CLEVELAND — Students at Charles Dickens School won’t soon forget the visit they had from Harlem Globetrotters player Zeus McClurkin, right before the holiday break began.
McClurkin was in town to promote the Globetrotters’ upcoming appearance on Dec. 28 at Rocket Mortgage Field House. He agreed to pop over to WKYC Studios’ adopted school, Charles Dickens School in Cleveland, where he went straight to the gym and proceeded to delight the children with his fancy dribbling and trick shots.
While he was there, McClurkin was kind enough to tape a message about the importance of reading for our Dickens students. You can view it in the player above.
He even tucked a special book about the Globetrotters into the school’s Little Free Library as he departed.
RELATED: Harlem Globetrotters star Zeus McClurkin visits Cleveland's Charles Dickens Elementary School
It was a great gesture of support for Dickens Reads, a 3News effort to help students become more proficient readers and to assist families in building a reading-friendly environment at home. Dickens Reads is part of 3News' year-long Education Station initiative, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.
3News anchor Jay Crawford introduced McClurkin to the gym full of Dickens students with the inspiring story of how the player was cut from every basketball team he ever tried out for until the 11th grade -- but he went on to become a star with the world-famous Globetrotters.
“Never give up was the message, and the kids really enjoyed spending time with Zeus,” said Crawford.
Tickets are still available to see the iconic Globetrotters, a team famous for its barrier-breaking history, feats of athleticism and crowd-pleasing brand of entertainment. Click here for ticket or more information.