Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
The Harlem Globetrotters' Wun "The Shot" Verser is one of basketball's best four-point shooters — that's 30 feet from the basket, more than 6 feet beyond the NBA's three-point line.BARRY COURTER: Lisa, Wun "The Shot" Versher of the Harlem Globetrotters was in the building last week to promote their game at McKenzie Arena on Friday, and I would like to tell you that we went one on one and that I took him to school. Bad. I would like to, but there is video evidence that it didn't quite happen that way.
LISA DENTON: I'm not sure you could win a game of HORSE with a Globetrotter even if he spotted you HORS. And Versher is not only one of the greatest shooters in team history, he's one of the best four-point shooters. To give you some perspective, that's 30 feet from the basket, more than 6 feet beyond the NBA's three-point line.
BARRY: I've got a pretty wicked trick shot that involves mirrors, a bicycle, a wheelbarrow and a beach umbrella that is hard to beat in a game of HORSE. In any case, it was cool to talk to him and even cooler to see how everyone reacted when he walked in wearing the familiar red-white-and-blue warm-up. Rock star.
LISA: Years ago, I got to do one of the interviews with the advance player they send out to promote the games. I remember sitting at a table at Big River Grille, worrying if I could recognize a Globetrotter when he came in if all I had to go on was "tall black guy." But he was wearing that signature warm-up and, well, he was just rock-star cool. I'm still a little starstruck.
BARRY: Versher said that what's great about the Globetrotters is that, wherever they go in the world, people know and love them. Everyone has a memory, whether it's Meadowlark Lemon and his hook shot, Curly Neal and his dribbling prowess, or Wun and his jump shot.
LISA: The only dribbling I do is on the pillow at night, but I'm really good at that.
BARRY: Three Dog Night is at the Tivoli on Thursday, the same night that Missy Raines is at Barking Legs. I just learned that local singer/songwriter Nathan Bell will perform with her that night. He's great, and it will be a good night of music.
The Lookout Wild Film Festival is this weekend, too. Our former Times Free Press colleague Andy Johns is the event's founder, and it has become very popular with fans and filmmakers. It takes place at Memorial Auditorium. Andy was so inspired by the films, he and his wife sold their home and are traveling the country with their son in an RV for a year. We ran a story about it www.timesfreepress.com/news/getout/features/story/2017/jan/01/film-fest-director-lives-dreams-silver-screen/404044/. Cool stuff.
LISA: That wouldn't work for everybody, but it sounds like Andy, Jessica and Braden are living the dream - at least until it's time for 4-year-old Braden to start school.
And don't forget that "Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage" will play Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tivoli. My favorite line from the film is when Baby first meets Johnny and instead of saying something funny and flirty, she says, "I carried a watermelon."
I should get that on a T-shirt.
Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.