For Matt Nelson, the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton has played host to a number of memorable events in his life. Nelson, who went to Hightstown High School, had his graduation in the building. He then roamed the sidelines covering the Mercer County Tournament basketball games for the Times of Trenton. But as pivotal as those events were, they…
For Matt Nelson, the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton has played host to a number of memorable events in his life.
Nelson, who went to Hightstown High School, had his graduation in the building. He then roamed the sidelines covering the Mercer County Tournament basketball games for the Times of Trenton.
But as pivotal as those events were, they may pale in comparison to his next trip to the arena this Saturday night.
Nelson will be on the microphone as the world famous Harlem Globetrotters head to town for a night of pranks, stunts, and even some basketball. Nelson fulfills many roles with the team, which mostly revolve around announcing. He is the hype man, the PA person, and even the play-by-play guy. It is something that he has described as the stuff of dreams.
“It is going to be surreal performing in front of the hometown fans,” Nelson said. “Not only is it where I had a chance to cover the Mercer County Tournament with guys like Ray Clark and you, but it is also where I had my high school commencement ceremony with Hightstown High.
“The fact that I am going to be performing at the CURE Insurance Arena with the Harlem Globetrotters in Trenton is going to be unreal. I am going to have some friends and family that will be coming out to watch not just the Globetrotters, but they will be there for me.”
His job is not the same as other game announcers; Nelson is much more involved in the show.
“People think that being an announcer for the Harlem Globetrotters is just about announcing the game as any public address announcer would do,” Nelson said. “But my gig is different from any other position I have ever had. I have experience in broadcasting and public address announcing, and I am able to combine both skills and treat them as one.
“I provide the play-by-play on the public address mic. But before and after the game, I basically help set up the court for our magic pass event, which gives fans an opportunity to meet the globetrotters.”
Nelson has been able to travel the country with the tour and visit some places that he never thought he would. To be a part of one of the most recognizable shows in the world is something that will stick with him forever.
“To work for a world-class organization like the Globetrotters, a team that has been around for 93 years, it is just surreal,” Nelson said. “Being able to travel to all these different places, so many new states that I have never been to, so many arenas I would have never thought I would get a chance to announce at perform, it has been unreal.
“I am working with a team, and a full group of people, whose primary goal is to put smiles on people’s faces, mainly for the children. What a lot of people don’t realize is, when the Harlem Globetrotters play, it is not just a basketball game. You have the opponents and the referees, but you are also putting on a show for the fans. You want them to go home happy that they were able to see the Globetrotters perform.
“Some of the things that these players are able to do are amazing, such as the trick shots and dunks. This whole four month experience has been surreal.”
The tour has seen the Globetrotters play in arenas big and small, something that Nelson loves about the experience.
“I have been in so many different environments, and so many different atmospheres,” Nelson said. “It could be at a local high school, where they have gyms that are bigger than my Hightstown gymnasium. I have been to pretty much every kind of small college you can think of, from Junior to Division 3 or Division 2, and NAIA, all the way up to the NBA and NHL arenas.
“The support we get from their communities, especially the tun out at some of these high schools, is just unreal. Just how they are able to pack so many people in to such a small high school.”
The Globetrotters tour will have them in the area for nearly a week. Friday night, they will be in Philadelphia at the Liacouras Center for one show, before heading to Trenton. Sunday, the Globetrotters will be back in Philadelphia for two shows at the Wells Fargo Center. After a day off, Collins Arena in Lincroft, NJ, will be the venue for two straight nights, March 5-6, before one more night in Atlantic City Thursday, March 7.
Tickets for the various shows can be bought on the site here.
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean