Feb 23

Harlem Globetrotters to Open ESPN Wide World of Sports; Event Televised February 26 on ESPN2

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Three of the biggest names in sports and entertainment will come together this week when the Harlem Globetrotters join forces with ESPN and Disney Sports as part of the official re-launch of ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.

As part of the gala “re-opening” night festivities, the Globetrotters will take on the Washington Generals at the complex, with an all-star Globetrotter roster, including Special K Daley, Scooter Christensen, Big Easy Lofton and Flight Time Lang being joined by a bevy of sports celebrities, ESPN personalities and Disney characters. The game will be taped before a live audience on Thursday and televised nationally on Friday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The special performance will include ESPN Radio’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic from Mike & Mike in the Morning, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary on the air, serving as honorary coaches. In addition, ESPN’s Emerging Technology Group will use the game as a first test run for the network’s much-anticipated ESPN 3D network, scheduled to launch later this year in conjunction with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In addition to the opening night event, the Globetrotters will also once again take part in several events throughout the popular annual “ESPN The Weekend” (Feb. 25-28) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park and the newly re-imagined sports complex.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Globetrotters’ magic to this landmark event,” said Harlem Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. “The Globetrotters are proud to be global ambassadors of both sports and family entertainment, and partnering with the undisputed worldwide leaders—Disney Sports and ESPN—in both those categories is a tremendous honor that we take great pride in.”

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which hosts more than 300 events a year, is the leading multi-sport venue for amateur and professional sports in the United States, accommodating 60 different sports and athletes from more than 70 countries.

Sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, Spalding, Howard Johnson and America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses, the Original Harlem Globetrotters are in their 84th consecutive season of touring the world. The Globetrotters are one of only six teams to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.