MILWAUKEE - There was some basketball magic in Milwaukee on Thursday.
The Harlem Globetrotters are in town for their annual New Year's Eve performance. The BMO Harris Bradley Center was packed with happy faces.
This is the Globetrotters' 90th year and they're dedicating it to two players. Meadowlark Lemon and Marcus Haynes both passed away this year.
As Globetrotter fans celebrate the new year, they're recalling these incredible players.
"I used to come here all the time when I was small with my parents and it's a memory," Sharon Jimenez said. "Now I'm so blessed to be able to bring my grandson here and just to see the kids have fun with the Globetrotters do this, I think it's awesome."
Their fun began even before the game got underway. Fans learned tricks, posed for pictures and played games.
"It's just a great family tradition and it's a lot of fun," said Paul Jansen, the vice president of the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Greg Matzek with our sister station, 620 WTMJ, was invited to take part in the fun.
"I remember doing this when I was a kid when I was six or seven years old," he said. "So for me, it's been a part of my life."
The Globetrotters have played in 115 countries. Their fans are not limited to the two-legged kind.
Hank the Dog was the honorary mascot for the Globetrotters' Milwaukee game.
"I can see in his eyes, he's so ready for this," said Hank's owner. "He's excited for the new year, he really is, gonna be a new year of baseball and a fabulous basketball game today and we're on our way."
The Globetrotters have been keeping their new year's eve commitment in Milwaukee at the BMO Harris Bradley Center since 1988 and for several years prior to that at the MECCA.
