VALDOSTA — The Harlem Globetrotters left the Washington Generals at home, but they were still able to captivate the crowd Saturday at Wild Adventures.

Now in their 92nd year, the Harlem Globetrotters were represented by Hammer, Turbo and Torch, who put on three 30-minute shows on the stage at Wild Adventure’s amphitheater.

True to form, the Globetrotters put on some impressive dribbling displays for the audience and dipped into the crowd for volunteers.

Though it was just a taste of a live performance, the audience was still welcomed to the Harlem Globetrotter classics like the three-man weave and the bucket of confetti.

After having a cup of water flung onto him by Torch, and knocking a cup out of the hands of Turbo and into the audience, Hammer chased the fellow Globetrotters through the crowd with a bucket before tossing it towards his teammate and revealing the confetti inside.

“We’re in the business of family entertainment,” 10-year veteran Hammer said after one of the shows. “We like to interact with our fans. Even during our live performances, you might see me going up for a 360 dunk, next second, I’m probably sitting next to your kid, eating all his popcorn.

“It’s one of the ways we love to interact with our audience. We’re the only team that does it and plays basketball at such a high level at the same time.”

Many of the Globetrotters, Hammer included, grew up playing basketball with dreams of becoming a professional athlete.

With the Harlem Globetrotters, a brand recognized world-wide, Hammer, Turbo, Torch and the rest of the roster can combine their passion for basketball and enthralling children around the world.

“The Globetrotters gave me the opportunity to come along, be a professional, and see the world, and also work with kids,” said first-year Globetrotter Turbo. “I love working with kids back home, so it’s a blessing to be able to go around the world and do the same thing.”

Torch is also in her first season as a Globetrotter, becoming the 16th woman on the squad in the team’s history.

But, prior to joining the Globetrotter’s 2017 rookie class, Torch had never seen a show and she didn’t know how perform any of the tricks.

With the help of the Globetrotter family, she’s been able to catch up and help put on shows like she did for the crowd at Wild Adventures.

“I’d seen it a little bit, but I didn’t really understand it until I was in the game,” Torch said. “I never saw a live show until I was in a show, which is interesting, but that’s how life works sometimes. It goes full circle like that.”

The Globetrotters will perform three more shows at Wild Adventures today. The performances are set for 1, 3 and 5 p.m.

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.