Anthony “Buckets” Blakes never dreamed of being anything but a professional athlete.
As a little boy growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, he watched the Suns basketball team play, and made a hoop out of one of his daddy’s caps by cutting a hole in the top, flipping it over and shooting a tennis ball through it.
Now 40, Blakes is a 15-year veteran of the Harlem Globetrotters.
”I am still living my dream,” he said.
The Globetrotters will entertain an Everett audience Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Arena.
Blakes, who earned a psychology degree in college, likes to talk about all the ways the Globetrotters mentor and encourage children and teens.
He is just as happy to talk about entertaining the families who come to see the Globetrotters play.
“The beauty of the Harlem Globetrotters is that we pair entertainment and improvisational showmanship with athletic skills,” Blakes said. “There’s nothing like making people laugh and smile, taking their troubles off their minds for a few hours. We get all three generations of a family out to see us, and they’re all clapping and giggling at the same time. That’s pretty awesome.”
A 6-foot-2-inch guard, Blakes is one of 30 basketball stars who play with the Globetrotters.
“We have a red, a white and a blue tour going simultaneously worldwide in this 91st season, and we all play 300-plus games from the end of December to the start of May,” he said.
When he was a kid, Blakes played soccer and baseball, rode BMX bikes, and in high school narrowed his athletic focus to letter in football, basketball and track.
At the University of Wyoming, Blakes was basketball team captain, most valuable player and leader in rebounds, assists and steals. And, as a senior, he was one of only two Mountain West Conference players to finish in the top 15 nationwide in scoring, rebounding and assists.
He’s been known to drop six underhanded shots from half court in just 46 seconds.
Then, just two months ago, Blakes nailed the highest shot ever recorded in North America. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijeR-JhB3rQ
From the top of the Tower of Americas in San Antonio, Texas, he made a 583-foot shot to a hoop below. No wonder his nickname is “Buckets.”
“I’d been taking 100-foot, 200-foot shots, but nothing like that,” he said. “Yeah, baby!”
Known as the Ambassadors of Goodwill, the Globetrotters spend a lot of time in community outreach programs.
“Our mission is to help stop violence and bullying, help build character and encourage education,” Blakes said. “I also enjoy visiting hospitals where kids there aren’t able to come out for our games. It’s awesome to give back and serve as a role model.”
Education is especially important, he said.
“We don’t just target inner cities,” Blakes said. “A lot of privileged kids do not understand the concept of making their own way. It’s all about a positive attitude and respect for yourself and for others. I tell the kids that they have to understand our country’s ethnic melting pot, because some day you might be one of our leaders.”
Harlem Globetrotters
2 p.m. Feb. 19 at Xfinity Arena, Hewitt and Broadway in Everett
For tickets, priced from $28.50, go to www.xfinityarenaeverett.com.
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