Basketball wizardry wows hundreds

Slam dunks, fast passing and long three pointers were just some of what was on display as the Harlem Wizards put on an interactive basketball showcase to help the Wareham High School senior class raise money.

The Harlem Wizards, a world famous basketball entertainment group that travels the country to help schools and communities raise money, was at Wareham High School Tuesday, Nov. 19. They put on their comedy infused basketball spectacle in front of a packed gymnasium in a game against the "Wareham Public School All Stars," a team consisting of faculty from the three schools as a way for the senior class to raise money for their trip.

During the showcase, the Wizards got the crowd involved by having a number of competitions for kids to compete in and would often jump into the stands mid-game.

High School Principal Scott Palladino played in the game and he saw the event as a three way win for not only the school, but the community as a whole.

"I love the fact that we're getting ready to start the [high school] basketball season and I think this is a great way to get the community and the school together and also raise some money for the senior class," said Palladino.

Palladino added that despite the name "All Stars," he was "pretty sure nobody on the team had played basketball before."

In the crowd were a number of students from Wareham Public Schools and while the teachers and faculty were the home team, they didn't always have the crowds support.

"I wanted to support the Wizards because I think they are good and can do cool tricks," said 8-year-old Charlotte Sherman.

Meagen Enright was in the crowd with her son August who said his favorite part of the game was when the Wizards "dunked the ball" and her daughter Carter who said she liked when a Wizards player was "splashed with water."

Special Education teacher in the preschool Nicole Roberge also played in the game and described her experience as "wilder than [she] thought" and said "watching the kids have fun is what it's all about."

Kamil "Dragon" Brown has been a member of the Wizards since 2023 after finishing his college basketball career at Albany State University in Albany, Georgia and touring with the Harlem Globetrotters.

"It feels good being able to be somebody's super hero everyday and put smiles on kids and families faces," said Brown. "You never know what somebody's going through so being able to be the light of somebody's day feels good."