and just try to give back.
[00:35:39] KM: You said in a quote, “I’ve always wanted to have a positive impact and be able to make someone smile. Basketball gives me the opportunity to reach out and inspire the youth. Especially being a female player, it allows young girls to believe in themselves.”
[00:35:54] HG: Mm-hmm. Sounds right.
[00:35:57] KM: In addition to all you do, you like the creativity of dancing and drawing.
[00:36:05] HG: Yes. I like just having fun. I’ve always been like artistic in drawing and just a way of expressing yourself.
[00:36:17] KM: I bet you get a lot of time to draw. It’s probably nice to have something like that to do, because you probably – I guess you’re on a bus or do you fly everywhere you go?
[00:36:24] HG: It just depends. We have tour bus and fly a lot, drive. Just depends on where we’re going really.
[00:36:31] KM: All that sitting and waiting from one place to the other, it’s probably nice to have a drawing or reading activity that can kind of help pass the time.
[00:36:41] HG: Yeah, definitely. You have to use something other than being on social media.
[00:36:45] KM: Do you have a social media page that people can follow you?
[00:36:49] HG: I do. It’s brianagreen11.
[00:36:53] KM: Brianagreen11. Hoops Green. Briana Green. Thank you so much for coming on and talking to me today. I have really enjoyed talking to you and learning about you.
[00:37:05] HG: Hey, thanks to you.
[00:37:07] KM: Let’s see, our guest next week is Joe Fox, owner of the popular Community Bakery in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. He is an excellent businessman, and we will get him to talk to us about how he uses the empowerment zone, tax incentives to hire local and regional employees, and he recently added solar panels to his establishment, and we’ll learn about that. He uses them to power his oven.
Then after that, our spring is a really wonderful, exciting program. After Joe Fox next week, we have Christina Littlejohn, Little Rock Symphony Orchestra. We have Tim Zimmerman from Score. Those are retired businessmen who helped – Not all of them are retired, but they’re businessmen, mostly retired, who helps small businesses learn how to manage and run a small business when they’re starting off. We have Garbo Hearne from Hearne Fine Art Gallery South on Main.
[inaudible 00:38:10], Matt Bell, Ray Rogers from Ray Rogers Boxing Club, and we have Mike Beebe, former governor.
After that, we have Janette Carson, cooperative extension service and contributor to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and Dr. Chris Shoemake, a local plastic surgeon. It’s going to be a great spring. I look forward to interviewing all of these people.
Hoops Green, thank you again for joining me and my listeners.
[00:38:41] HG: No problem. Thank you for having me.
[00:38:43] KM: Good luck tomorrow night. Take care of yourself. Be safe out there on the road. I look forward to seeing you the next time you’re in town. I am definitely going to come down there and see you.
[00:38:53] HG: All right. Come check us out.
[00:38:56] KM: Last, to our listeners, thank you for spending time with us. If you think this program has been about you, you’re right, but it’s also been for us. Thank you for letting us fulfill our destiny. Our hope today is that you’ve heard or learned something that’s been inspiring or enlightening, and that it, whatever it is, will help you up your business, your independence or your life. I’m Kerry McCoy and I’ll see you next time on Up in Your Business. Until then, be brave and keep it up.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[00:39:27] JM: You've been listening to up in your business with Kerry McCoy, a production of flagandbanner.com. If you miss any part of this show or want to learn more about UIYB, go to flagandbanner.com and click on Radio Show, or subscribe to her weekly podcast wherever you like to listen. All interviews are recorded and posted the following week with links to resources you heard discussed on today's show.
Kerry's goal is to help you live the American dream.
