Las Vegas Globetrotter Scooter Christensen lists most memorable games

When Shane “Scooter” Christensen first started playing for the Harlem Globetrotters 13 years ago, he hadn’t done much traveling.

Christensen grew up in Las Vegas and went to the University of Montana after graduating from Bishop Gorman.

He had been to Utah and Idaho and some spots around Montana, but not much beyond that.

Now a Globetrotters veteran, he has traveled more than he could have even imagined. He’s played in all 50 states and has been to 83 countries. In his first season, he went to 8-10 new countries.

“I never dreamed of that,” he said. “I see why they’re called the Globetrotters.”

Friday, Christensen and the Globetrotters are in town to play at the Orleans Arena at 7 p.m.

Before the game, he went down memory lane to recall some of the most memorable places he has played.

Israel

It was his fourth or fifth season with the Globetrotters when Christensen went to Israel. His mother had always wanted to go there, and with his religious upbringing many of the sites had significance to him.

When they weren’t playing, one of the places they went was the Western Wall, where the team was decked out in red, white and blue jumpsuits.

“We were just kind of taking in the moment and looking at the Wailing Wall,” Christensen said. “I just remember everybody just looking at us because I know we stuck out like a sore thumb because of what we had on. We definitely didn’t look like we were from there.”

Angola

Also high up on his list was a trip to Angola. Christensen said he had always wanted to go to Africa and with the Globetrotters, he finally got his chance to do so.

“Just to see a different type of culture that way and see how people just live was totally eye opening for me. It was just unbelievable.”

Iraq

During Christensen’s first season, the Globetrotters played a game on a military base in Baghdad, in front of U.S. troops.

“It was so cool to see the support that we had from the troops and I think they were just so happy for us to come out there and do a game for them,” Christensen said. “I think we were even equally or even more happy to see them and just give them a piece of home.”

Service members would ask players where they were from, hoping for a match.

“They always asked you ‘Where are you from? Where are you from?’ and if you happened to be from their city, it just felt a little bit more special to them, you know? So I thought that was pretty cool.”

Mediterranean Sea

On the same trip, the Globetrotters stopped in the Mediterranean Sea to play on an aircraft carrier. As the team played, F-16s flew overhead.

“I’m like ‘This is crazy.’ Who does that?,’ ” Christensen said. “If it wasn’t for the Globetrotters, I definitely wouldn’t have done that.”

Las Vegas

Though Christensen has played around the world, every time the Globetrotters come to Las Vegas, it’s a memorable trip.

“Anytime you get a chance to play at home in your hometown, wherever that is, it’s always special because you’re always on the road all the time and anytime you get a chance to see your mom, your family, everybody come out to the game — old high school buddies, people you went to school with — come out and support you, that’s always fun,” Christensen said. “No matter how many times that happens, that’s always something special.”

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.