About 15 years ago in the New Haven Coliseum, the Harlem Globetrotters helped to inspire a little boy from Connecticut.

This boy, about 6 at the time, attended the game with his father and watched the team dunk, juggle and spin the basketball around the court.

The boy was Geary Claxton (senior-recreation, park and tourism management), who would become a star forward on the Penn State basketball team, leading the team in scoring during his first three years as a Nittany Lion.

Claxton said he will be in attendance at 7 p.m. Thursday when the familiar whistled tune of "Sweet Georgia Brown" fills the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) as the Washington Generals take on the famous Harlem Globetrotters.

"I think it's even more exciting now than as a kid," said Claxton, who tore his ACL in January and is now working as an intern at the facility management office of the Bryce Jordan Center. "I respect every player that plays basketball, and this isn't just basketball, it's entertainment."

Bernie Punt, director of sales and marketing with the BJC, said the Harlem Globetrotters appeal to everyone from young kids to senior citizens because of the talent of the players and the entertainment value of their performances.

"Some of these players have a choice of going to the NBA, but if they have a particular showmanship they choose this as their careers," he said.

The Globetrotters formed in the late 1920s and have played more than 22,500 games, more than any team in the world, according to harlemglobetrotters.com.

Including tonight's stop, the Globetrotters have visited the BJC 10 times, Punt said.

Each of the team members on the roster goes by a nickname on the court. Andre "Hotshot" Branch said his comes from his ability to shoot the ball with consistency and accuracy.

"It all depends on your character and your personality," he said.

If Claxton had the chance, he would choose "X-Factor" as his Globetrotter nickname because of his all-around skill.

"I can affect the game in so many ways in scoring, rebounding, [and] blocking shots," he wrote in an e-mail. "Someone that just does it all on the court."

Claxton said even though he knows basic tricks like spinning a ball on his finger, he would have to learn some of the more challenging, flashier tricks before could perform with his new nickname.

"I can do some of the tricks," he said, "but some of the things, I don't know how they do it."

Branch, who has been a 'Trotter for five years, said the team practices two hours before each game and some players even bring their basketballs back to their hotel rooms to work on their tricks before game time.

Despite the difficulty and creativity of the tricks, Branch said there is no competition between players.

"We're all on the same page," he said. "We're all a team and we try to work together."

On Feb. 25, Branch visited nearby Ferguson Township Elementary School as an Advance Ambassador.

"We come out a week in advance and get everybody ready for the grand finale," Branch said.

The ambassadors teach students the "C.H.E.E.R." program, he said, which stands for cooperation, a healthy mind and body, effort, enthusiasm and responsibility.

Branch said no matter where he travels, the students he presents the program to are always energetic.

"The location is different, but it's all the same," he said. "You're still dealing with kids."

Branch said the team will stay a half-hour after the game to sign autographs and interact with children in the audience.

The Globetrotters combine real talent with entertainment, which makes the games worth attending, Claxton said.

"They're not just playing a game," Claxton said. "They interact with the crowd, and it makes it more exciting."