Something incredible happened on a recent Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
And it wasn’t the Harlem Globetrotters dribbling and passing between legs like Simba running through the wildebeest stampede in The Lion King—or a Globetrotter holding up an infant from the basketball crowd high above his head, in sync with the “Circle of Life” anthem.
It was the “Golden Ball” video tributes between on-court action, honoring 100 years of Globetrotters as wall breakers and bridge makers, helping connect the country to a less racist reality and the National Basketball Association to more stylish play.
Santa Cruz Warriors leadership and staff hosted, as they have for years. I encountered team president Chris Murphy on the baseline. What he shared was meant to describe the Harlem hijinx—which were up to the legend—but they also apply to the SeaDubs.
“The entertainment value is always high,” Murphy said.
Even when the Surf City Warriors are struggling, which they were before a recent resurgence, sizzle is still the state of the stadium thanks to crowd-centric promotions and—oh yes—the magic anticipation before and when they reach 100 points, and every ticket is worth a free scoop of Penny Ice Creamery’s best plays.
SeaDub spokesman Andrew Winfield puts it well. “Win or lose, you’ll see thousands of fans on the edge of their seats, screaming for a late-game layup or a desperation three-pointer. When the team hits the 100-point mark, the roar of the crowd can be heard all the way down at Cowell’s Beach.”
One of the qualities I observe (beyond dessert) with the SCW experience is the ongoing interaction with the community, which happens at scale—note 283,615 meals donated with Swishes for Dishes—and by hand.
Their monthly Helping Hands volunteer initiative on Thursday, Jan. 29, at the San Lorenzo Riverwalk, will involve the Warriors front office, players, coaches and season ticket members supporting the Coastal Watershed Council with a cleanup of the San Lorenzo River.
It’s a team sport. (And there are two home games this weekend, Jan. 30 and 31, santacruz.gleague.nba.com.)
Keeping the theme
Related collaboration alert: This week, the aforementioned Second Harvest, in partnership with Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust (MBFT), hosted a drive-through community seafood distribution, serving approximately 100 Santa Cruz County families with fresh and locally sourced seafood. As part of SHFB’s Land and Sea Initiative, MBFT purchases seafood directly from sustainable local fishermen and businesses, providing direct economic support to the regional fishing industry. That seafood is then donated to food relief organizations, helping families in need access a highly nutritious, locally sourced protein, while reinvesting food relief dollars back into the local economy, montereybayfisheriestrust.org.
Last snacks
The do-gooders operate year round, but Goodwill Central Coast is seizing upon January’s reset energy to encourage real-world impact in the form of donations and thrift shopping, and Santa Cruz County enjoys a bunch of venues to help out, from Santa Cruz (204 Union St.) to Scotts Valley (224 Mt. Hermon Road) to Watsonville (470 Main St.), goodwill.org…As mantras go—or even resolutions—these aren’t bad: Be bold. Drink different. Taste original. That’s how the new Festival of Undiscovered Grapes San Jose looks to flow 2–5pm Saturday, Jan. 31, at Rotary Summit Center (top floor, 88 S. 4th St., San Jose), with more than 60 wineries pouring lesser-known varieties from a state that grows 110+ unique wine grapes, $75, sanjose.org…For Globetrotter heroes past and future, an anonymous quote on seeing the world: “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
