Hampton welcomes back barnstorming basketballers

Deciding not to mess with success, the Hampton Boys Basketball Boosters Club is bringing back what turned out to be a fan favorite.

The trick-shooting, slam-dunking showmanship of the Harlem Wizards returns to the township after an initial visit for a 2022 fundraiser.

“We didn’t know what to expect the first year,” club member Jodi Andrews. “We just liked that it was basketball-related, a way to get the community together. It was a nice way to bring in some of the younger people to our event.”

Kids and adult, alike, ended up having quite the time with the barnstorming Wizards.

“We were really very happy with the results. Coming out of it, we had a lot of people asking if we were going to do it again,” Andrews recalled. “And the fact that it supports basketball is right on theme and right up our alley. So we were excited to do it and were thrilled with the response.”

This year’s event is scheduled for Dec. 4 at Hampton High School. Doors open at 6 p.m., and festivities begin at 7.

Andrews compared the Wizards’, uh, wizardry to another squad of basketball specialists who tend to perform on a much grander scale.

“It’s in a high school gym, so it’s not so big and overwhelming,” she said. “The kids can get really close and involved, and they do a ton of audience participation. They have a nice model.”

The boosters are recruiting Wizard opponents from among the faculty ranks, right up to the big day.

“You can’t have too many participants,” Andrews said. “The kids want to come see their teachers and administrators on the court.”

The adults in the boosters club are raising money to provide food, gear and other amenities for Hampton hoopsters.

“We’re there to supports boys from seventh grade through 12th throughout the season,” Andrews explained. Her son, Brady, has been part of the varsity squad since he was a freshman, and his twin sister, McKenna, plays for the Lady Talbots.

As for the Harlem Wizards, they were formed in 1962 and since played more than 15,000 games throughout the United States, raising over $25 million for schools and charitable causes.

Alumni include the late Connie Hawkins, who led the Pittsburgh Pipers to the first American Basketball Association championship in 1967; National Basketball Association legends Elvin Hayes and Nate Archibald; and Nancy Lieberman, a Women’s National Basketball Association star and Hall of Fame member.

Throughout their six decades, the Wizards consistently have entertained their audiences, the folks in Hampton included.

“If you’re into basketball,” Andrews said, “it’s fun to watch, for sure.”

General admission tickets for the Dec. 4 event are $20. For advance purchase, visit tinyurl.com/HarlemWizards-Hampton. More information about the Wizards is at harlemwizards.com.