Jason Barrera, aka Buckets, always dreamed of using basketball to inspire children. Being 6-foot-1 rendered his original goal of playing in the NBA unlikely, but now Barrera plays for the Harlem Globetrotters, known for their acrobatic slam dunks, full-court shots and streetball-infused gameplay.
The team will play two games at Fiserv Forum this New Year’s Eve, continuing a holiday tradition for Milwaukeeans.
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“What better way to bring in a new year than with a family show that gets everybody engaged [and] everybody smiling?” Barrera says.
He describes his path to becoming a Globetrotter as an underdog story. The Globetrotters didn’t care that Barrera was from a small town with a D3 high school and wasn’t recruited collegiately – the team is one of the most inclusive in sports. “We have players from every walk of life,” Globetrotters spokesperson Mirian Arias says. “It gives [kids] a sense of, ‘I can do this too.’”
For tickets and more information go to fiservforum.com.
