Moose Weekes, Harlem Globetrotter, On How He Got His Basketball Start, Signature Move [Video Exclusive]

Moose Weekes On Harlem Globetrotters, Basketball by uSports

“Intensity is what it’s all about!” These are some of the words Harlem Globetrotters forward Alex ‘Moose’ Weekes likes to live by, as he explained in an exclusive interview with uSports.

Weekes, a native of Lilburn, Georgia, who wears jersey No. 45 with the Globetrotters, said the story of how he first began playing basketball is “unique.”

“I played in a charity game against former Globetrotters and NBA players and got the game MVP,” he said. “Some of the Globetrotter legends recognized me for what I was doing and said, ‘Hey man, you need to be with us,’ so they gave me the contact information for our director of player personnel, former Globetrotter legend ‘Sweet Lou’ Dunbar.” 

“I got an opportunity, I ran with it, and I’m here with you guys today,” he said with a smile.

The quirky, eccentric 6-foot-8 star evidently loves playing with the Globetrotters, who played at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on April 2 as part of their 2017 World Tour. There remains no doubt in Weekes’ mind that being a member of the team is a dream come true.

“My greatest moments are when I get to travel and meet people from all walks of life,” he said of his highlights with the Globetrotters. “Especially when we get to try all the different foods, I’m the food guy. Some people don’t like eating with me because when I see so many options, I just don’t know what to do,” Weekes joked.

Indeed, the forward is known for habitually eating bee pollen and drinking coconut water before games, and allegedly for liking any type of pizza except for one that contains onions.

Weekes then adopted a more serious tone and explained an incident from his past that he’ll never forget and that he says “changed his life for the better,” and it isn’t difficult to see why. The forward said this moment was “special” and made him realize that playing for the Globetrotters was what he was “meant to do” and his “real passion.”

“I was in Oklahoma, home of the American Cancer Research Center, and I had an aunt who was battling breast cancer,” Weekes said. “I met this kid while doing autograph lines, and I tried to socialize with him and make him feel special.”

The towering player described how important it has long been for him to ensure that children, whether they aspire to be basketball players or not, feel appreciated. He wants youngsters to tell their friends they met a Globetrotter like him who inspired them, or gave them advice, and carry that with them forever so they feel “encouraged.”

Weekes continued his anecdote about the young boy he met in Oklahoma, who was carrying two basketballs — one in each hand — while waiting in line for an autograph. “This kid comes up and he’s been waiting in the line, I see him and try to edge my way to him, and I say ‘Hey man, they got you doing all the heavy lifting!'”

The Globetrotter then asked the youngster if both the balls were his, to which the boy replied, “No… Well, one I’m going to get signed and keep, but the other I’m going to get signed and auction it off for my brain surgery.”

Weekes explained how stunned he was to hear this. “You put on the mask, you don’t let everybody else know what your troubles are at home,” he said. “That hit so close to home for me, and to know that I’m part of this kid’s joy even though he’s fighting for his life.”

“You can’t put a price tag on something like that,” the Globetrotter added. “I hope he’s doing well today, and If I could see him again I’d hug him,” Weekes added about the boy.

Weekes also said this experience has allowed him, a veteran, to relay some key life advice to his younger teammates with regards to interacting with their fans before a game or in any other setting.

“When that smoke clears, you gotta leave all your worries behind because you don’t know what these people are going through,” Weekes says he tells the younger Globetrotters. “This is our chance to leave them with something they’ll never forget and bring their smile back.”

It’s also no surprise that Weekes has grown to love and connect with children as he is a father himself. The basketball star adorably described his five-month-old daughter as his “butter-muffin.”

Weekes then returned to discussing lighter subjects like his finest playing moments, saying, “I’ve been known to knock down a few three-quarter-court shots, granny shots, I don’t know the technical term.”

Since he struggled to describe exactly what type of plays make him unique, Weekes simply said, smiling again: “I’m good at Globetrotter magic, let’s just say that.”

Weekes said he generally likes to play above the rim, and then briefly demonstrated his “signature celebration,” which involved raising both hands next to his head, palm-outward as if giving a high-five, and widening his eyes and leaning backwards.

“Do you see these eyes?” Weekes jokingly asked while pointing to his eyes and approaching the camera in a comically menacing way. “I don’t know, do you see it?”

The Globetrotter added that he simply likes to bring “energy” to his vibe and that delighting the fans is his top priority.

“I really want to try to be as great a Globetrotter as I can be,” Weekes said, citing what carrying the mantle of the team’s 91-year history means to him. “I always want to level-up on what I’m doing in basketball. I want to be a great leader, role model and ambassador for this Harlem Globetrotters brand.”

LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 12: Alexander ‘Moose’ Weekes #45 of the Harlem Globetrotters performs before an exhibition game against the World All-Stars at the Thomas & Mack Center on February 12, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena