Kinner named honorary Globetrotter

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

DAYTON — No doubt you’ve heard of the Harlem Globetrotters, the world famous basketball team that has played thousands of exhibition games dating back to the early 20th century.

The Globetrotters recently displayed their athletic and comedic style of play in southwest Ohio and a Van Wert native was in the thick of it – literally.

Justin Kinner, a 2008 Van Wert High School graduate was named as an honorary Globetrotter during the team’s New Year’s Eve game at the Ervin J. Nutter Center at Wright State University. Kinner is a 2015 graduate of WSU and is the Program Director for ESPN 1410 WING-AM in Dayton.

“I got invited to play with the Globetrotters because of my afternoon sports radio show on 1410 ESPN Radio in Dayton,” Kinner explained. “They had invited me to play a few months out and I was thrilled that they asked and I jumped on the opportunity right away.”

“It was funny because I went into the Christmas break without hearing anymore about it and I came back from the break with a Globetrotters jersey waiting for me in my office,” Kinner added.

Some professional basketball players are known to have inflated egos, but Kinner said the Globetrotters are the exact opposite.

“The team was awesome,” Kinner said. “They were very welcoming and made sure I was comfortable with what they wanted me to do. These players play multiple days a week and sometimes they play multiple times a day so the fact that they put on a great show every time speaks to their passion for the fans and their professionalism.”

Of course, the Globetrotters played the Washington Generals at the Nutter Center. For those who don’t know, the Globetrotters have won over 16,000 games against the Generals over the years. By most accounts, the Generals have defeated the Globetrotters just three times, with the last victory coming in 1971.

As an honorary team member, Kinner, who played basketball for former Van Wert basketball coach Dave Froelich, was able to help the Globetrotters keep that impressive run going.

“My biggest concern was embarrassing myself,” Kinner said. “7,000-8,000 people were there so my main goal was to at least hit the rim with every shot. Luckily, I knocked down my jumper and made my layup so I don’t think I did too bad.”

Kinner also explained that while he didn’t learn any special ball handling tricks, the Globetrotters did try to teach him some special moves.

“They tried to teach me some dance moves but as it turns out, basketball is no longer what I am the worst at – dancing is,” Kinner said with a laugh.

Overall, the experience of being an honorary team member and being on the floor with the Globetrotters is something Kinner will always cherish.

“Not many people can say that they got to suit up and play with the Globetrotters and score in the game so this was a great experience,” Kinner said. “I had some friends and my family come down to watch so I was glad to put on a good show for them and my listeners in Dayton.”

Kinner is the son of Mike and Belinda Springer of Van Wert and Ralph Kinner of El Paso, Texas.